By the name of "Scuole" (schools) were not called in Venice the learning institutions but some secular associations of charity and mutual aid belonging to the professional associations. Each confraternity was located inside a palace richly built and decorated and dedicated to its patron saint, who had to be the subject of all artworks commited to the most important artist of the time.

The Scuola Grande of San Rocco represents an important stage of 16th century Venetian art history: in order to decorate the major Hall of the Albergo they announced a competition which was joined by the most renowned painters active in Venice in those times: Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Federico Zuccari, Giuseppe Salviati, Andrea Schiavone. Tintoretto was the winner.