▁They ▁first ▁engaged ▁Andrea ▁Mus ato , ▁but ▁he ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 1 ▁and ▁they ▁turned ▁to ▁Giorg io ▁Mass ari , ▁whose ▁model ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁church ▁was ▁accepted ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 4 . ▁Rudolf ▁W itt k ower ▁describes ▁Mass ari ▁as ▁" the ▁greatest ▁Ven et ian ▁architect ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ". ▁ ▁Work ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 5 , ▁while ▁the ▁Domin icans ▁ener get ically ▁sought ▁to ▁raise ▁sufficient ▁funds , ▁both ▁from ▁char itable ▁contributions ▁and ▁from ▁religious ▁institutions ▁and ▁benef act ors . ▁The ▁fund ing ▁was ▁organ ised ▁by ▁a ▁Father ▁from ▁Milan , ▁Carlo ▁Maria ▁L azz aron i , ▁who ▁was ▁successful ▁in ▁raising ▁a ▁very ▁large ▁sum . ▁This ▁enabled ▁them ▁not ▁only ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁magnific ent ▁church , ▁but ▁to ▁emb ell ish ▁it ▁with ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁famous ▁pain ters ▁and ▁sculpt ors ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁ ▁Mass ari ▁left ▁un touch ed ▁the ▁existing ▁church ▁of ▁the ▁Vis itation ▁and ▁built ▁the ▁new ▁church ▁further ▁along ▁the ▁Z atter e . ▁He ▁was ▁responsible ▁not ▁only ▁for ▁the ▁building ▁itself ▁but ▁also ▁for ▁its ▁interior ▁f itt ings ▁and ▁decor ation ▁and ▁for ▁commission ing ▁the ▁paint ings ▁and ▁sculpt ure . ▁ ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁attempt ▁too ▁original ▁a ▁building , ▁thinking ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁best ▁please ▁his ▁pat rons ▁by ▁a ▁design ▁based ▁on ▁those ▁of ▁his ▁famous