The Basilica dei Frari

The basilica dei Frari

A contemplative stop on the Venice audio-guided tour, the basilica dei Frari, or Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, is the second largest building in the city. As we see it today, it took more than a hundred years to build.

A deceptive sobriety

Besides its tall fourteenth-century campanile of seventy metres, the monument presents a very simple exterior facade, of brick enhanced with a few elements of white and pink stone. This sober, almost inexpressive side contrasts with an interior of great richness, one of the most remarkable in Venice.

What to see

Among the treasures of the basilica are the tombs of several doges of the city, as well as those of the artists Canova and Titian. A place of burial and memory, the basilica is visited with respect and contemplation, in the silence proper to places of worship.

Practical information

The basilica dei Frari is in the San Polo district of Venice. Like any place of worship, it is visited with respect for silence and services; days, hours and access conditions should be checked depending on the season.

Who rests in the basilica dei Frari ?

Several doges of Venice, as well as the artists Canova and Titian.

How big is the basilica dei Frari ?

It is the second largest building in Venice, with a seventy-metre campanile.