Le Zitelle, officially Santa Maria della Presentazione, stands on the eastern side of Giudecca island in Venice. The design dates from 1580 and construction began in 1581. The exterior was complete by 1585 and the dome and lantern by 1588. It is generally attributed to Andrea Palladio, but no known evidence confirms his involvement. Giovanni Stringa's 1604 guidebook names the builder Giacomo Bozzetto as working from a Palladio design, and historians question the attribution.
The facade has two orders, a tympanum and two small bell towers, with a large dome behind. The Casa delle Zitelle was founded to shelter young women with no dowry who were at risk of prostitution, and its complex wraps around the church in a horseshoe shape.
The church opens only on Sundays, and the former convent is now a hotel.
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