Description
The Church of San Giacomo di Rialto, San Giacometo to Venetians, is a small church at the foot of the Rialto Bridge, in the heart of the market: according to tradition it is the oldest in Venice, and for centuries it was the merchants' church.
The facade is dominated by its large 15th-century clock, with the 24 hours in Roman numerals and a single hand. In front is the 14th-century Gothic portico, one of only two left in the city. Inside, a Greek-cross plan with a dome.
Legend has the church consecrated in 421, but the first reliable record dates from 1152. On the outside of the apse, a 12th-century inscription asks merchants for fair weights and honest contracts, and on a column of the portico a fish and an oyster are carved: perhaps the minimum sizes of fish that could be sold.
The facade is dominated by its large 15th-century clock, with the 24 hours in Roman numerals and a single hand. In front is the 14th-century Gothic portico, one of only two left in the city. Inside, a Greek-cross plan with a dome.
Legend has the church consecrated in 421, but the first reliable record dates from 1152. On the outside of the apse, a 12th-century inscription asks merchants for fair weights and honest contracts, and on a column of the portico a fish and an oyster are carved: perhaps the minimum sizes of fish that could be sold.