The Church of the Glorious Holy Mary of the Franciscan Friars (Frari), still run by the Franciscan order, is quite surprising because of the contrast between the apparent simplicity of the exterior and the wealth of impressive works of art by Bellini, Titian and Longhena in the interior.
Behind the monumental apses of the Frari Church we find Scuola Grande di San Rocco. A scuola was a lay confraternity with humanitarian purposes. San Rocco confraternity, founded in 1478, still exits and is quite active. It also runs the 16th century building where its members still meet, but the building is now used also as a museum, where visitors can admire the fabulous masterpieces painted by an exceptional artist, Jacopo Tintoretto, who worked in the rooms of the Scuola for over 20 year, leaving in the incredible number of canvases his spiritual last will.
Time: 2 hours
Notes: The fare does not include entrance fees. When visiting religious buildings, an appropriate dress code ha to be observed (no bare shoulders, no miniskirts, no shorts). The fare for groups has to be agreed with the guide.
