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The altar of Santo Stefano
Common project of all International Private Committes
Umberto Marcello del Majno, a descendant of a noble Venetian family whose ancestors include the composer Benedetto Marcello, was chronologically the second chairman of the International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice (COMPRIVE), succeeding Alvise Zorzi. He remained in office for eight years, until 10 April, 2019. The head of paediatrics and child neuropsychiatry at several hospitals in the region and most recently at the Dell'Angelo hospital in Venice, he was always deeply attached to his city; he was an Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Venice, chairman of the Friends of Museums and the Adriana Marcello Foundation, and chairman of the Circolo Società dell'Unione.
After his death in 2022, the International Private Committees -including the Swiss Pro Venezia Foundation- dedicated a joint restoration project to him that involved the altar of Santo Stefano in the church of the same name.
(see the dedicated sheet on the restoration of the marble reredos of Ateneo Veneto)
The beautiful temple on the northern side of Campo Santo Stefano is one of Venice’s Gothic churches, built between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century. The value of the building is not only historical, but is also due to the presence of highly valuable architectural features, such as the five-lobed, hull-shaped ceiling and the flamboyant Gothic portal attributed to Bartolomeo Bon's workshop. In the floor is a bronze tombstone covering the remains of Doge Francesco Morosini (see the entry on the restoration of Morosini’s dispatches, on the same page of this site). An exceptional feature is the location of the presbytery and the choir at an obviously higher level than the floor with the naves, so that the structure bridges over the narrow but navigable Rio del Santissimo.
The altar of Santo Stefano is located in the left nave as you enter the church, and -like much of the interior furnishings- was built after the construction of the church, presenting baroque features.
The restored altar was reopened in October 2023.
