An entire website is not enough to describe the beauties of Venice. Here, however, you can find a short list of things to see absolutely.
CA’ D’ORO
Erected in the fifteenth century, it was named after the gilding, now disappeared, which added pomp to the perforated marbles of the entire coating. In the lower part opens an arcade, according to the ancient Venetian use of the fondaco houses. The two loggias, with balconies with columns and oriental arches, and the original battlements make it a masterpiece dis tile Venetian Gothic.
CAFFÈ DI PIAZZA S. MARCO
The first “coffee shops” under LeProcuratie Nuove date back to 1638. About ten years later there were about twenty, small living rooms always open, frequented by a colorful crowd of ladies and dec avalieri. History and culture have always been given their hand in these famous cafes, from Florian (opened in 1720), to Quadri of 1775, to Lavena, of recent times. A stop in one of these cafes, on soft sofas or at coffee tables a11’open, is a must for those who want to participate in the colourful and cosmopolitan world of current Venice, which revolves around Piazza S. Marco surrounded by its famous monuments,
CAMPO MOROSINI o S. STEFANO
It is one of the pious fields of Venice, surrounded by buildings of considerable value: Palazzo Pisani (of the second half of the sixteenth century) rich in arcades and staircase, current seat of the music conservatoire” Benedetto Marcello”, Palazzo Loredan, Gothic building; Palazzo Morosini, once home of the great customs family.. It delimits the field (which has the marble statue of the literate patriot Niccolò Tommaseo in the center) the 14th century church of S. Stefano, with a beautiful bell tower of the Renaissance, very inclined. On the opposite side, the church of S. Vi dal, founded at the end of the 11th century and rebuilt between the 17th and 18th century; on the other side of the field, the Palazzo Franchetti, one of the interesting buildings of the Quattrocento, which recalls in the windows the porch of the Palazzo Ducale and is surrounded by a beautiful garden.
CAMPO S. GIACOMO DELL’ORIO
The vast tree-lined field, with the church of 1225, and the bell tower square (Venetian Byzantine building of the XIIIII century) is one of the pious localities characteristic of the old town. Not far away is the admirable Scuola di S. Giovanni Evangelista, built by the Pietro Lombardo at one of the fifteenth century, with the magnificent staircase of M. Codussi (l408).
CANALE DI CANNAREGIO
It is the widest and most frequented of the canals that connect the lagoon with the Grand Canal and is crossed by two bridges, that of Cannaregio or delle Spires (1580) so called for the 4 obelisks that decorate it and that of the Three Arches of 1688. Anal sulc overlooks the church of S. Giobbe, in Renaissance Gothic style, from 1403, and the grandiose Palazzo Labia, which houses in the lounge the frescoes of Antonio and Cleopatra by Giambattista Tiepolo. Current regional headquarters of RAI, it is considered one of the best examples of the global estaur of a palace.
CHIESA DEL REDENTORE
Built on the island of Giudecca inr ingratiation for the escaped danger from the plague of 1576, it is a masterpiece of religious architecture by Palladio. The facade is of classical style with triangular gable supported by columns. The large dome on the apse is flanked by cusped bell towers; Inside, paintings by Veronese, Tintoretto, Palma il Giovane.
GALLERIE DELL’ACCADEMIA
Exceptional collection of paintings, t appa indispensable for anyone who wants to know Venetian painting from the origins (XIV se.) until the eighteenth century. Among the works: Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple and Pietà del Titian, Madonna and Child between
Saints of Giovanni Bellini, The storm of Giorgione, Madonna dei Teso proud of the Tintoretto, Madonna and Saints of Veronese, The guessing of G.B. Piazzetta, Patrizia Family of P. Longhi and views of Venice of the Canaletto and del Guardi.
GHETTO
In 1516 the Serenissima imposed the Jews to reside in a semi-abandoned neighborhood in the Cannaregio sestiere, called ghetto by the Venetian term that indicated the foundries. Since then, the word “ghetto” has taken on the cruel meaning of place of segregation for the Jews. Because space was little, houses were raised up to 8 storeys, an exception for the times and for Venice. Despite the many traversies, the ghetto has remained largely unaltered. The 5 synagogues, modest outside, contain an artistic heritage of rare value and the Jewish Museum collates furnishings, books and silvers of the highest value.
