The conservation of Torcello’s iconostasis was selected to honor the memory of John Julius Norwich, the eminent historian and writer, in collaboration with Venice in Peril Fund of London. Lord Norwich was a great supporter and friend of both organizations, and his inspiring love for Venice lives on through his numerous publications on Venetian history and art.

 Save Venice is grateful for the generous contributions of:

The Kowalski Family Foundation
Beatrice de Santo Domingo
Christopher Todd Page
Mr. & Mrs. David Borthwick
Mr. & Mrs. José A. Esteve
Anne H. Fitzpatrick
Anne Hawley & Urs Gauchat
Cat Jagger Pollon✝
Frederick & Cassandra Ilchman
Juan Prieto
Gene R. & Sarah Blake McHam
Janice Hunt
Joseph Schmauch
Karen L. Marshall
Stephen Jones
Prof. Edward K. Pratt

The Veneto-Byzantine basilica of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello is the oldest surviving structure in the Venetian lagoon, dating to the 7th century. An inscription records that the church, dedicated to the Virgin, was founded under Emperor Heraclius by order of Isaac, exarch of Ravenna in 639. The original structure was built by Mauritius, the magister militum (master of soldiers) for the province of Venetiae, and it is now assumed that it was a simple triple-naved rectangular space with a single apse at the east end.

In 864, the basilica was enlarged by bishop Adeodato II (reigned 864-867), with the porch before the façade, two smaller side apses, and the crypt beneath the presbytery. The remaining traces of fresco visible on the chancel wall are also thought to be of the 9th century. A final building phase dating to the 11th century gave the basilica the present shape. It was bishop Orso Orseolo (reigned 1007-1018), son of doge Pietro Orseolo II, who ordered to heighten the central nave, add a fourth aisle on the north end of the church, raise the floor, and build the present square campanile. In the following centuries, the basilica received its famous mosaic decoration (late 12th to early 13th centuries), the marble slabs (plutei) with relief carvings coming from the basilica di San Marco (13th century), and the thirteen panel paintings of the iconostasis (1418-1420).

Venice was deeply influenced by the art of the eastern European Empire, or Byzantium, during the Middle Age. The iconostasis (Greek for “icon stand”) of Santa Maria Assunta is a remnant of that influence. Like in Byzantine churches, Torcello’s iconostasis divides the presbytery from the nave and side aisles. Its 11th-century balustrade is composed of marble slabs (plutei) carved with confronted lions and peacocks amongst rich floral and vegetal motifs. These spectacular plutei once decorated the so-called third San Marco basilica (built between 1063 and 1094), and probably arrived in Torcello in the 15th century, as part of the general restoration of the building by bishop Pietro V Nani (reigned 1418-1426). Worth noting are the peacocks drinking water from the Fountain of Life – an early Christian symbol of eternal life also represented in the mosaic floors of Saint Mark’s basilica and of San Donato on the island of Murano demonstrate.

The plutei are inserted between marble columns topped with intricately carved capitals, upon which rests a wooden frame containing a series of thirteen panels painted by Zanino di Pietro between circa 1418-1420 on the commission of bishop Pietro V Nani. The central panel depicts the Enthroned Madonna and Child on a gold background, a painting that demonstrates the influence of Gentile da Fabriano on Zanino, especially with regard to Gentile’s Madonna now at the MET but originally painted in Venice. The central panel is flanked, on either side, by the apostles. Of the twelve figures, scholars have been able to identify with certainty Saints Simon, Andrew, Peter, Philp, James the Great, and James the Less; the remaining five may be Thaddeus, Thomas, John, Matthew, and possibly Paul. Each of the figures is silhouetted against a gold background that recalls the glittering mosaics of the triumphal arch and the apse behind them.

When the conservation treatment started, the thirteen panel paintings were suffering from severe condition problems, including lifting and flaking paint that threatened permanent loss of the decoration, as well as structural issues due to the warping of the wooden support. In fact, four of the panel paintings had already suffered extensive losses over the centuries, with only fragments of the original figures now remaining.

Beginning in 2019, the stone elements, the paintings, and their frames were carefully dismantled and transported to a conservation lab in Venice, where conservators from the Mauve firm worked diligently on their treatment for nearly three years. The stone elements of the iconostasis (including the marble columns and decorative panels) were desalinated through soaking treatments before being consolidated, cleaned, and reassembled. The columns of the balustrade were also treated for structural problems. Areas of flaking paint were consolidated, the wooden support was repaired and stabilized, and non-original surface residues (including grime, oxidized varnish, and unsightly overpainting from previous interventions) were carefully thinned and removed. Small areas of losses were integrated using removable conservation paints.

As a result of the treatment, the original gold leaf backgrounds, vibrant colors, and intricate details can now be appreciated. A new anchoring system for the panels and their frames has been installed, together with a protective barrier on the back of each panel, in order to ensure that the fragile 15th-century artworks are better isolated from exposure to the humidity and temperature fluctuations that occur naturally inside the church.

Unidentified Byzantine stone carver
Iconostasis with Plutei
11th century, stone and marble

Zanino di Pietro (1389–before 1448)
Panel Paintings of the Iconostasis
c. 1418-1420, tempera and gold leaf on wood panel
1000 x 82,5 cm

Bacci, Michele. Venezia e l’icona. In Caputo, Gianmatteo and Giovanni Gentili, eds. Torcello: alle origini di Venezia tra Occidente e Oriente. Venice: Marsilio, 2009, pp. 96-115. Link to the article

Baradel, Valentina. Zanino di Pietro. Un protagonista della pittura veneziana fra Tre e Quattrocento. Padua: Il Poligrafo, 2019

Cozzi, Enrica. “Il gotico internazionale a Venezia. Un’introduzione alla cultura figurativa nell’Italia nord-orientale.” AFAT, 31 (2012): 11-30. Link to the article

Niero, Antonio. The Basilica of Torcello and Santa Fosca’s. Venice: Ardo Edizioni d’Arte

Torcello Iconostasis to be Restored in Memory of Honorary Director John Julius Norwich