- San Geremia
San Geremia is a church in
Venice , northernItaly , located in the "sestiere " ofCannaregio . The edifice is popular as the seat of the cult ofSaint Lucy of Syracuse, whose remains are housed inside.History
The first church was erected here in the
11th century , but was later rebuilt in several occasions. In1206 it is mentioned to house the remains of St. Magnus ofOderzo (died670 ), who had took repair in this area from theLombards .A first rebuilding was held under doge
Sebastiano Ziani , the new church being consecrated in1292 . The current edifice dates from1753 , designed by Carlo Corbellini; the façade is from1861 . The brickwork bell tower (probably dating from the 12th century) has two thin Romanesquemullioned window s at the base.Interior
The interior has rather sober walls. The altar and its presbytery are notable, with two statues of "St. Peter" and "St. Jeremy Apostle" (1798). A work by
Palma the Younger ("The Virgin at the Incoronation of Venice by St. Magnus") decorates the fourth altar.The church is object of pilgrimages and wide devotion for the presence of the relics of St. Lucy, which were carried here in
1861 when the church dedicated to her was demolished. In1955 Angelo Roncalli , future Pope John XXIII and then Patriarch of Venice, had a silver mask put on the saint's face to protect it from dust.The saint's body was stolen on
july 7 1981 , but were restored in the December of the same year without any ransom.
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