The Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice stands right next to the Church of Saint Roch where the saint’s body is preserved. The confraternity called “Scuola Grande di San Rocco” was founded in 1478 and, thanks to great popular devotion to this saint especially in plague times, it became the richest confraternity in Venice during the 16th century1.
The Sala Terrena
The vast rectangular hall on the ground floor used to access the other spaces and for liturgical functions. It displays a statue of Saint Roch in the apsis and eight big canvases by Tintoretto2.
The 1576-plague memorial tablet
An impressive memorial tablet along the big staircase to the first floor reminds us of the terrors provoked by the terrible plague outbreak that struck Venice in 1576. About 400 members of the confraternity of Saint Roch died during that epidemic.
The Grand Staircase
With paintings by Titian, Tintoretto and others.
The Sala Capitolare
This large room was used by the brother for plenary meetings. Its paintings are mainly by Tintoretto who worked here for some years.
The Sala dell’Albergo
This was the room on the first floor where the governing members of the confraternity used to meet3.
- Photos by Luca Borghi @ (April 2025)
- Locate the item on this Google Map
Bibliography
– Maria Agnese Chiari Moretto, Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Smart Guide, Lineadacqua Edizioni, Venezia 2024, pp. 31