Francesco Vinazza

The notes on the Grand Priory published by Fra' Guido Sommi Picenardi at the end of the nineteenth century allow us to affirm that the plaque depicted here on the side is that of Francesco Vinazza and his heirs. The inscription has been chiseled, while the coat of arms and the year 1611 remain visible: what faults were this damnatio memoriæworth? We don't know. We know, however, that around 1608 a Francesco Vinazza, bricklayer and stonecutter, agreed to build the Church of San Martino "de Geminis" which is located near the Arsenale offering to work "of charitta", as regards his compeso and tools, remaining at the expense of the church the payment of materials and workers. It was he himself who did the work on the chapels "delli Clarissimi Salomoni et Clarissimi Rizzo", together with a master Antonio for those of stonecutters, jobs that were not paid by wealthy families, but by the church that had to borrow the money.It was again Francesco Vinazza who some time later arranged "the pillar back at the chapel of the Madonna", and who completed the work on the following 23 January, finishing the chapel of the "Gritti".