GIUDECCA
Popular suburb, the island of Giudecca for years has seen the disappearance of the gardens that characterized it on the lagoon front, for anonymous urban settlements. On the other hand, the prospect along the Giudecca Canal has an exceptional artistic dignity, with a series of buildings of great interest, alternating with small, suggestive and picturesque houses. To remember, in addition to the Church of the Redeemer, the Palladian church of the Zitelle, the parish church of S. Eufemia, founded in the 9th century, the Gothic houses of the S. Biagio foundations and, in front of the Maritime Station, a curious construction, the mill Stucky, parody of Westminster, unfortunately abandoned.
LIDO
The island, known above all as a seaside resort, thanks to the dry and fine sand of its long beach and the hotel complexes among the best equipped, houses the Palazzo del Cinema (where the International Film Festival takes place). During the summer season, the social life is intense and tourists can choose from cultural shows, fashion shows, art exhibitions and tennis, golf or bridge tournaments.
RIALTO MARKET
Since the days of the Serenissima Republic, Rialto was the mercantile heart of the city. It still hosts a popular market, a succession of colorful stalls of greengrocers, greengrocers, butchers, luganegheri, while, at the Pescheria, fish from the Adriatic is offered for sale every morning. Next to the markets are the pious ancient church of Venice, S. Giacomo di Rialto, known as S. Giacometto, and the Ponte di Rialto, a single-arched stone construction, by Antonio da Ponte (l502).
MERCERIE
The liveliest of the streets of Venice, 300 m long, connects Rialto to S. Marco. Flanked by the most beautiful shops in the city, it is divided, starting from Rialto, into three parts: the Merceria di S. Salvador (also called the “haberdashery of the capital” for the tabernacle found there), the Merceria di S. Giuliano (after the Ponte dei Bareteri, which is called for the ancient chapel shops) and, finally, the Merceria dell’Orologio, in homage to the clock of the Torre dei Mori. The Mercerie, in past centuries, were the street of representation, where doges, distinguished visitors but also those sentenced to death passed.
MONUMENT OF BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI
In the SS. Giovanni and Paolo, in addition to the church, considered the Pantheon of Venice, because 25 doges rest there, and the Scuola Grande di S. Marco, which now houses the civil hospital, there is the monument of Verrocchio (1481-88) dedicated to Colleoni. The great leader left a large sum to the Republic for a statue to be erected. The monument was completed, after Verrocchio’s death, by A. Leopardi, author of the very high marble pedestal.
CORRER MUSEUM
It is located in the Procuratie Nuove and combines a rich art gallery (works by Paolo Veneziano, Giovanni Bellini, Cosmè Tura and Carpaccio), collections of documents, coins, bubbles and historical notes of the Republic of Venice. In the minor arts section, ceramics, lace, clothes, fabrics, miniatures and bronzes are collected.
NAVAL HISTORICAL MUSEUM
It is located in the Arsenale, the workshop from which the ships of the Serenissima came out, and collects memories of the Italian navy until the eighteenth century. In the sa are also exhibited models of ships, such as those of the last Bucintoro (the boat used for the traditional “wedding of the sea”), galleons and frigates.
CENTANI PALACE
In this valuable fifteenth-century building, Carlo Goldoni was born in 1707. To honor its memory, the palace was transformed into a Goldonian museum, gathering evidence of life, theater, eighteenth-century costume and, above all, the memories of the over one hundred comedies by Goldoni, which represent the Venetian life of the time. The palace is also home to a theater study center.
DUCAL PALACE
Home to the doges and pious high authorities of the Venetian state since the year 1000, the complex, as it appears today, dates back to the fourteenth century, but the embellishment work lasted until the eighteenth century. The porch and loggias are in perfect Gothic style, the upper part has a polychrome coating of white, gray and pink marble lozenges. The Porta della Carta (1441), which is the main entrance to the building, owes its name to the custom of posting documents of public interest. Inside, the beautifully decorated and frescoed rooms contain masterpieces by the greatest Venetian artists.
