The church of Madonna del Soccorso, best known as La Rotonda, was built between 1594 and 1606 by Francesco Zamberlan of Bassano, a pupil of Palladio, to house a miraculous image of a sitting Madonna with Child carrying a rose. The edifice has octagonal plan, surrounded by a portico, begun in 1594. The original construction had a cupola, which was later substituted by a simple ceiling for static reasons. The fine campanile, standing at 57 m, is by Baldassarre Longhena (1655-1673). The walls of the interior of the church are wholly covered by 17th centuries paintings, forming something a gallery of Venetian 17th century art, with a highly suggestive effect. |