Is a religious building in the city of Venice, located in the San Marco district , not far from the Accademia Bridge .
Jerusalem , A.D. 36 (the name Stephen in greek means ” crowned ” ) Venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, was the first Christian to give his life because of his faith in Christ and to spread the Gospel. His martyrdom is write in the Acts of the Apostles, where is described his calling to service of the disciples and his martyrdom by stoning (took place in the presence of Paul from Tarsus called Saul) . Being the first Christian martyr,his liturgical feast is celebrated on December 26, after the celebration of the birth of Christ. The color of the dress worn by the priest during Mass in this day is red, as in all the occasions when is remembered a martyr.
The church was built in the thirteenth century by the Friars Hermits of St. Augustine ; it was rebuilt in the fourteenth century and underwent significant expansion during the fifteenth century. The church was often the scene of violence and even murder , so that for this reason during centuries was desecrated six times . The church tower , very tall ,”Romanesque style with three arches surmounted by an octagonal drum “, is characterized by a strong inclination, which ,not presenting particular risk,but however, is continuously monitored .
He had supposedly greek origins ; at that time Jerusalem was in fact a crossroads of many different peoples , with different languages, customs and religions , it was thought also that he was a jew educated in the Hellenistic culture ; certainly was one of the first Jew to become a Christian and to follow the apostles .
The facade looks much more impressive than it is because it overlooks to a busy street. On the higher end , there are a “rosette” in the center and two Gothic windows on the sides. At the bottom , in line with the central window , is an impressive portal ,made by Bartolomeo Bon , built it in 1442 has a flaming bezel in the Gothic style , whose perimeter is decorated with scrolls .
Around the year 36 a.d. due to the large number of converts , he was accused of 
blasphemy ” uttered blasphemous words against Moses and God ” by the Sanhedrin and sentenced to death by stoning. Was not an execution, because the Sanhedrin did not have the power to issue death sentences,( and was not killed by crucifixion or by the methods used by Roman occupiers ). Stephen was dragged out by the fury of those present, then was a lynching. One of its main inquisitors was Saul of Tarsus, who later became St. Paul. After Stephen’s death a priest named Lucian of Kefar ” had in dream the appearance of an venerable old man in liturgical vestments , with a long white beard, holding a gold wand with which touched him and called him by name three times,and said him that he is Gamaliel St. Paul’teacher ;the companion of the first martyr Stephen, who was buried in his garden ; of Nicodemus, who was buried next to Stephen, and Abiba , the son of Gamaliel ,he said that he was also buried in the garden close to the saints , as his testamentary desire. ”
Inside the church there is a large tombstone which covers the remains of the Doge Francesco Morosini , the Peloponnesian ,( 1694 Antonio Gaspari and Philip Parodi), and the majestic cenotaph (the monument without the remains) of Domenico Contarini , who died in 1526.
In a speech in 425 , St. Augustine attests that , immediately after the discovery in Jerusalem of the body of St. Stephen, in 415 , the miracles began to occur .
In the sacristy, houses ,four paintings by Jacopo Tintoretto : Resurrection, the Last Supper, Christ washes the apostles’ feet , and the Agony in the Garden . Another great artist in the same space is Antonio Vivarini with two notable works : St. Nicholas of Bari and St. Lawrence Martyr . In the cloister stands the sculptures of an “funeral stone” in memory of John Falier (1808 Antonio Canova ).
After the death of Stephen, the story of his relics passed into legend , and it is said that many miracles occurred “just touching the relics”.The proliferation of relics, testifies to the large worship throughout Christendom to the proto-martyr saint Stephen, already revered even before the discovery of the relics in 415 .( we are informed of a place of an african worship in Holy Uzala , near Tunis .)
The church of Venice conserved the body of Saint Stephen the Martyre. Under the altar of the church passes a canal, navigable only at low tide .
Catholic Church celebrates the saint (26 dicember) as a religious holiday from 1947 ; previously it was a normal working day. The Orthodox Church commemorates the saint on the same date.
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