Istituto Provinciale per l'Infanzia Santa Maria della Pietà di Venezia

Ospedale della Pietà is the charitable institution where Vivaldi was a music teacherThe Ospedale della Pietà is one of the longest-running institutions for the care of orphans, mothers in need and abandoned girls. Orphanage, convent and conservatoire, this charitable organisation dates back to 1346 and, although it has been updated over the centuries, still remains faithful to its original mission. The life of the great Baroque musician Antonio Vivaldi is deeply tied to the Ospedale della Pietà. Born in Venice in 1678, and recently ordained as a priest 1703, he attended the institution as a violin teacher (later also viola), giving music lessons to the girls until 1740. He died in 1741. “La Pietà” was extremely modern for the time and one of its kind in Europe, a melting pot of education and emancipation. In particular, the Figlie di Choro (or choir’s daughters) were much appreciated musicians and choristers. Many of them became acclaimed virtuoso performers and composers, whose talent impressed foreign travellers, among others, Goethe.