Photo: Travel: Italy: Venice: Churches: Giovanni E Paolo

Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Castello, Venice

The church of saints John and Paul (Zanipolo to the Venetians) is among the most important edifices in Venice. It began with a dream of doge Jacopo Tiepolo whose vision allowed the establishment of the Dominicans at the site. Numerous doges are buried here and since the 15th century all state funerals of doges were held here (even if the bodies were entombed elsewhere). It is certainly not among the prettiest churches but it is grand and the endless monuments are impressive both as architecture and reminder of human vanity. The spacious interior can be dauntingly empty despite the lavish chapels and elaborate displays on the walls. Among these is the stunning polyptych of St Vincenzo Ferreri by Giovanni Bellini. The highlight must be the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary which features a beautiful terracotta statue of the Virgin with Child and numerous paintings by Veronese. The other unmissable feature is the sacristy (photography not allowed) with its paintings and monument to Titian. There is a very well produced photo book in English, which is a must-buy since the murky interior forces guerilla-style photography. Although picture-taking is permitted (except in the sacristy), the church is quite dark. Since there's hardly any place one could prop the camera, this means shooting at very high ISO with the predictable result that the noisy pictures look like crap.

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