History
The church is one of the oldest in the Venetian lagoon. It was originally built in the 7th century and is knownn to have been rebuilt in the 9th century and in 1040 AD, although it is possible that there have been more rebuildings in later times.
Development of the interiors of the church and valuable relics are related to the legendary quarreling between the parishes of this church and neighboring church of St. Stefano which lasted up to 1125, when Doge Domenico Michele established the dominance of Santa Maria church by storing the relics of St. Donatus of Arezzo in it.
Read more about this topic: Church Of Santa Maria E San Donato
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