Chiesa di Santo Stefano

The Church of Santo Stefano in Vicenza combines a Baroque design by Carlo Borella with artworks spanning the Renaissance and eighteenth century. The Theatines began the present building in 1695, replacing an earlier church on the site.

Why it matters

A chapel dedicated to Saint Stephen stood here by the twelfth century. The site was rebuilt in the fifteenth century and passed to the Theatines in 1595. In 1695 the order began a new church, designed by Carlo Borella in a Roman Baroque style distinct from Vicenza’s Palladian architecture. The façade was completed in 1750, followed by work on the interior in 1764. Its long construction history reflects the religious and architectural changes that shaped the city from the medieval period to the eighteenth century.

What to notice

The façade rises in two orders, with Corinthian columns below and composite columns above. A broken pediment frames the city’s arms, while statues by Giacomo Cassetti depict Justice and Wisdom below and Saints Stephen, Vincent and Gaetano above. Inside, a single nave leads beneath four large arches to the presbytery. The 1757 high altar, made of white and violet breccia marble, includes statues by Antonio Bonazza and a tabernacle by Domenico Angeli. Gilt panels from 1758–1760, known as the Tiepolini, are attributed to the Tiepolo workshop. The church also preserves Francesco Maffei’s Death of Saint Gaetano and Palma il Vecchio’s Virgin enthroned with Saints George and Lucy.

Context and history

The Theatines began work on the present church on 25 June 1695, with funding from the city council. A decree in 1720 returned the parish to its congregation, and the Theatines established their church of San Gaetano elsewhere in Vicenza. French troops melted the parish’s silver statue in 1797. A marble floor was laid between 1837 and 1840, when an earlier cupola was also constructed. In 1895, Vittorio Barichella replaced it with the dome that now defines the church’s skyline.