Are you ready to take a deeper dive into the enchanting city of Venice? Put on your walking shoes, grab a Vaporetto ticket, and let’s go!
We’ll go beyond the BIG 5 MAJOR SITES covered in Part One of my Venezia travel blog: The Grand Canal, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace/Bridge of Sighs, the Rialto Bridge, and St. Mark’s Square/Campanile. Here’s the link for “Enchanting Venice – Part One:”
My Italy travel blogs have evolved from friends asking for trip tips, plus my first trip to Europe. AAA Travel was helpful in pointing us to Monograms Independent Travel (a branch of Globus). It was a perfect choice for our group of five, including our teenager. In early 2023, Monograms Travel was rebranded to “Independence by Globus.” Despite the name change, Globus still takes care of all the “details” and gives support while you tour untethered and unscheduled with ease. Check it out: it’s a great way to travel!
To understand the big Venice picture, let’s go back to the Middle Ages when it was, for hundreds of years, the most powerful and wealthy city in Europe. Allied with the Byzantine Empire, Venice extended their reign throughout the Mediterranean and even took Constantinople (modern Istanbul).
Venice monopolized trade agreements, sailed the world, and transported everything from silk to gold and spices. With famous architects and artists, extremely rich Venetians created opulent palaces and magnificent churches.
What happened? The city’s decline began when it lost Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, and as other countries snared their competitive trade route advantage. A third of their population died from the Plague of 1629-31. It then fell twice to France and Austria. In 1866, Venice became part of the Kingdom of Italy, uniting the country for the first time since the Roman Empire.
Today, Venice has a new role: TOURISM. Palaces (palazzos) of wealthy Venetian families and convents have become museums, hotels, apartments, and art restoration centers.
The Gothic Palazzo Genovese (1892) is now the Sina Centurion Palace, a luxury hotel
It doesn’t take long to realize Venice is truly unique. Its main settlement began in the Rialto area, but the city is now divided into six subdivisions (called sestieri), and each sestiere has its own distinctive neighborhood, web of canals and architecture.
Go explore! I want to inspire you to venture beyond well-known sites and find Venice’s hidden treasures! Intentionally visit a few Venetian churches and palaces to see masterpieces where they were originally created. Below are lots of options for each district. Choose your favorites and have fun!
TIP: Purchase a Venice City Pass for easy access to top attractions including 11 museums and 16 churches. ACTV Travel Passes allow unlimited use of water buses (Vaporettos) with one-to-seven day options.
Cannaregio Sestiere
Known as the “authentic Venice” by locals, the Cannaregio district occupies the northwestern part of Venice. It begins at the Santa Lucia train station and runs almost to the Rialto Bridge.
Cannaregio’s sestiere has some of the most interesting bridges, including the Ponte degli Scalzi (1934) which spans the Grand Canal just to the left of the train station. Ponte delle Guglie (the Gothic bridge of spires) and Ponte dei Tre Archi (the bridge with three arches) are also worth finding.
The Ponte degli Scalzi connects the Cannaregio and Santa Croce districts.
Petite Ponte Chiodo is the only bridge on the main island without sides or a handrail. Rival neighborhoods had fist fights on these bridges for bragging rights.
Picture perfect Ponte Chiodo
Cannaregio has Venice’s most narrow street (20 inches wide in one area) named Calle Varisco, and it boasts the longest street, Strada Nova (New Street), an energetic and fun place to eat and shop.
Did Tom Cruise run through the narrow Calle Varisco in Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning?
Travel back in time and visit the ancient Jewish Ghetto, one of the world’s oldest Jewish quarters. For religious reasons, the Venetian Republic forced Jews into segregation March 29, 1516. The word “ghetto” originated in Venice from this area’s copper foundry (known as the ghèto) long before the arrival of Jewish families.
Between 1541 and 1633, Ghetto Vecchio and Ghetto Nuovo combined to accommodate Jewish immigration numbers–topping 5,000 in the early 1600s. When the St. Mark’s Marangona bell rang signaling the end of the workday, bridges and gates to the Ghetto were closed, locking Jews inside.
Bridge in the Jewish Ghetto – Ponte de Gheto Novo
Despite being segregated on a small island (about an acre), Jews thrived, and as they grew, it became a vertical city. Jews from Spain, Germany, Portugal, and Italy built synagogues and freely practiced their religion. They worked as doctors, moneylenders, and traders. When Napoleon invaded Italy in 1797, Jewish segregation ended.
When the Nazis occupied Venice in WWII, they demanded Jewish doctor, Giuseppe Jona, give them a list of all Venetian Jews. Instead, Dr. Jona burned the list and took his own life to protect Jewish families. Because of his sacrifice, about 1200 Jews managed to escape, but 243 were deported to concentration camps. Of those 243 victims of the Holocaust, only eight returned home.
Today, about 450 Jews live in Venice, but only a handful of them live in the now expensive Ghetto.
Weekend laundry on clotheslines in the Ghetto.
Wander the Ghetto side streets, and you’ll find several synagogues, the Jewish Historical Museum (1954), art galleries, yummy Jewish bakeries, and kosher restaurants.
