The lost church of San Nicolò ai Frari (San Nicoletto) in Venice and its painted decoration

Closed in 1806 and later demolished, the little Franciscan church of San Niccolò ai Frari in Venice was previously decorated with an ensemble of sixteenth-century paintings of great distinction. These included, in addition to a major work by Titian above the high altar, a cycle by Paolo Veronese and his family assistants, also involving his younger contemporaries Paolo Fiammingo and Palma Giovane. Using contemporary documents and early printed sources, the present article traces a history of the church and provides a reconstruction of the original arrangement of these paintings, drawing new conclusions about their dating, patronage, and iconography.