Point of Interest
Church of San Zaccaria (Purity of Mary) in Pineda
Lignano Sabbiadoro
The only religious point of reference for the poor and fishermen of the coast and lagoon until the 19th century, the small church of San Zaccaria presents the typical architectural elements of Friulian votive buildings: gabled façade with small bell tower, rectangular hall with exposed beams and smaller presbytery.
The oratory was built by Zaccaria Vendarmin, prosecutor of San Marco in Venice and jurist of the "Land of Tisana", around the mid-1500s, with the dedication to the patron saint of the same name.
In her will dated 1575, Elena Vendramin, daughter of Zaccaria, endowed him with a mansion "with the condition that the priest must go one Sunday a month to say Mass, and stay there all Holy Week and all the main holidays, and that May I provide my heirs with wax, oil, vestments and everything that is needed for the Church, and all this eternis temporibus”.
However, the Church was not attractive, given the unhealthiness of the area and the few "wild roads" that were available to reach the village: for this reason finding a priest was very difficult and even the few inhabitants were deprived of religious functions for a period due to lack of a celebrant.
L’oratorio venne fatto costruire da Zaccaria Vendarmin, procuratore di San Marco a Venezia e giurisdicente della “Terra della Tisana”, attorno alla metà del 1500, con la dedicazione all’omonimo santo protettore.
Nel suo testamento datato 1575, Elena Vendramin, figlia di Zaccaria, lo dotava di una mansioneria “con condizione che il sacerdote debba andar una domenica al mese a dir una Messa, et star tutta la settimana santa lì et tutte le feste principali, et che li mi eredi li proveda di cera, oglio, paramenti et di tutto quello che bisognerà per la Chiesa, et tutto questo eternis temporibus”.
La Chiesa non era tuttavia appetibile, vista l’insalubrità della zona e le poche “strade selvagge” che erano a disposizione per raggiungere il borgo: per questo trovare un sacerdote fu molto difficile ed addirittura i pochi abitanti vennero per un periodo privati delle funzioni religiose per mancanza di un celebrante.
The state of abandonment persisted in 1818, when the Parish Church of Latisana passed to the Archbishopric of Udine. At the time, the Austrian financiers of the Customs of Porto Lignano complained about the lack of festive Mass (until 1886 the area, like all of central western Friuli, was part of the Habsburg dominion), who declared themselves willing to contribute to the payment of a priest. A chaplain was therefore found, who however reported the absence of a baptistery, which meant that the children had to be taken to Latisana, and also of a cemetery.
At the end of the 19th century, the tradition of carrying the statue of the Dressed Madonna in procession was documented, giving rise to the only village festival, on the third Sunday of October.
In this period, the Venetian Church solemnly named the church after the "Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary", but this change was not accepted by the population, who still to this day continues to refer to the oratory as San Zaccaria.
In 1984 the building was completely restored and the green space surrounding the church was also arranged.
Currently it is possible to visit the church only once a week, on the occasion of the celebration of Mass.
The only religious point of reference for the poor and fishermen of the coast and lagoon until the 19th century, the small church of San Zaccaria presents the typical architectural elements of Friulian votive buildings: gabled façade with small bell tower, rectangular hall with exposed beams and smaller presbytery.
The oratory was built by Zaccaria Vendarmin, prosecutor of San Marco in Venice and jurist of the "Land of Tisana", around the mid-1500s, with the dedication to the patron saint of the same name.
In her will dated 1575, Elena Vendramin, daughter of Zaccaria, endowed him with a mansion "with the condition that the priest must go one Sunday a month to say Mass, and stay there all Holy Week and all the main holidays, and that May I provide my heirs with wax, oil, vestments and everything that is needed for the Church, and all this eternis temporibus”.
However, the Church was not attractive, given the unhealthiness of the area and the few "wild roads" that were available to reach the village: for this reason finding a priest was very difficult and even the few inhabitants were deprived of religious functions for a period due to lack of a celebrant.
L’oratorio venne fatto costruire da Zaccaria Vendarmin, procuratore di San Marco a Venezia e giurisdicente della “Terra della Tisana”, attorno alla metà del 1500, con la dedicazione all’omonimo santo protettore.
Nel suo testamento datato 1575, Elena Vendramin, figlia di Zaccaria, lo dotava di una mansioneria “con condizione che il sacerdote debba andar una domenica al mese a dir una Messa, et star tutta la settimana santa lì et tutte le feste principali, et che li mi eredi li proveda di cera, oglio, paramenti et di tutto quello che bisognerà per la Chiesa, et tutto questo eternis temporibus”.
La Chiesa non era tuttavia appetibile, vista l’insalubrità della zona e le poche “strade selvagge” che erano a disposizione per raggiungere il borgo: per questo trovare un sacerdote fu molto difficile ed addirittura i pochi abitanti vennero per un periodo privati delle funzioni religiose per mancanza di un celebrante.
The state of abandonment persisted in 1818, when the Parish Church of Latisana passed to the Archbishopric of Udine. At the time, the Austrian financiers of the Customs of Porto Lignano complained about the lack of festive Mass (until 1886 the area, like all of central western Friuli, was part of the Habsburg dominion), who declared themselves willing to contribute to the payment of a priest. A chaplain was therefore found, who however reported the absence of a baptistery, which meant that the children had to be taken to Latisana, and also of a cemetery.
At the end of the 19th century, the tradition of carrying the statue of the Dressed Madonna in procession was documented, giving rise to the only village festival, on the third Sunday of October.
In this period, the Venetian Church solemnly named the church after the "Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary", but this change was not accepted by the population, who still to this day continues to refer to the oratory as San Zaccaria.
In 1984 the building was completely restored and the green space surrounding the church was also arranged.
Currently it is possible to visit the church only once a week, on the occasion of the celebration of Mass.