The Gothic Madonna dell’Orto (4th century) was dedicated to St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers, to protect the boatmen who ferried people to the northern islands. The great art treasures are by Tintoretto who was a parishioner of the church and is also buried there.
Madonna dell’Orto
You’ll find the Ca’ d’Oro (House of Gold) on the Grand Canal. In 1420, wealthy Venetian Marino Contarini commissioned the Palazzo Santa Sofia hoping it would be Venice’s most elaborate palace ever–with magnificent carvings, mosaics, and gold finishes resembling the Doge’s Palace. In 1846, a Russian prince purchased the palace. He removed and ruined the ornate palace aesthetics. Now an art gallery, Giorgio Francetti bequeathed the palace (plus his private art collection) to Italy in 1915.
Ca’ d’Oro Franchetti Gallery
Santa Croce Sestiere
Santa Croce’s sestiere is in the western part of Venice and is the only district where you are likely to see a car or bus. Just off the main island in Piazzale Roma is the Central Bus Station, where buses travel to Venice’s airports and cruise ship ports. West of the bus station, the man-made island Tronchetto (a parking lot) was built for both locals and tourists to park their cars while in Venice.
Constitution Bridge
The eastern area of Santa Croce houses the major landmarks just beyond the Constitution Bridge (2008), the fourth and newest bridge to span the Grand Canal. Just across from the train station is the Neoclassical San Simone Piccolo. The 18th century domed church is based on Rome’s Pantheon and dedicated to Saint Simon (Jesus’s first cousin who was martyred by the Romans).
San Simone Piccolo
For kids or history buffs, the National History Museum is housed in the Fontego dei Turchi Palace, a former Ottoman Turk trade warehouse (17th-19th century). Note: The visual exhibits, dinosaur and whale skeletons are impressive, but all museum information is in Italian, not English (check for audio guides in your language).
The Natural History Museum
Santa Croce’s San Giacomo dell’ Orio Church was founded in the 9th century, rebuilt in 1225, and continuously renovated. It has an interesting mixture of ornate styles. It’s known for its beautiful ceiling and altar paintings by Veronese, a ship’s keel roof added in the 14th century, and two columns taken from Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade.
Below, near the top left of my photo, a date is painted on the ceiling (looks like 1594). Think about this: Artists and architects created amazing works centuries ago, never realizing cameras would be invented, and the whole world (including an art lover like me) could “zoom in” and capture their creations as keepsakes.
The San Giacomo dell’ Orio Church dome
The palace Ca’ Pesaro (1710) houses both the International Gallery of Modern Art and the Oriental Art Museum. Ca’ Pesaro provides a home for 19th and 20th century paintings, graphic art, and sculpture collections including masterpieces by Marc Chagall, Gustav Klimt, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Auguste Rodin, and others. In addition to the art, visit for the interesting architecture and original frescoes.
International Gallery of Modern Art: Surrealist Gustav Klimt – Judith II – 1909, (Also known as Salome), and French modern sculptor Auguste Rodin – The Thinker (1880-1904 in polished plaster)
San Polo Sestiere
The San Polo district is the inner-heart of Venice, the smallest and oldest sestiere. Once just called “Rialto,” this district takes its name from rivo alto (or high ground). It rarely flooded, so it was a perfect place for Venice’s first settlers.
Great for sightseers, San Polo is known for the Rialto Bridge and the nearby fish and vegetable markets. It’s also packed full of palaces, galleries, and too many remarkable churches to count.
Join the crowds for an iconic photo op of the Grand Canal from the famous Rialto Bridge (1591). In the 12th century, it began as a floating pontoon over the canal’s most narrow point so locals could walk across to the markets. Both locals and tourists flock to the Central Market (built in 1097) to visit the stalls of the Erberia (fresh fruit and vegetable market) and the Pescheria (fresh fish and seafood market).
Smell something fishy? It’s no coincidence the fish market “juts out” into the Grand Canal away from other buildings.
San Rocco (Chiesa di San Rocco) is one of the plague churches built in Venice to honor Saint Roch, who dedicated his life to helping the sick. Renaissance painter Tintoretto has four large paintings depicting the saint’s life on both sides of the main altar–where St. Roch is buried.
Grand School of San Rocco Museum (left) and San Rocco Church (right)
Next to St. Roch is the Grand School of San Rocco (Scuola Grande di San Rocco), now an art museum dedicated to the famous artist Tintoretto. A scuola was a wealthy Venetian social club (and often an art school) dedicated to charitable works. Founded in honor of St. Roch (1515-49), this school hoped to invoke protection from plagues and Black Death.
Old Testament Biblical scenes in the Grand School of San Rocco
In 1564, Tintoretto was commissioned to decorate its walls and ceilings. Over 50 of his early paintings fill the Upper Hall, and the First Floor Hall features the artwork he painted in his sixties.
Tintoretto’s Crucifixion (1565) in the Sala dell’Albergo
The Gothic Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (also known as the Frari or Santa Maria Assunta) dominates the eastern area of San Polo. Originally built in 1340, the massive brick church is one of Venice’s most important monuments with a former monastery and bell tower.
