Church of La Pietà, Venice

Santa Maria della Visitazione

The Church of La Pietà (formally Santa Maria della Pietà) or Santa Maria della Visitazione was built between 1745 and 1760, based on a design by Giorgio Massari (1687-1766). The façade, unfinished until the early 20th century, was completed in 1906 according to the original plan, except for the marble cross at the top. The previous building stood to the right of the current church. The church is named after the former Institute dedicated to abandoned or orphaned girls, located on Calle della Pietà, where Antonio Vivaldi worked for almost forty years as a teacher, director, and composer. Between 2014 and 2021, the church’s façade underwent final restoration and consolidation work.

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The Sonnets of Antonio Vivaldi

In this section, you can find the texts of the four sonnets that accompanied the famous collection of concertos by Antonio Vivaldi, known as "The Four Seasons." You might be wondering: what exactly is a sonnet? Well, a sonnet is a short poetic form, typically consisting of 14 lines.

The Four Seasons

Antonio Vivaldi

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born to Camilla Calicchio in Venice on March 4, 1678, in a small house in San Martino di Castello.

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Church of La Pietà

Venice

At the Pio Ospedale della Pietà, still existing today as the Istituto Provinciale per l’Infanzia Santa Maria della Pietà, orphaned and abandoned girls lived, where they were taught music. Later, it also welcomed daughters from noble families, placed in the institute before a good marriage.

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