Power of Space: The High Altar of the Venetian Church of San Salvador

This thesis will present a holistic analysis of the Venetian church of San Salvador focusing on the high altarpiece, the Pala d'Argento, and its painted cover, Titian's Transfiguration. By examining the visual, liturgical, and functional relationships between elements of the sixteenth-century visual program this thesis has uncovered socio-historical, political, and theological queues which imbue the space with meaning. Through this analysis, the visual program has been found to be strongly rooted in the Byzantine heritage of Venice and specific references to the ducal chapel of San Marco. This programmatic intention reflects a desire to promote San Salvador as the repository for the relics of Saint Theodore, the first patron saint of Venice, and to elevate the church within the culture of sixteenth-century Venice. Additionally, the findings of this thesis show that Titian was responding to the environment of the church with the intention of injecting complex allusions into his paintings.