Almost hidden by the market stalls and stands during the day, not everyone spots the church of San Giovanni Elemosinario, St. John the Charitable, who dedicated his life to assisting the poor and abandoned. It was no mistake that this church was placed here in the middle of the market, where there were certainly many beggars in search of a kind handout.
The church quickly became a place of worship for the merchants working in the Rialto market, and those who could afford one, bought the rights to an altar where they would meet and pray for good business; to this day, inside you’ll find altars dedicated to the Gallinari, the chicken merchants, to the Biavaroli, the fodder merchants, and one to the Corrieri, the postal workers. A unique meeting place of the spiritual and material worlds.