The church was probably founded in the VII century in the place which, according to legend, was pointed by Christ to bishop Saint Magnus. The current shape is due to the reconstruction started by Giorgio Spavento and continued by Tullio Lombardo and Jacopo Sansovino (1506-1534). The three-nave interior with the aligned domes represents a perfect example of Venetian Renaissance architecture while the luxurious facade was made on a drawing by Giuseppe Sardi in 1663.