Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Penitenti
Venezia, IT
The church of Santa Maria delle Penitenti was built in 1706. The purpose of the ecclesiastical complex and the Ospizio di Santa Maria delle Penitenti attached to it was to house former prostitutes and other women who had given rise to public scandal and were in need of help, employing them in "honest work". Around 1725, the construction of the pious place began in its present form, based on a project drawn up by Giorgio Massari, who also directed the construction. The reference model was that of the church of the Zitelle on the Giudecca.