San Giorgio Maggiore Island: Wood and Vatican Chapels Tour

Sacred architecture reimagined

On San Giorgio Maggiore Island, ten chapels designed by architects from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, and beyond are scattered through a woodland setting. Each chapel reinterprets sacred space through a different cultural lens and architectural language, creating a collection of contemporary religious architecture unlike anything else in Venice or, arguably, the world.

The chapels

The ten chapels were created for the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale's Vatican Pavilion, inspired by the woodland chapels of Gunnar Asplund in Stockholm. Each architect responded to the brief differently: some are monumental, others barely visible among the trees. Materials range from steel and glass to reclaimed wood and stone. Together they form a meditation on what a chapel can be in the 21st century.

The island

San Giorgio Maggiore sits across the water from St Mark's Square, close enough to see the Doge's Palace but far enough to feel removed from the tourist crowds. The island's monastery, church by Palladio, and gardens provide a peaceful context for the contemporary chapels. The combination of historic and modern architecture makes the visit architecturally rich from the moment you arrive.

A different perspective

The chapels reward slow, contemplative visiting. Allow 50 to 60 minutes to walk through the wood, pausing at each chapel to absorb its design. The experience is less about ticking off sights and more about considering how space, light, and materials can create spiritual atmosphere through architectural means alone.

Book your Vatican Chapels tickets

See sacred architecture reinvented. Book your entry tickets today.