LEAD FUNDERS
The Thompson Family Foundation, Inc.

SUPPORTERS
Linda & William DeBene

With additional support from:  Associazione Triveneta Le Chiavi D’Oro

According to tradition, the basilica of Santa Maria and San Donato was founded in a field of red lilies by the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto the Great, in 950. At the request of Pope Agapetus II, the consecration ceremony was performed by Buono, the Patriarch of Grado, and attended by no less than two arch-bishops and twenty-five bishops.

Medieval chronicles tell a different story. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the 7th century by the Muriani and Muraneschi families—“men of great spirit and ability” who settled on Murano from mainland Altino—, the church was completely rebuilt between 1125-1141 in a Veneto-Byzantine style. On 7 August 1125, Doge Domenico Michiel donated to the basilica of Santa Maria the precious relics of the dragon-slaying bishop Saint Donatus of Euorea (Arezzo), whose name was added to its dedication. The donation also included the bones of the monster slain, which today hang behind the altar but at first, were housed in the baptistry that once stood in front of the church (demolished in 1719). The basilica is commonly known as San Donato.

Among the most impressive features of San Donato is the central apse mosaic with its depiction of the Virgin Orante (Virgin in Prayer), dating from the 12th century when the church’s famous mosaic floor was made. Standing erect and blue in the realm of gold, the Virgin has her hand raised in a gesture of prayer as she communicates with the divine. On either side of her head, the letters “М҃Р” and “Ѳ҃Ѵ” stand for the Greek words Mētēr tou Theou, the Mother of God, identifying Mary as the God-bearer. The reference to the Annunciation of the Virgin, namely the Incarnation of Christ, is not by accident. Originally, as in the case of Torcello, the arch above the Virgin Orante was decorated with a mosaic of the Annunciation (Angel Gabriel on the left, the Virgin Annunciate on the right), of which today remains a little portion of the Virgin’s toe in the right spandrel. Accordingly, the encircling Latin inscription stresses the role of the Virgin as the means to salvation:

“WHOM EVE DESTROYED, THE PIOUS VIRGIN MARY REDEEMED / LET ALL PRAISE HER WHO ENJOY CHRIST’S GIFT.”

John Ruskin, commenting on this inscription in his Stones of Venice (1851-1853), wrote that “the whole edifice is, therefore, simply a temple to the Virgin: to her is ascribed the fact of Redemption and to her its praise.” Two additional lines in Latin on the border of the arch have led scholars to debate whether they refer to the Transfiguration of Christ or to the Virgin Annunciate, the latter seeming more appropriate in the present context. Be that as it may, even Ruskin could not fail to notice how he had “seldom seen even Monkish Latin less intelligible.”

Underneath the Virgin, divided by a thin, leafy marble cornice, there are frescoes depicting the Four Evangelists – Matthew, John, Mark, and Luke (from left to right). Attributed to Nicolò di Pietro, one of the most important painters of early Quattrocento Venice, the frescoes were made around the mid-1420s when the artist was designing the Stories of the Passion for the tapestries of the basilica of San Marco. It has been suggested that it was bishop Pietro Nani (reigned 1418-1426) who commissioned from Nicolò di Pietro the frescoes at a time when major works were also carried out at the basilica of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello.

Save Venice continues to celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2022 and is proud to reaffirm and deepen its commitment to Venice’s heritage sites that inspired our organization’s creation. The church of Santa Maria e San Donato on the island of Murano is one of these special sites and has been a priority for Save Venice since the 1970s when a major campaign was launched to conserve its famed 12th-century Veneto-Byzantine mosaic pavement. San Donato is one of Venice’s oldest and most beloved sites and is particularly vulnerable due to its low-lying elevation. Save Venice’s commitment to the church has continued throughout our 50-year history, with the treatment of the mosaic floor from 2012–15, and just recently from 2019–21 following the exceptionally high tides of November 2019 when extensive maintenance work took place on the floor and brick walls.

Save Venice’s latest major campaign provides funding for the conservation of the 12th-century Virgin Orante mosaic, as well as structural integrations of the apse and treatment of the exterior wall, and roof restructuring.

Nearly a century had passed since San Donato’s wall mosaics were last conserved, and their brilliance had become distorted by a thick layer of surface grime. The mosaics were threatened by substantial cracks that were visible from the front apex of the vault of the presbytery and continued down past the figure of the Madonna Orante. In addition, many tesserae had begun to loosen and detach from their supporting mortar.

While inspecting the structural integrity of the apse from the exterior, project director architect Paolo Tocchi discovered that the roof beams that had been added in the 1930s were resting directly on the dome of the presbytery, which was likely the underlying cause of the damage to the mosaic. Once this was discovered, Save Venice sprang into action to fund the urgently needed roof restructuring to protect the precious mosaics from further harm. The exterior of the apse with its decorative brick and stonework were restored by the Pierobon firm, ensuring that this area of the church’s structure is watertight and provides adequate protection and support for the artistic treasures within.

The complex treatment of the precious 12th-century mosaics was led by conservator Giovanni Cucco. After careful examination, mosaic tesserae that had begun to detach were stabilized with injections of mortar, and any precarious pieces were meticulously cleaned and reattached in their original position.  Sections of mosaic surrounding the large crack on the apex of the dome were carefully removed to allow for the repair of the underlying structure and were then cleaned and given fresh mortar before being re-attached in their original position. A final surface cleaning of the mosaics removed residual dirt and grime, restoring the vibrancy and depth of the colors and brilliance of the gold background.

The conservation of the adjacent frescoes of Four Evangelists and marble cornice in the central apse has been completed through fieldwork of the IVBC restoration school students, with partial funding from the Veneto Region. Throughout summer 2022, these students had the opportunity to observe and assist Giovanni Cucco, gaining valuable knowledge from his expertise in the process.

Save Venice is proud to provide annual support to the IVBC restoration school, fostering the education and training of the next generation of art conservators. Learn more

Anonymous
Virgin Orante (Virgin in Prayer)
12th century, mosaic

Nicolò di Pietro (active 1394 – 1427) [attr.]
Four Evangelists
c. 1414-1426, frescoes

Agazzi, Michela. Corsi e ricorsi della storia dell’arte. Gli altari di Torcello e Murano dal Medioevo al Barocco e ritorno. In Failla, Maria Beatrice and Susanne Adina, Meyer Chiara, Piva Stefania Ventra, eds. La cultura del restauro Modelli di ricezione per la museologia e la storia dell’arte. Rome: Campisano Editore, 2013, pp. 205-220. Link to the article

De Marchi, Andrea. “Per un riesame della pittura tardogotica a Venezia: Nicolò di Pietro e il suo contesto adriatico.” In Bollettino d’arte, VI (1987), pp. 25-66. Link to the article

Perry, Marilyn. The Basilica of SS. Maria e Donato on Murano. Venice: Parrocchia della Basilica, 1980

Samassa, Irene. Nicolò (Niccolò) di Pietro. In Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, 63. Rome: Istituto della enciclopedia italiana, 2013, pp. 506-509. Link to the article