Chiesa di San Zaccaria

Venetian church dating to 801, rebuilt in Gothic-Renaissance style in the 15th century, home to Bellini's celebrated Madonna altarpiece.

The Church of San Zaccaria in Venice's Castello sestiere is dedicated to Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. Its history begins around 801; the present building was constructed in the 15th century in the transition from Gothic to Renaissance styles. It belonged to the adjacent convent of the same name, which enjoyed the highest prestige among the Venetian nobility. The Doges traditionally visited San Zaccaria on Easter Sunday — in gratitude for the land the convent had once ceded to allow the expansion of the Doge's Palace. Inside hangs Giovanni Bellini's celebrated altarpiece of the enthroned Madonna with Saints, one of the masterworks of Venetian early Renaissance painting. The church is a short walk from Piazza San Marco through quiet campo streets.