Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice, often called San Zanipolo, is one of the city’s largest churches and a major Dominican foundation with strong ties to Venetian political and religious life.
 
According to tradition, Doge Jacopo Tiepolo had a vision of doves over the site and donated the marshy land to the Dominicans in the 13th century, which is why the church stands there today. The first church was later replaced by the larger Gothic basilica you see now, with construction carried through the 14th century and completion by 1368, though it was not solemnly consecrated until 1430.
 
Over time, it became the burial church of Venice’s elite and is often described as the city’s “pantheon.” In fact  25 to 27 doges are buried there, making it a kind of political memorial as much as a church.
 
Interesting facts...
The church is said to preserve unusual relics, including the foot of St Catherine of Siena.