CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA FORMOSA - Sestiere of Castello, VII sec. -

Tradition says that the construction of this church has been due to an apparition of Our Lady as a shapely (formosa in italian) woman to Saint Magno in the seventh century.
Building has been rebuilt in the 1492 by architect Codussi. Church is really particular becouse of the two facades it owns, one facing the channel and one facing the campo (square in Venice), both wanted by the Captain Cappello's family, whose member fought and won the Turks with the fleet of Serenissima.
The bell tower has a baroque age (finished in the 1688).
Church, that gave hospitality to the Scuola dei Casselleri (nuptial case maker) for long time, received the annual visit by the Doge till the end of 1797. During this event honouring the merit of Casselleri in occasion of the Slavic's Abduction in the 944, when some Slavics tempt to kidnap many young Venetian woman, the Doge received a straw hat as a gift.
Building has a Latin cross plan with three naves and transept with groin vault and presbitery. In the interior are kept works by Palma il Giovane, by Vivarini and, in the chapel of the Scuola dei Bombardieri that here had the headquarters, a polittico by Jacopo Palma il Vecchio (1480-1510) representing Santa Barbara con i Santi Sebastiano e Antonio Abate and La pietà tra i Santi Domenico e Giovanni Battista.