Chiesa di San Giovanni in Bragora

One of Venice's oldest churches in Castello, famous as the baptismal church of Antonio Vivaldi.

San Giovanni in Bragora in the sestiere of Castello is one of Venice's oldest churches, with origins reaching back to the 7th century. The current structure is the result of a late 15th-century Gothic rebuilding. The church is best known as the baptismal church of Antonio Vivaldi, who was baptized here on March 6, 1678 — the original baptismal record is still preserved in the archive. Inside, paintings by Alvise Vivarini and Cima da Conegliano combine Venetian Gothic architecture with luminous coloring. The adjacent Campo Bandiera e Moro is one of the quieter squares in the Castello district.