PALAZZO PESARO
Designed by Longhena, it has a sumptuous baroque facade with loggias on the first and second floors, which create surprising perspective effects. It houses the Gallery of Modern Art, with works by contemporary artists, and the Oriental Museum, an important collection of paintings, sculptures, weapons and costumes from the Far East.
REZZONICO PALACE
Patrician residence of the eighteenth century, designed by Longhena, is today, as a whole, a splendid museum, both art and costume, of the Venetian eighteenth century. In addition to the numerous frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo, there are paintings by P. Longhi, del Guardi, R. Carriera and detached frescoes by Giandomenico Tiepolo, coming from his villa in Zianigo, as well as furniture by Brustolon, silverware, furnishings and costumes.
S. MARCO
the most beautiful and grandiose basilica in northern Italy. In the precious façade, the Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance styles blend in harmonious synthesis. The five domes stand out from the horizontal structure, erected in the 13th century. The interior, with a Greek cross plan, is more than ever suggestive for the golden gleam of the mosaics and the veins of the precious marbles. The bell tower, Romanesque in the lower part and Renaissance in the upper part, measures 99 m in height. It ruined in l902, but was rebuilt a decade later. At its base, the elegant Loggetta del Sansovino.
S. MARIA DEI MIRACOLI
Masterpiece by Pietro Lombardo, it is one of the most characteristic monuments of Venetian architecture of the fifteenth century. Inside, carved wooden ceiling, Madonna and Child by Palma the Younger and, on the elegant balustrade of the presbytery, raised, delicate sculptures by Tullio Lombardo.
S. MARIA DELLA SALUTE
Work by Longhena, it was dedicated in 1630 to the Virgin for the liberation from the plague. It has an octagonal shape, the central part is surmounted by a grandiose dome and the white, monumental facade follows the patterns of the ancient triumphal arches. Inside, paintings by Titian, Tintoretto, Palma the Younger, a bas-relief by Tullio Lombardo and a mosaic in Byzantine art hard stone from 1115.
S. MARIA GLORIOSA DEI FRARI
Founded by the Franciscans in the thirteenth century, it was later rebuilt in Gothic forms between 1338 and 1443. Its bell tower is the highest in Venice after that of S. Marco. The interior, with three naves, divided by twelve pillars, houses famous works by Titian (the Assumption and the Madonna of Ca ‘Pesaro) and his alleged tomb.
SCHOOL OF S. GIORGIO DEGLI SCHIAVONI
It was built by the Dalmatian community at the beginning of the sixteenth century (the schools were erected by brotherhoods or associations as a meeting place and meeting place). The facade was made according to a design by G. de Zan. Inside, a cycle of paintings by V. Carpaccio and aides, depicting Stories of S. Giorgio and S. Gerolamo or S. Agostino.
LARGE SCHOOL OF S. ROCCO
The building, built from 1517 to 1527, stands to the left of the church of the same name and retains the original pictorial decoration. It is the most famous of the Venetian schools, and contains the fifty-six paintings, including the famous Crucifixion, which Tintoretto painted from 1564 to 1587 for the Confraternity of S. Rocco.
LA FENICE THEATER
Here La traviata, L’Ernani and Rigoletto by G. Verdi were represented for the first time. Built by G. Selva in 1700, it has an interior richly decorated in stucco, redone in 1836. The neoclassical facade has a pronaos and niches decorated with statues.
After a tremendous fire, 1996 was completely restored.
ZATTERE
The sidewalk (“fondamenta”, as it is called in Venice) of the Zattere, along the Giudecca Canal, owes its name to the large rafts that transported timber along the course of the Piave. Starting from the bridge of S. Basilio, there are some notable buildings, including Paretica Scuola dei Salumai (luganegheri After passing the Palazzo Molin, go up the Long Bridge: from here you can see the famous squero S. Trovaso, one of the shipyards must come built the new gondolas After the Long Bridge, the Zattere come alive with coffees on the water frequented by artists and students, reaching the Punta della Dogana, you can enjoy one of the most suggestive panoramas on the basin of S. Marco.
