Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci & Museo delle Icone (Museum of Icons), Venice

The standout feature of this 16th-century Greek church is its leaning campanile, which appears as though it could tumble into the Rio dei Greci at any moment. Inside, you will find the "matroneo", a gallery where, following Greek Orthodox tradition, women would sit separately from the men. Take note of the iconostasis, a screen that separates the sanctuary from the nave, adorned with marble decorations and paintings by Michele Damasceno, a prominent artist from the 16th-century Cretan school. Despite immigrating to Italy and being influenced by Venetian painters like Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese, Damasceno remained strongly rooted in the Greek-Byzantine style. His paintings depict various saints, and on the architrave, you will find depictions of the Twelve Feasts.

Close by, the Scuola di San Nicolò dei Greci, redesigned in 1678, now serves as the Museum of Icons ("Museo delle Icone") of the Hellenic Institute, dedicated to Greek-Byzantine icons and Orthodox sacred vestments. It boasts a collection of 300 icons and numerous manuscripts, including a notable copy of the Alexander Romance, a narrative detailing the life and adventures of Alexander the Great.

Museum