Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Church

Address: Campo dei Frari, San Polo, 30125 Venice, Italy

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is a large Gothic Franciscan basilica in Venice’s San Polo district, built across the 13th to 15th centuries. It is notable for its brick Gothic architecture, expansive interior and important Italian Renaissance artworks.

Inside the church the chief attractions are major paintings and funerary monuments, most famously Titian’s high-altarpiece Assumption of the Virgin and the artist’s own tomb. The choir contains elaborate wooden stalls and several notable altarpieces and tombs commissioned by Venetian families.

Commissioned and built by the Franciscan order over several centuries, the basilica served as a major parish and confraternal church and accumulated artworks and memorials from Venice’s artistic golden age. The building has been maintained as an active church while also being a destination for art and architectural visitors.

The Frari sits in central Venice, a short walk from the Rialto area and other principal sights, and is accessed through the historic street and canal network of the city.

• Artworks: Major artworks include Titian’s “Assumption of the Virgin” (high altar) and several important funerary monuments and altarpieces by Venetian masters.
• Architecture and location: The church is a large Gothic brick basilica dating from the 13th-15th centuries and remains one of Venice’s principal Franciscan churches in the San Polo district.

What to See#

• High altar and Titian’s Assumption: High altar and choir, which house Titian’s large altarpiece “Assumption of the Virgin” dating to the early 16th century and the church’s main liturgical focus.
• Choir stalls and tombs: The choir stalls and funerary monuments where prominent Venetian families and artists, including the tomb of Titian, are commemorated.

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is in the San Polo sestiere of central Venice. From Venezia Santa Lucia railway station it is about a 10-15 minute walk; you can also take vaporetto (public waterbus) lines 1 or 2 and disembark at a nearby stop (Rialto or San Tomà/Accademia) then walk a few minutes to the church.

• Check the church's opening hours and mass schedule before visiting-services and special events often close parts of the interior to tourists, so plan your visit around visiting hours to see the major artworks.
• Enter from the Campo dei Frari side to arrive at the main façade and access the ticket desk quickly; the nave houses Titian's Assumption and large choir monuments, which many visitors rush past, so allow time to study the high altar and sacristy.
• Don't miss the tomb of Titian and the carved choir stalls-these quieter corners contain important works often overlooked by visitors focused only on the high altar.