Monastery of San Nicolò al Lido facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monastery of Saint Nicholas (San Nicolò al Lido)
San Nicolò al Lido
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Venice
Status	Active
Location
Location	Riviera San Nicolò 26 30126 Lido di Venezia, Venice, Italy
Location in Italy
Architecture
Architectural type	Church

San Nicolò al Lido is a special place in Venice, northern Italy. It includes both the San Nicolò Church and a monastery next to it. This important Catholic site is located on the northern part of the Lido di Venezia island.

The church is famous for holding some bones, called relics, of Saint Nicholas. He is known as the patron saint of sailors. Every year, a special ceremony called the "Marriage of the Sea" starts here. It's a way to thank the sea. Franciscan monks live and work at this monastery.

San Nicolò in 1904

Entrance Portal

Coat-of-arms of Doge Vital I Michiel

History of San Nicolò

The monastery and church are very old. They were built when Venice was just starting, in the early Middle Ages. Legend says the Zancaruol family founded them. This spot was very important for Venice because it was the main way to get to the sea.

From here, Venetian ships sailed to fight pirates in 996 and 998. On May 9, 1000, a fleet led by Doge Pietro Orseolo II left for a big trip. This trip helped Venice take control of Dalmatia. This important event is still remembered in the "Marriage of the Sea" ceremony.

In 1071, Doge Domenico Selvo was chosen and crowned in this church. This happened because St Mark's Basilica was being rebuilt. In 1099, Venetian ships left this port to join the First Crusade. This was a major journey led by the Bishop of Olivolo and Giovanni, the son of Doge Vitale I Michiel.

Saint Nicholas Relics

In 1100, some people believed the bones of St. Nicholas were taken from Myra and brought to this church. However, a few years earlier, in 1089, the saint's remains had already been placed in Bari by Pope Urban II. Nicholas was made the protector of the Venetian fleet.

In 1202, the ships for the Fourth Crusade also left from here. The monastery itself was founded in the 11th century. It was later changed into a Renaissance style building in the 16th century. After the Benedictine order was closed down in 1770, Franciscan monks reopened the monastery. They used it for teaching.

Building and Design

The church has one main room and is connected to a monastery. It also has a large courtyard, called a cloister. All these parts were built in the 16th century. The tall, fancy bell tower was built between 1626 and 1629.

The front of the church has the tomb of Doge Domenico I Contarini. He was a supporter of the monastery. Inside the church, you can see artworks by famous painters. These include a painting of the Madonna with Child by Palma il Vecchio and San Giovannino by Palma il Giovane. The three bells in the tower are also from the 16th century.

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  San Nicolò Fortress

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San Nicolò in Art

The Italian painter Francesco Guardi (1712–1793) created many paintings of San Nicolò. He was a key artist of the classic Venetian School of Painting. His painting style used small dots and lively brushstrokes. This style was later admired by the French Impressionists.

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  'Doge of Venice on the Bucintoro', San Nicolo du Lido during the Marriage of the Sea (c.1775-1780) by Francesco Guardi (1712-1793).

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  The Bucintoro near San Nicolò di Lido (c. 1780–1790) by Francesco Guardi (1712–1793).

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  Gabriele Bella (the Doge of Venice on the Bucintoro at San Niccolò)

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  The Doge and Patriarch at San Nicolo del Lido by Andrea Vicentino.

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  Francesco Guardi - The Departure of Bucentaur for the Lido on Ascension Day

Fortress of San Niccolò

The Fortress of San Niccolo is a military area. You cannot visit it. It was built by Venice in 1591. The French updated it in 1806, and the Austrians changed it in 1831. It was made stronger in 1856 and used during the First World War.

Saint Nicholas Relics Debate

Interior of San Nicolò al Lido.

For a long time, Venice and Bari have argued over who has the real bones of St. Nicholas. Scientists have looked at the bones in both cities. They did this in Bari in 1953 and in Venice in 1992.

The studies found that the bones in both cities belong to the same person. Bari has the larger bone pieces. Venice has the smaller pieces that sailors from Bari might have left behind. Not many people know about the relics in Venice. So, the church is not a big pilgrimage site like Bari, especially for Russian Orthodox visitors.

San Nicolò in Movies

San Nicolò is a popular place for filming movies.

• The 1971 Italian-French drama film Death in Venice was filmed here. It was directed by Luchino Visconti.
• The James Bond film Casino Royale (2006) used San Nicolò as a filming location. It starred Daniel Craig.
• Moonraker (1979), another James Bond movie, also filmed here. It starred Roger Moore as James Bond. This location was used as the Italian headquarters for MI6.

Roger Moore (James Bond).

Old Jewish Cemetery

Old Jewish Cemetery

The Old Jewish Cemetery is very close to San Nicolò. The first graves here date back to 1386. At that time, Jewish people in Venice did not have to live in a special area called a ghetto. The ghetto was created later, in 1516. The cemetery was used until about 1640-1650. It was then left unused because the San Nicolò fortifications needed to be expanded. This was due to a threat from the Turkish army.

Venice-Lido Airport

The Venice-Lido Airport is right next to the Monastery. It is also known as Giovanni Nicelli Airport. It used to be called Venice-San Nicolò Airport.