Once discarded and left in a field to brave the elements, the statue Madonna dell’Orto is now housed in the church bearing her name.
In the 14th century, Giovanni de’ Santi, a Venetian sculptor, was commissioned to carve a work for the Santa Maria Formosa church. The priest rejected the statue (rude) and ol’ Gio was forced to take it back to his studio.
However, instead of taking the Madonna inside, he left it out in an orchard. In 1377, locals claimed that the statue in de’ Santi’s orchard was glowing at night and people began saying it could perform miracles.
The Guild of Merchants purchased the statue to 150 ducats (a considerable sum). The merchants gave the statue to a relatively new church in the Cannaregio district of Venice dedicated to Saint Christopher. But, the church was soon renamed Chiesa della Madonna dell’Orto (Church of Madonna in the field).
You can see the Madonna dell’Orto in the church and decide for yourself if the priest at Santa Maria Formosa was right in rejecting it.
The most famous congregant of the church was Jacopo Robusti aka Tintoretto. Several of the prolific Renaissance painter’s works hang in the church, including “Adoration of the Golden Calf,” “St. Peter’s Vision of the Cross,” “The Last Judgment,” and “The Beheading of St. Paul.” Tintoretto, along with several family members, is buried in the church.
Robber baron Jeff Bezos held his second wedding in the church cloisters in 2025.
Venice’s Marco Polo Airport has direct flights to most of Europe with a few (mostly seasonal) flights to North America. Trains and buses connect Venice to the rest of Italy.
It is easy to take the bus from the airport to the main station in Venice. Or, you can take a boat to the city. Private boats are luxurious and expensive. But, there are also public ferries from the airport that can take you to Venice. While the ferries are slower and make lots of stops, they’re also quite scenic. If I have time, I’ll take the ferry and think of my time on the boat as a less expensive sight seeing tour. Follow the blue signs in the airport to the ferry terminal. Note that lines can be quite long, especially during high season. You can save a little time by purchasing tickets in advance.
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides on Destination Eat Drink, including several in Italy. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.
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