Chiesa di Santa Maria degli Angeli
Venezia, IT
The church of Santa Maria degli Angeli dates back to the 12th century when the church was founded with a monastery. Demolished and rebuilt, the church was rededicated in 1529. There followed a period of prosperity which reached its peak in 1574 when Henry III, King of Poland and recently King of France, decided to visit the church. Young nuns from the most noble Venetian families were welcomed to the monastery, which enriched the church. After the suppression of the monastery (1810), the church was also closed (1848) and stripped of many of its possessions. After a restoration in 1861, it was reopened for worship in 1863, and in the early 19th century the two sides adjacent to the nave were used as a lazaretto to house the poorest families on the island.