Scuola Grande in Venice was initially a place where the poor, sick and destitute could receive help and assistance. In time, the wealthy citizens who provided funding for the Scuola formed a sort of brotherhood, and soon it became a centre of artistic, social and cultural initiatives and meetings, a backbone of the Venetian Republic. One of seven Scuole Grandi in Venice, the Scuola della Misericordia towers over all other neighbouring buildings. Its numbers grew so quickly they had to continuously expand to accommodate every newcomer. The spaces inside are truly vast, especially by Venetian standards, and are regularly used for many art and culture exhibitions such as the Biennale.
