Santa Croce degli Armeni

Santa Croce degli Armeni or Holy Cross Armenian Church is a church in Venice, on Calle dei Armeni, near St Mark's Basilica. It is the national church of the Armenian community in Venice.

History

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The first contacts between Armenian merchants and Venetians go back to the 6th century.^[1] By the 12th century, the Armenian community was established in Venice. It became one of the Republic's wealthiest foreign communities.

In the middle of 13th century Venetian nobleman and doge Marco Zianni built a hospice for the Armenian merchants. An altar and chapel were erected in the territory in 1434. In 1688 merchant Guerek Mirmanian was granted permission to expand the chapel into a full-fledged church, which later became an important institution for the community.^[2]

Today the church is open for Mass one day a month. The priests from the San Lazzaro degli Armeni row over to Venice to celebrate mass at the church on the last Sunday of the month at 10:30 AM.^[3]

References

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45°26′08″N 12°20′16″E / 45.4356°N 12.3378°E / 45.4356; 12.3378

v t e Modern Armenian churches and seminaries
Armenia	Yerevan Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral Holy Trinity Saint John the Baptist Saint Sarkis (Kentron) Saint Sarkis (Nor Nork) Saint Anna Church Holy Vartanants Martyrs Church Elsewhere Gyumri Holy Saviour's Church Holy Mother of God Church of the Holy Saviour Vagharshapat Church of the Holy Archangels Oshakan Saint Mesrop Mashtots Church Abovyan Saint John the Baptist Church Seminaries Gevorkian Theological Seminary Vaskenian Theological Academy
Caucasus	Tbilisi, Georgia Ejmiatsin Church Vank Monastery Church of the Red Gospel Church of the Holy Seal Azerbaijan Saint Gregory Church of Baku Ghazanchetsots Cathedral Kanach Zham
Russia	Moscow Armenian Cathedral Saint Catherine's Armenian Church, Saint Petersburg
Europe	Austria Mekhitarist Monastery of Vienna France Paris Cathedral Italy Mekhitarist Monastery of Venice (San Lazzaro) Santa Croce degli Armeni Romania Armenian Church, Bucharest United Kingdom Church of St Yeghiche St Sarkis
Middle East	Cyprus Holy Mother of God Cathedral, Nicosia Lebanon Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia Armenian Catholic Patriarchate Cathedral of St Elias and St Gregory the Illuminator Syria Church of the Holy Mother of God Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs of Sebastia St. Hagop Church St. Gregory the Illuminator Church Holy Trinity Church Holy Cross Church Armenian Genocide Memorial Church (Der Zor) Iran St. Sargis Church, Tehran Holy Mother of God Church, Tehran St. Vartanants Church, Tehran Shoghakat Church, Tabriz Turkey Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople St. Giragos Armenian Church Kartal Surp Nişan Armenian Orthodox Church Taksim Surp Harutyun Church
Asia	Singapore Saint Gregory
United States	Church of Our Savior, Worcester Holy Trinity Church, Fresno St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church St. Vartan Cathedral Saint Sarkis of Dearborn Seminaries St. Nersess Armenian Seminary