Santa Maria di Nazareth (Scalzi)

Baroque church of the Discalced Carmelites beside Venice's main station, designed by Longhena in the mid-17th century.

Santa Maria di Nazareth, commonly called the Scalzi, is the church of the Discalced Carmelite order in Venice's Cannaregio sestiere, sitting directly beside Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. Designed by Baldassarre Longhena, construction began in the mid-17th century and was completed by the late 1600s; the ornate Baroque façade by Giuseppe Sardi was added in 1683. Right beside the church the Ponte degli Scalzi crosses the Grand Canal — one of the few bridges spanning the waterway. The church and bridge share the name of the Scalzi (barefoot) friars. Arriving by train, visitors encounter this imposing façade as one of their first sights of Venice.