THE GARDENS OF VENICE 
churches and chapels in Venice. The ancient shrine 
of S. Francesco della Vigna took its name from the 
friars’ vineyard, which was said to be the largest in 
Venice. This convent, in the poorest quarter of the 
city, was the home of the Osservanti brothers, and 
its gardens were a favourite haunt of S. Bernardino 
of Siena, the founder of the reformed Franciscan 
order, who enjoyed the peace and seclusion of this 
quiet retreat in his brief intervals of repose. Nor 
were the nuns without their gardens and orchards. 
Several of these communities were notorious not only 
for their riches and popularity, but for the freedom 
which they enjoyed. According to Casola, they might 
be divided into two classes, the nuns who were 
secluded, and those who ought to be secluded. 
Among the former were the holy sisters of the 
order of Santa Chiara, whose convent was attached 
to the church of “ La Madonna dei Miracoli,” that 
marvel of decorative beauty reared by Tullio Lombardi 
early in the sixteenth century. Among the latter 
were the Benedictine nuns of S. Zaccaria, who in 
Casola’s words “ let themselves be seen very willingly, 
both young and old,” 1 and the “ Vergini ” community 
of Augustinian nuns, whose convent stood opposite 
to S. Piero di Castello. The members of this order 
were all ladies of noble birth, who often appeared in 
1 Casola, 136. 
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