BASILICA OF THE FRIARS, Assumption - Titian

The first thing you noticed when you entered the Frari was surely the huge painting of the Assumption on the high altar: over seven meters tall, this "pala", as every painting destined to dominate the altar is called in Italian, was started by Titian in 1516 and placed on the altar on May 18, 1518, a truly memorable day. You can't escape the charm of this masterpiece, which seems to light up the entire basilica with its red shades.

Can you imagine, when Titian got this job, he was only 26 years old?! The work is an explosion of color and action. Many illustrious individuals that have visited the Frari over the centuries have been enthusiastic about this painting. The German writer Hermann Hesse even defined it as "the painting of paintings". You might not even believe this, but the same Franciscan friars were so astonished by the revolutionary nature of this painting that they almost rejected it!...