Publication edited with the support of The Discalced Carmelites in Venice The Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth and the Monastery Garden Useful Information Tel. 041 82.24.006 [email protected] www.carmeloveneto.it www.centroscalzi.it www.consorziovinivenezia.it www.veneziawineandfood.it The Discalced Carmelites in Venice The Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth and the Monastery Garden The Discalced Carmelites in Venice The Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth and the Monastery Garden Index Introduction 1. Consorzio Vini Venezia pag. 6 2. The Order of the Discalced Carmelites 8 Part I 1. The Church of Santa Maria di Nazareth in Venice pag. 14 I. The Façade 16 II. The Nave 18 III. The Friars’ Choir 21 IV. The Presbytery and the High Altar 22 V. The Chapel of the Crucifixion 26 VI. The Chapel of the Holy Family 28 VII. The Chapel of St. Sebastian 30 VIII. The Chapel of St. John the Baptist 32 IX. The Chapel of St. Teresa of Avila 34 X. The Chapel of St. John of the Cross 36 Part II 1. The Garden: Layout and Meaning pag. 40 2. The Garden as Part of the Architectural Heritage of the Discalced Carmelites 42 3. The Formal Characteristics of the Garden 46 4. The Garden of the Five Senses 55 5. The Mystic Garden 56 6. Numerology 59 7. The First Plant Bed: the Lawn 62 8. The Second Plant Bed: the Garden of Simples 64 9. The Third Plant Bed: the Friars’ Garden 67 10. The Fourth Plant Bed: the Vineyard 70 11. The Fifth Plant Bed: the Orchard of Lost Flavours 73 12. The Sixth Plant Bed: the Garden of Gethsemane 76 13. The Seventh Plant Bed: a Bower of Trees 80 14. The Fourteen Types of Plants 84 15. Lighting 99 16. Irrigation 100 17. The Garden Huts 101 Bibliography pag. 103 5 Consorzio Vini Venezia Envisaged as a place of both tranquillity and discovery, the garden of the Discalced Carmelites was the focus of a project that aimed to restore and safeguard the Consorzio Vini Venezia tradition of wine-making within religious houses, and at the same time nurture the few remaining traces of viticulture within the Venetian lagoon. Consorzio Vini Venezia is an organisation that brings Useful Information: together a range of professions and its members include more than 4,500 producers of wine in the Registered Address: Treviso and Venice area. Its aim is to promote various San Marco, 2032 30124 Venezia (VE) wines that enjoy Denominazione di Origine Controllata Venezia Wine and Food recognition – D.O.C. Lison-Pramaggiore, D.O.C. Piave Business Premises: and D.O.C. Venezia – together with two that are of Via Businello, 3 31040 Portobuffolè (TV) Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita: Venezia Wine and Food was set up by the producers Tel: 0422850045 Useful Information: D.O.C.G. Lison and D.O.C.G. Malanotte del Piave. Fax: 0422850253 of typical regional produce: wines, cheeses, salami, artichokes and many others items that bear witness Registered Address E-Mail: The promotion of the area’s traditional produce – and to the rich gastronomic traditions of the lagoon and its and Business Premises: consorzio@consorziovini- Via Businello, 3 of its wines in particular – begins with a survey venezia.it hinterland. 31040 Portobuffolè (TV) and analysis of their history. Hence, the Consorzio Tel: 0422850045 Internet Site: Fax: 0422850253 was involved in a wide-ranging research project to www.consorziovinivenezia.it The participation of Venezia Wine and Food in the identify the old varieties of vine present in Venice restoration of this garden reflects the presence here E-Mail: and surrounding islands, with the aim of restoring of a number of the crops that have enhanced the [email protected] viticulture within the lagoon, an activity which had all reputation of this region’s cuisine. Internet Site: but disappeared there. www.veneziawineandfood.it Alongside: the Cipriani vineyard on the island of the Giudecca. Opposite page: the restored vineyard on the island of Torcello. 6 7 The Order of the Discalced Carmelites The Order of the Discalced Carmelites The Order of the Discalced Carmelites manual labour, which was essential for Carmelite when he took his vows dedicated himself originated in the Holy Land around the their survival. both to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount end of the twelfth century. It was at the As with all orders of religious life, the Carmel. Mary was, in effect, the elder sister who end of the Third Crusade that a small Carmelite community was guided by embodied all the values and traditions to be seen in groups of European crusaders decided a Prior to whom all owed obedience, a a family dedicated to God; it was upon her that they to settle on the slopes of Mount Carmel, man who