Santa Maria del Giglio appears the most worldly church in Venice, because carvings on its façade depict fortified cities and warships. Until the late 16th century, Venice strongly prohibited any display of personal wealth or cult of personality, as it was seen as a danger to the stability and power of the Republic.
This church was one of the first to break those rules as it depicts the naval and diplomatic career of the nobleman Antonio Barbaro, who paid for the building of the façade as his monument; you will his statue at the very centre of the façade, flanked by the figures of Honour and Virtue. The four statues lined at the bottom are of his brothers.
