Eric Denker, Exhibition Curator at Stanford University in Washington

Venetian Beneficence: Decoration and Devotion in the Scuole of Venice

Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 1:30 pm

Hybrid in-person and online program via Zoom

The Scuole of Venice were charitable organizations that supported the local community from their origins in the thirteenth century through the present day. At their height they numbered in the hundreds, and they were divided into several diverse types. Some confraternities were dedicated to aspects of religious belief, such as the Guardian Angel or to mourning and funerals. Others were organized by trade and profession, such as the goldsmiths, the sausage makers, and the fishmongers. Some were support groups for residents from other countries, such as the Albanians, the Slavs, and the Greeks. The most powerful and wealthy were the six Scuole Grande. These were made up of citizens from throughout the city that were ambitious and successful but excluded from government offices by the Venetian oligarchy. The officers of these Scuole had direct access to the halls of the Doge and the members of the ruling Council of Ten. They also vied with one another to have the most important artists in the city design and decorate their buildings. Titian, Tintoretto, the Bellini, Veronese, and Carpaccio were among the artists that worked for these confraternities in the Renaissance.

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