Basilica of San Pietro Di Castello

Erected on the island of Castello at the eastern edge of the Venetian lagoon, the Church of San Pietro underwent several renovations and reconstructions during its long history. In the 1480s, the architect Mauro Codussi (also known as Coducci) largely rebuilt the church’s bell tower with white Istrian stone. Andrea Palladio planned modifications to the structure again in the late 1550s, though his designs were not fully executed. At the end of the 16th century, the architects Francisco Smeraldi and Giovanni Grapiglia completed a new façade for the Church. Three hundred years later, after losing its preeminent spot to St. Mark’s, San Pietro fell into a state of relative neglect. The church was firebombed during the First World War and, though rebuilt, continued to decline due to insufficient funding and general neglect.

Neglected and underutilized, the Church of San Pietro di Castello had, by 1970, become little more than a local parish church, its historic role as a major religious institution largely forgotten. WMF’s efforts restored the high quality of design that characterized the church and denoted its high ecclesiastical importance during its 11-century history. Successful conservation of the site, whose remoteness had contributed to its relative lack of attention, yielded not only a resurgence in visitors, but also made San Pietro a premier site for organ concerts, an attraction for both renowned organists and interested audiences.