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Profusely decorated facade (1668), overall view; Initially built in the 8th century, it is dedicated to Moses since like the Byzantines, the Venetians often considered Old Testament prophets as canonized saints. It also honors Moisè Venier, the aristocrat who funded the reconstruction during the 9th century. The elaborate Baroque facade, dating from 1668, is profusely decorated with sculpture. Some of its sculptures are attributed to Heinrich Meyring (also known as Arrigo Merengo), who also did sculpture on the interior. The architectural design is by Alessandro Tremignon, with patronage by Vincenzo Fini, whose bust is found over the entry door. Statues in public spaces were forbidden in Venice, thus by putting his bust on the facade of a church, he could circumvent this ordinance and display his wealth and his recent addition to the Libro d'Oro or Venetian aristocracy. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 6/22/2015)