The Church of Santa Marta is located in “Sestiere Dorsoduro”, in the parking lot of the port area, the only place besides Piazzale Roma that is reachable by car. Today, it is a deconsecrated Church.
The founder of the Church was Giacomina Scorpioni, who lived in the Church of San Nicolò, and wanted to give shelter to poor people. The Church and the annexed female monastery were built in the XIV century, thanks to the generosity of the Salamon’s family. On Saint Marta’s day, the abbess would donate a silk rose to the family, as a symbol of gratefulness to the family. The first building block was put in honor of Saint Andrea and Saint Marta, however, in 1338, on the main entrance it was put a simulacrum of Saint Marta. From that moment on, it was just known as “Church of Santa Marta”.
Ambrogio Contarini, offered to the Church the vestiges of the Saint’s hand, that he found and obtained in 1463 in Costantinopoli. Beside this, the Church housed more vestiges of the martyrs Sant’Agapito, San Celso and Santa Trienina, among others.
In the XX century, the Church was completely destroyed and used as a storage room due to the construction of the port and Piazzale Roma. In the XXI century, it was restored for a new function. In fact, today it is used as a conference and exposition room.
The architecture is pretty simple: the facade is unadorned with a rectangular entrance, and a second one with a pointed arch is on the right side, towards the parking lot. The inside is characterized by what once was the central nave of the Church, now a wooden body that houses the chairs for the conferences.