Churches >  Church of San Sebastiano
Pool of Bethesda

Author: Paolo Caliari known as Veronese
Century: XVI°
DATE: 1558-60  POSITION: organ - left wall over the door of the sacristy (on map n°14) MEASUREMENT: 490 x 190 cm  METHOD: oil painting        

In October of 1558 Bernardo Torlioni commissioned the organ to Alessandro Visentin and the relative trunk to maestro Domenico from Treviso, who made an effort to specifically execute it as designed by Paolo Veronese. The maestros Francesco Fiorentino and Bartolomeo Bolognese were later assigned to take care of the gilding.

The organ structure was called to balance the archbishop Livio Podacataro's huge sepulchre designed by Jacopo Sansovino that was being realised on the opposite wall.

Between 1559 and 1560 Paolo Veronese paints the large organ doors that represent the Presentation at the Temple when closed and display the Pool of Bethesda when open.

The Pool is not actually illustrated but it is possible to imagine it below: of course this was not a trivial manuever to simplify the the painting's layout, but above all to highlight the new miracle that literally erases the alleged pagan magic from the invisible water.

Chorus - Associazione per le Chiese
del Patriarcato di Venezia

San Polo, 2986 - 30125 Venezia
tel +39 041 27 50 462
fax +39 041 27 50 494
P.Iva 03034040273
REA VE-275205