Church of San Nicolò al Lido

According to tradition, the origins of the church date back to the foundation by the bishop of Olivolo and the namesake doge, Domenico Contarini, together with the patriarch of Grado, Domenico Marengo, in 1053. According to tradition, in 1100 and after a fierce debate among religious, political and civil authorities, the building was deputed to host the relics of St Nicholas, St Nicholas Uncle and St Theodore. Regarding the aspect of the church in the Middle Ages, the main source is provided by the Annales Mundi by Stefano Magno (16th century), which report the description of Abbot Bartolomeo da Verona (1422-1458). He was a leading figure in the monastery annexed to the building and a promoter of restorations in the medieval church, which at that time was already in a poor state of preservation. The incorporation of the monastery into the Congregation of St Justine in 1451 led to a gradual and systematic redefinition of the entire monastic complex, with the subsequent dismantling of the medieval church and the building of a new temple (1627-1628).