Tempietto di San Martino

The Tempietto di San Martino is a small Venetian Gothic chapel on Chioggia's Campo del Duomo. Its octagonal dome and brick walls distinguish it from the larger churches around the square.

Why it matters

The chapel is associated with the exiles of Sottomarina, whose churches were destroyed during the War of Chioggia. Bequests from Francesco and Bartolomeo degli Orsi Carnelli funded a sanctuary dedicated to Saints Martin, Matthew and Anthony, patrons of the lost parish churches. The tempietto dates from the closing years of the fourteenth century.

What to notice

The octagonal cupola is the building's defining feature. Shallow brick pilasters and small pointed arches articulate the exterior walls, while the compact interior rises beneath the dome. A bell tower once stood to the west but was demolished in the mid-twentieth century.

Context and history

The chapel was built after the War of Chioggia (1378–81), when the Venetian Senate prohibited rebuilding beyond the city walls for security. It provided a place of worship for people displaced from Sottomarina. From 1726 to 1749 it was used by a branch of the Filippini congregation, which later built its own church. Restoration work in the early twentieth century was followed by another campaign completed in 2002. This tempietto is distinct from the later parish church of San Martino in Sottomarina.