At the northern tip of the Lido, where the lagoon opens to the sea, a doge founded a church to Saint Nicholas, patron of sailors. His urn still hangs on its front.
At a glance
San Nicolò stands at the northern end of the Lido, facing the lagoon near the Porto di Lido, the main opening to the Adriatic. It was built by the will of Doge Domenico Contarini from 1043 and inaugurated in 1053, together with a Benedictine monastery, and dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra, protector of sailors. The medieval church was pulled down in 1628 and rebuilt in bare brick with a simple portal; above it, in a large frame of Istrian stone, is the marble urn of Doge Contarini, placed there in 1640.
Key facts
- Founded: from 1043 by Doge Domenico Contarini; inaugurated 1053
- Dedication: Saint Nicholas of Myra, protector of sailors
- Monastery: Benedictine, joined the Congregation of Santa Giustina in 1451
- Rebuilt: pulled down in 1628 and rebuilt in bare brick; the new church was finished in 1634
- On the front: the marble urn of Doge Domenico Contarini in an Istrian stone frame, placed in 1640
- Bell tower: baroque, on the left side of the apse, ending in a small cupola
- GPS: 45.42793, 12.38085 · Open in Google Maps
History
The founding is remembered as the work of three men who shared a first name: Domenico Contarini the doge, Domenico Marengo the patriarch of Grado, and Domenico Contarini the bishop of Olivolo, the old see of Castello. The church rose from 1043 and was inaugurated ten years later, with a monastery of Benedictine monks beside it. The place was chosen for the sea: this was the gate through which ships entered and left the lagoon, and the church was given to Saint Nicholas, whose relics the Venetians claimed to have carried home from Myra at the time of the First Crusade.
Restored in 1316, the old church was demolished in 1628 and replaced by the present one, completed in 1634. In 1640 the urn of the founding doge was set into the front, where it still is. The monastery joined the Benedictine Congregation of Santa Giustina in 1451.
What you see
From the water, a tall gabled front of exposed brick with a single portal. Above the door, a large frame of white Istrian stone holds the marble urn of Doge Contarini. To the left rises the baroque bell tower, its belfry open on each side and crowned by a small lead cupola; to the right runs the long, lower range of the monastery.
Nearby
- Aeroporto Giovanni Nicelli — the Lido’s historic airfield, just behind the church
- Caserma Guglielmo Pepe — the former barracks on the same shore
Gallery
Sources
- Chorus — Chiesa di San Nicolò del Lido: built from 1043 by Doge Domenico Contarini and inaugurated in 1053; restored in 1316, demolished in 1628 and rebuilt in bare brick; the doge’s urn placed in 1640; the baroque bell tower
- Conoscere Venezia — Chiesa e Monastero di San Nicolò del Lido: the three founders named Domenico, the relics from Myra, completion of the new church in 1634, the Congregation of Santa Giustina in 1451
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