Chiesa dell’Arcangelo Raffaele

The neighbours called, and they want their grime back: when a recent cleaning to the 17th facade removed centuries of accumulated dirt on carved stone angels’ wings above the portals, it caused a local uproar. Had Venice lost its respect for the patina of age? But there’s been no similar argument raised about the restoration of the interiors, where in the baptistry behind the altar Francesco Fontebasso’s newly restored baroque frescoes seem to emit the early light of dawn in shades of pink, gold and pale green. The cycle of paintings inside above the main altar has been attributed to the Guardi brothers, but no one is sure which one – the vedutista (landscape artist) Francesco or his lesser-known elder brother Gian Antonio (1699–1760). In the afternoons, the organist stays in practice with a fugue or two; ask the guardian about upcoming concerts.