The scuola houses one of Vittore Carpaccio’s two great Venetian picture cycles. In 1502, eight years after completing his St Ursula cycle (now in the Accademia), Carpaccio was commissioned to paint a series of canvases illustrating the lives of the Dalmatian saints George, Tryphone and Jerome.
In the tradition of the early Renaissance istoria (narrative painting cycle), there is a wealth of incidental detail, such as the decomposing virgins in St George and the Dragon, or the little dog in the painting of St Augustine in his Study – with its paraphernalia of humanism. It’s worth venturing upstairs to see what the meeting hall of a working scuola looks like. San Giorgio degli Schiavoni still provides scholarships, distributes charity and acts as a focal point for the Slav community. Opening hours are notoriously changeable.