Restored in 2001 with funding from the Venetian Club of Trinity College (Hartford, Connecticut).

Unique shutters adorn a clock that hangs in the sacristy of the Frari. The seventeenth century clock is decorated with ornate carvings in cypress wood that depict the Last Judgment, the passing of time, the four seasons, and the stages in the life of man. The shutters, which are embellished with parchment and inscribed with calligraphy and marginalia, serve to protect the clock and also provide an explanation of the intricate carvings.

The creator of the extraordinary carvings has been identified as Francesco Pianta, best known for his sculptural works for the upper hall of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. However, the calligrapher who completed the accompanying parchment decorations remains unidentified.

The clock shutters were restored by Margherita Errera of the Filigrana conservation firm, with the guidance of project director Fiorella Spadavecchia of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Unidentified artist
Shutters of the Sacristy Clock
Seventeenth century, parchment

Basilica dei Frari: Homepage

Chorus Association: Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari