Gesuati - Background

Background

A religious Order, which was founded in Siena in the 14th century, had a presence in Venice by 1390. Its members were known as I poveri Gesuati (the poor Jesuates) because of their frequent calling on the name of Jesus. (They had no connection with the Jesuits (I Gesuiti), whose church is in the north of Venice. They acquired some wealth from donations and legacies and from privileges granted by the state, including a monopoly on the distillation of wine. In 1493 they commenced the building of a small church on land fronting the Zattere (the fondamenta which borders the Giudecca Canal facing the Giudecca island), where the other buildings of the Order stood. This church was originally dedicated to St Jerome (San Girolamo) and later to Santa Maria della Visitazione and became known as the church of the Visitation. Later the Order found it hard to recruit new members and a falling off in numbers combined with slackness in the performance of their duties led to its suppression by Pope Clement IX in 1668. In 1669 their property was put up for auction and acquired by the Dominicans, who installed themselves there in 1670. It became known as the Dominicans' place at the Gesuati and the Venetians have to this day continued to use the name.