Santa Maria dei Miracoli Site Features

Marble as the whole decorative scheme

There are no frescoes and almost no paint. The church's entire interior effect comes from stone: panels of grey, cream, and coral marble matched for their veining and set in geometric frames, so the decoration is the wall surface itself rather than something applied to it.

The raised choir

The sanctuary sits well above the nave, reached by a curved flight of steps, with the nuns' choir originally above and behind it -- an arrangement that let the enclosed community attend services without entering the public church.

The Lombardo carving

Tullio Lombardo's work on the balustrade and the pilasters framing the nave is deliberately shallow relief, kept low so it catches light without breaking up the marble surfaces. The half-figures on the choir rail are the most frequently singled out.