exercised his role by serving modelled their “Resolution” in becoming Carmelites, which stood within the fertile Jezreel the community as Christ had served. in deciding to labour in her name. The Order belongs Valley: as well as being a noun that Nevertheless, the style of life adopted to Mary, as do its churches and monasteries. And the The crest of the Carmel means “garden” (the Garden of God), did not correspond to the Rule of any of same might be said of the habits the Carmelites wear: is made up of five Karmel is also the proper name of the the Orders then in existence. Thus, some the scapular which Pope Paul VI would declare to be an components. The fine promontory which, rich in vegetation time between 1206 and 1214, the hermits expression of “ecclesiastical devotion”, of oecumenical, mountain is the symbol and water, extends from a chain of hills in requested Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem catholic faith. The Carmelites are, therefore, entirely of Mount Carmel itself, the north of Palestine to look out over the – who at the time was living in Acre, near given over to Mary, and can be said to be her own with the Cross on the summit distinguishing sea. Since ancient times, Mount Carmel Mount Carmel – to draw up a Rule that particular family. Indeed, the Church recognises that the between the Calced and had been considered a holy mountain. To reflected the life they had chosen. The Carmelites occupy a place of honour in the veneration Discalced Carmelites. The the prophets, it embodied the Promised text of this Rule for “Hermit Friars” would of the Virgin. In contemplating the beauty of Mount three stars represent the Land, a paradise of great fecundity that then be approved by Pope Honorius III Carmel, they contemplated the beauty of Mary the two prophets Elijah and God gave to those who followed his in 1226, and so the Order of Carmelites Immaculate Virgin, the masterpiece of God’s grace. Elisha and (the bottom star) the Virgin Mary. The Word. became part of the Church. Subsequently, The other figure that plays a “founding” role in the Order hand griping the sword the text would be modified by Pope is Elijah, the prophet of fire, the solitary man who “in is another reference to The first Carmelites chose to live in a way Innocent IV to encourage the creation of living upon Mount Carmel pleased God”. the prophet Elijah. And that truly followed the example of Jesus Carmelite communities throughout the the text in the scroll is Christ, giving themselves over “day and world; thereafter, the official title for the That first community would then generate others – at an expression of that night” to prayer and meditation upon hermits was “The Brothers of the Blessed Acre and Tyre. However, when the Crusaders’ kingdom prophet’s love of God: “I burn with zeal for the Lord the Word of God; it would be this that Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel”. fell in 1291, the Order was uprooted from the Holy God of Hosts”. Finally, became the core of the Carmelite Rule. The first Carmelites, in fact, had a Land and the friars were forced to emigrate to Europe the crown with the twelve Living in individual cells, they gathered particular devotion to the Virgin. Not as their monasteries were destroyed. The first centres stars is a reference to an together each day in a chapel to celebrate only did they make her the holy patron they set up anew were in Sicily, Holland and England. image in St. John’s Book Holy Mass and sing the Psalms. However, of the Order, they also dedicated their However, by order of the Pope they now had to abandon of Revelation. life within their hermitages also envisaged first small chapel in her name; and each their anchorite existence and live as a mendicant Order, Opposite page: ruins on Mount Carmel. Above: the crest of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. Alongside: Lorenzetti, Pope John XXII approving the Rule of the Carmelites (detail of the Carmine Altarpiece). 8 9 The Order of the Discalced Carmelites The Order of the Discalced Carmelites which – by the end of the thirteenth in which we live together” (Founding of the Indios of America. As for St. Teresa herself, her century – had a total of 150 monasteries. Rule 13, 5). However, the new order numerous writings – including the 1577 Interior Castle, The core of the life of the was also to have a missionary role, considered a masterpiece of Christian literature – have Carmelites: Europe in the second half of the sixteenth such work being seen as exercising for 500 years been a source of guidance to numerous 1. Perception of the century might be described as a Golden care for the Body of Christ – that is, His priests, clerics and laypersons.