The present Renaissance basilica was mostly erected between 1565 and 1610. Its brilliant white façade, designed by Andrea Palladio but completed by Simeone Sorella, receives praise and criticism in about equal measures. Noteworthy is how the architect managed to superimpose a classical temple façade on a typical Christian basilica with the side aisles significantly lower than the central nave.
The two arched niches feature the two patron saints of the church: San Giorgio (Saint George) and San Stefano (St Stephan). The façade has been criticized for the hole in the pediment – too cheap or too lazy to add statues?