Church of Saint George of the Greeks

Attended for Greek Orthodox Easter service.

If you are orthodox, this is a must. If not, you can skip with all the other churches to see. Pictures are not allowed, but the entire chapel is covered in a pamphlet. Each piece of art, described and all are beautiful.

Beautiful place! Specially in early fall

If you admire Greek Orthodox it is a wonderful experience to sit here

The beautiful Church of San Giorgio dei Greci is located on the Rio dei Greci canal and close to the Chiesa di San Zaccaria, in sestiere Castello. Its rich history and beauty delighted us. It was the center of the Scuola dei Greci, the Confraternity of the Greeks in Venice. For centuries, despite the close ties of Venice to the Byzantine world (Venice has been part of the Byzantine Empire), the Greek Orthodox rite was not permitted in Venice. In 1498, the Greek community in Venice gained the right to find the Scuola de San Nicolò dei Greci, a confraternity which aided members of that community. In 1539, after protracted negotiations, the papacy allowed the construction of the church of San Giorgio. Greek Orthodox refugees who fled to Venice from Turkey with the rise of the Ottoman Empire built this church in the 16th century ( built between 1536 and 1577 ), using taxes collected on incoming Greek ships. While the exterior is classically Venetian ( the church’s architects were initially Santo Lombardo and later Gianantonio Chiona), the interior is Orthodox in style, the aisle-less nave is surrounded by wooden stalls and there’s a matroneo (women’s gallery). The interior has a monument to Gabriele Seviros (1619) by Baldassarre Longhena. The dome of the church was frescoed with the Last Judgement (1589–93) by Giovanni Kyprios, under the direction of Tintoretto. All eyes, however, are drawn to the golden iconostasis with its 46 icons, most of which were fashioned by 16th-century Cretan artist Michael Danaskinàs. Amongst the treasures in this church are three icons which Anna Notaras, daughter of Loukas Notaras, the last megas doux of the Byzantine Empire, brought with her to Italy before 1453, and she later gave to the Scuola de San Nicolò dei Greci in trust for when a church observing the Greek Orthodox faith could be constructed. These icons comprise - first of them "Christ in His glory surrounded by symbols of the four Evangelists and figures of the 12 Apostles", another of "Christ Pantokrator", and the third is an image of the "Virgin Hodegetria".

San Giorgio dei Greci is a church in the sestiere (neighborhood) of Castello, Venice, northern Italy. It was the center of the Scuola dei Greci, the Confraternity of the Greeks in Venice. For centuries, despite the close ties of Venice to the Byzantine world (Venice has been part of the Byzantine Empire), the Greek Orthodox rite was not permitted in Venice. In 1498, the Greek community in Venice gained the right to found the Scuola de San Nicolò dei Greci, a confraternity which aided members of that community. In 1539, after protracted negotiations, the papacy allowed the construction of the church of San Giorgio, financed by a tax on all ships from the Orthodox world. Construction was started by Sante Lombardo, and from 1548, by Giannantonio Chiona. The belltower was built in 1592. The interior has a monument to Gabriele Seviros (1619) by Baldassarre Longhena. The dome of the church was frescoed with the Last Judgement (1589–93) by Giovanni Kyprios.

San Giorgio dei Greci is a church in the Castello region. It was the center of the Scuola dei Greci, the Confraternity of the Greeks in Venice. For centuries, despite the close ties of Venice to the Byzantine world, the Greek Orthodox rite was not permitted in Venice. In 1539, after protracted negotiations, the papacy allowed the construction of the church of San Giorgio, financed by a tax on all ships from the Orthodox world. Construction was started by Sante Lombardo, and from 1548, by Giannantonio Chiona. The belltower was built in 1592. The dome of the church was frescoed with the Last Judgement (1589–93) by Giovanni Kyprios. Other artists who completed work for the church were Markos Bathas, Thomas Bathas, Benedetto Emporios, and Michael Damaskinos. A historic church that every Greek shoud visit when in Venice. The museum of bysantibe icons right next to the church hosts a very important collection of byzantine icons, also worth visiting.

Bell Tower of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George, visible along the Rio dei Greci canal and from the Ponte dei Greci as well as in some surrounding streets of the Castello area of Venice.