San Nicolò al Lido

Church of Saint Nicholas (San Nicolò al Lido)
San Nicolò al Lido
Basic information
Location	Venice, Italy
Geographic coordinates	45°25′40″N 12°22′50″E / 45.427862°N 12.380603°E / 45.427862; 12.380603Coordinates: 45°25′40″N 12°22′50″E / 45.427862°N 12.380603°E / 45.427862; 12.380603
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Venice
Country	Italy
Status	Active
Architectural type	Church

San Nicolò al Lido is a church in Venice, northern Italy. It is located in the northern part of Venice's Lido, and houses the relics of Saint Nicholas, patron of sailors (shared with Bari). From this church, the traditional thanksgiving mass of the Sposalizio del Mare ("Marriage of the Sea") is celebrated. The complex houses monks of the Franciscan order.

The convent and the church dates to the origins of Venice in the early Middle Ages.

The monastery and the church, according to a legend, was founded by the Zancaruol family. The site stood at a strategic point for the nascent Venetian power: at the main access to the sea.

From here, in 996 and 998, sailed off the first Venetian expeditions against the Narentine pirates. On 9 May 1000, the fleet led by Doge Pietro Orseolo II took off for the campaign that led to the submission of Dalmatia. This event is still remembered in the Marriage of the Sea ceremony. In this church, Doge Domenico Selvo was elected and crowned in 1071, since St Mark's Basilica was under reconstruction. In 1099, the Venetian participation in the First Crusade departed from this port, led by the Bishop of Olivolo and Giovanni, son of the doge Vitale Michiel I.

In 1100, the relics of the body of St. Nicholas were putatively stolen from Myra of Lycia, and interred in this church. However, a few years earlier, in 1089, the remains of the saint had been entombed in Bari by Pope Urban II in person.