Chiesa di Santa Maria della Pietà

Baroque church on Venice's Riva degli Schiavoni, where Vivaldi taught violin and composed many of his most celebrated works.

Santa Maria della Pietà — also known as La Pietà or Santa Maria della Visitazione — is a church in Venice's Castello sestiere, standing on the Riva degli Schiavoni a short walk from the Doge's Palace. The present building dates from the mid-18th century, consecrated in 1745. The church is inseparably linked to Antonio Vivaldi: he served as violin teacher and maestro at the attached orphanage (Ospedale della Pietà) and composed many of his concertos and oratorios for its famous ensemble of young musicians. Concerts continue to be held here regularly. Giorgio Massari's elegant interior and Giambattista Tiepolo's ceiling frescoes make Santa Maria della Pietà a place where architecture, music, and history intertwine.