S4 Ep.3 - Not Just Churches, Not the Usual Venice with Monica Gambarotto

Beyond the Facade: Not Just Churches

In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica Cesarato sits down with Monica Gambarotto for an informal conversation that drifts away from the usual itineraries and into a quieter Venice.

Together, they explore five churches that rarely make it onto must see lists, yet reveal something essential about the city. These are not monuments to rush through, but places shaped by neighborhoods, communities, silence, and time.

This is a walk through Venice when the crowds thin out, where churches are not just places of worship, but mirrors of everyday life, forgotten histories, and layered identities.

Listen slowly. Venice is speaking softly.

Episode key notes

1. Why Venetian churches still matter beyond faith and tourism
2. What it means to look past façades and guidebook highlights
3. Madonna dell’Orto and the idea of the neighborhood church
4. Tintoretto, daily life, and sacred spaces that feel lived in
5. San Sebastiano and the power of a single artistic voice
6. How Veronese transforms a church into a continuous visual story
7. San Francesco della Vigna as a place of balance, silence, and authority
8. Architecture as a language of power and restraint
9. San Pietro di Castello, once Venice’s cathedral, now far from the spotlight
10. Geography, distance, and the feeling of being outside the usual Venice
11. San Giorgio dei Greci and Venice as a crossroads of cultures
12. What lesser known churches reveal about identity, imperfection, and belonging
13. How slowing down changes the way we see Venice

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in.

✨ Credits:

Hosted by Monica Cesarato

Produced by Monica Cesarato, Sentire Media

Guest: Monica Gambarotto

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