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Venice secrets: San Pantalon
If you walk around Venice and explore beyond the big tourist spots, you’ll find San Pantalon — a small church with a huge secret. From the outside, it looks quite ordinary, even unfinished, with simple brick walls that don’t seem very exciting. But when you step inside, your eyes will immediately be drawn upwards… and that’s where the magic happens!
Inside San Pantalon, the ceiling is covered by one of the largest paintings on canvas in the world. It isn’t a normal fresco painted directly on the roof — it’s a massive canvas made of over 40 pieces sewn together, covering about 443 m²! This giant artwork shows the story of Saint Pantaleon’s martyrdom.
The painting was made by the Venetian artist Giovanni Antonio Fumiani, who worked on it for more than 20 years (from about 1680 to 1704).
Next time you’re in Venice, don’t forget to look up when you enter a church — sometimes the best surprises are right above your head!
How to get there:
Getting to San Pantalon from Venezia Santa Lucia (the main train station) is pretty straightforward:
Walk to the Vaporetto Stop – Just outside the station, you can hop on a vaporetto (water bus). Lines 1 or 2 go along the Grand Canal.
Ride to San Tomà or Ca’ Rezzonico Stop – These stops are the closest to the church.
Short Walk to the Church – From either stop, it’s only a few minutes on foot to Campo San Pantalon, where the church stands. It’s near the lively Campo Santa Margherita, an area full of cafés and local life.
If you enjoy walking, you can also go on foot from the station — Venice’s narrow streets and bridges make it a pleasant stroll (just follow signs for Dorsoduro).
Inside San Pantalon, the ceiling is covered by one of the largest paintings on canvas in the world. It isn’t a normal fresco painted directly on the roof — it’s a massive canvas made of over 40 pieces sewn together, covering about 443 m²! This giant artwork shows the story of Saint Pantaleon’s martyrdom.
The painting was made by the Venetian artist Giovanni Antonio Fumiani, who worked on it for more than 20 years (from about 1680 to 1704).
Next time you’re in Venice, don’t forget to look up when you enter a church — sometimes the best surprises are right above your head!
How to get there:
Getting to San Pantalon from Venezia Santa Lucia (the main train station) is pretty straightforward:
Walk to the Vaporetto Stop – Just outside the station, you can hop on a vaporetto (water bus). Lines 1 or 2 go along the Grand Canal.
Ride to San Tomà or Ca’ Rezzonico Stop – These stops are the closest to the church.
Short Walk to the Church – From either stop, it’s only a few minutes on foot to Campo San Pantalon, where the church stands. It’s near the lively Campo Santa Margherita, an area full of cafés and local life.
If you enjoy walking, you can also go on foot from the station — Venice’s narrow streets and bridges make it a pleasant stroll (just follow signs for Dorsoduro).
Vocabulary
- beyond - means farther than something or outside the limits of something.
Example phrase:
The village is beyond the river.за, по ту сторону - Sewn - means joined together with thread using a needle.
Example phrase:
The pieces of fabric were sewn together.сшитый - Straightforward - means easy to understand or simple to do.
Example phrase:
The instructions were straightforward and clear.простой, понятный - Hop on - means to get on a bus, train, or other transport quickly and easily.
Example phrase:
We hopped on the water bus near the station.запрыгнуть, сесть (на транспорт)
Vocabulary for the video
- Skip - means to not do something or to leave something out.
Example phrase:
Don’t skip this church — it’s really beautiful inside.пропускать - Underrated - means not as popular or appreciated as it should be.
Example phrase:
San Pantalon is an underrated place in Venice.недооценённый - A masterpiece - is a very great and important work of art.
Example phrase:
The ceiling painting is a real masterpiece.шедевр
True or False
The Church of San Pantalon looks very rich and decorated from the outside.
The ceiling painting in San Pantalon is made on one huge canvas, not painted directly on the ceiling.
Giovanni Antonio Fumiani worked on the ceiling painting for only a few years.
You can reach San Pantalon from Venice Santa Lucia train station by vaporetto and a short walk.
Great work! Well done!
Tilda Publishing
Questions to discuss with your teacher:
- Have you Been to Venice before?
- Would you like to visit during Carnival? Why/ why not?
- What is your favorite part of Italy? Where would you like to go?