On the Island of Murano inside the church of Santa Maria and San Donato lies a 12th-century mosaic floor dating to the same period as that of the Basilica di San Marco. Measuring over 500 square meters (5380 square feet) the individual tesserae are made of porphyry, serpentine, and other precious Mediterranean stones. Christian iconographic themes are represented through figurative images of animals including a peacock, fox, eagle, and griffins, as well as symbolic geometric patterns.
This magnificent church is an extraordinary example of Save Venice’s longstanding dedication and commitment to preserving the artistic treasures of Venice. The organization’s concern for the fragile floor began in the 1970s with Save Venice’s first large-scale campaign, and continued with further maintenance and conservation from 2012 to 2015 and again in 2020 following the exceptional high tides in late 2019 that caused extensive damage. The church’s low elevation makes it particularly vulnerable to flooding and the precious mosaic floor was submerged in corrosive seawater on multiple occasions over the course of several weeks. You can see more of the damage in this clip from RAI TG VENETO news (In Italian).
Save Venice’s dedication to safeguarding the church of Santa Maria e San Donato has lasted for nearly 50 years and was made possible thanks to the generous support of Mrs. Gladys Delmas (1970s campaign), The Thompson Family Foundation, Inc., Tina Walls, the James R. Dougherty, Jr. Foundation, Inc. through Beatrice Rossi-Landi, Trustee, Martha & Peter Weller (2012-2015 campaign), and the donors of the Immediate Response Fund (2020 campaign).
133 East 58th Street, Suite 501
New York, NY 10022
Palazzo Contarini Polignac
Dorsoduro 870 30123 Venice, Italy
The Rosand Library & Study Center is accessible by appointment.
133 East 58th Street, Suite 501
New York, NY 10022
Palazzo Contarini Polignac
Dorsoduro 870 30123 Venice, Italy
The Rosand Library & Study Center is accessible by appointment.