The Frari altarpiece by Titian
Titian’s Assumption (1518) dominates the main altarpiece. Other notables: Titian’s masterpiece Madonna di Ca’ Pesara (1526); Donatello’s only work in Venice: a wooden statue of John the Baptist (1438); and the tombs and monuments of famous Venetians, especially the artist Titian. Still in its original frame is a gorgeous triptych altarpiece by Bellini (1488).
Bellini’s sacristy altarpiece The Virgin and Child, With Saints and Angel Musicians
Dorsoduro Sestiere
Dorsoduro is the cultural sestiere on Venice’s south side and includes the southern island Giudecca. It’s home to the city’s most prominent art museums, plus majestic churches.
We happened to be in Venice when a majority of lagoon art galleries and museums were free to visit (the first annual Art Night in 2011). The Peggy Guggenheim Collection was our choice!
Art Night has evolved since its 2011 debut and is now annually set for the third Saturday in June. This past June, 124 institutions provided more than 150 opportunities to explore culture through museum visits, shows, concerts, exhibitions and free workshops.
Easter eggs? Featured along the Grand Canal, Ukrainian artist Oksana Mas created a beautiful mosaic portrait using hand-painted wooden Easter eggs designed for the 2011 Venice Biennale.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection houses 20th century modern art. Guggenheim, an American millionairess (collector, dealer and patron of the arts) bought the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in 1949. Located along the Grand Canal, the palace is where Peggy Guggenheim lived and is buried.
Nicknamed Il Palazzo Nonfinito (the Unfinished Palace), it was intended to be four-stories.
One of the most visited sites in Venice, the Guggenheim Collection represents avant-garde Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism, Futurism, and Cubism artist movements. Guggenheim supported young artists and was even briefly married to German Surrealist Max Ernst.
Marino Marini’s The Angel of the City (1948). Guggenheim always removed the prominent “body part” (not shown in photo) when religious dignitaries came to visit.
The museum has over 200 cutting-edge paintings and sculptures divided into Guggenheim’s collection, the Nasher sclulpture garden, and the Schulhof postwar works. An entire room is dedicated to Jackson Pollock. You can also see artwork by Picasso, Dali, Kandinsky, Ernst, Klee, de Kooning, Severini, Rothko, Mondrian, Warhol and others.
Gino Severini’s Sea = Dancer (1914)
She was bold! Guggenheim was a prominent Jewish woman who lived in Paris at the onset of WWII, buying and saving art from getting into the hands of the Nazi’s (as Hitler marched toward France). She eventually fled to New York (with her artwork shipped under a pseudonym) and helped other artists out of Paris.
Jackson Pollock’s Alchemy (1947)
After she divorced Ernst and moved to Venice, Peggy exhibited her collection in the 1948 Biennale. She opened her home and art collection to the public three afternoons a week in 1951. In 1976, she donated her home and collection to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation before her death in 1979.
Pablo Picasso’s On the Beach (1937)
Celebrity sighting!!! You never know who you’ll see floating down the Grand Canal. Capturing this cool photo from the lawn of the Guggenheim, our dear friends from Philadelphia shouted out to George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin, who were in Venice for their wedding in 2014.
Paparazzi and security surrounding the Clooneys–in Venice for their wedding.
The Church of Saint Sebastian (1548) features the stunning work of Paulo Veronese (where he is buried), and it stretches from floor to ceiling. He sought refuge at this church after fleeing murder charges in Verona. Grateful for their protection, he painted the walls, ceiling, and more.
San Sebastiano’s ceiling by Veronese.
One of Italy’s most popular museums is The Gallerie dell Accademia. Founded in 1750 by the Venetian Republic, it features classic Byzantine, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo masterpieces from the 13th-18th centuries.
A golden Polyptych altarpiece, plus gorgeous ceilings and mosaic flooring!
Napoleon is somewhat responsible for the Academy’s three-building museum complex in the former Convent of Santa Maria della Carità. To suppress religious institutions, Napoleon closed churches and convents all over Venice and took their masterpieces to create both a gallery and a scuola, the Accademia Di Belle Arti.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man (1490)
Some of the most famous paintings in history (including Da Vinci’s drawing Vitruvian Man – rarely on display), can be found at the Accademia by Tintoretto, Bellini, Titian, Sansovino, Canova, Veronese, Tiepolo, Canaletto, and so many more. Here are a few pieces not to miss:
Feast in the House of Levi (1573) by Paolo Veronese is considered the Accademia’s most famous painting and fills an entire wall (18 feet x 42 feet). Veronese was not allowed to name it “The Last Supper. ” Instead of emphasizing the serious Biblical meal, he added jesters, a dog, and drunk characters in an untraditional manner. (Napoleon swiped this from the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore for the Academy).
Pieta (1575-76) by Titian was originally painted for the Frari church, where he is buried. Death and resurrection are the theme of Titian’s last painting.
Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem (1867) by Francesco Hayes depicts the Roman Siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD.
Plaster cast of one of Canova’s Lions (1783-92) in St. Peter’s Basilica for Pope Clement XIII’s monument.
One of Venice’s most photographed churches is the octagonal Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Designed by Baldassarre Longhena, it was built to give thanks for surviving the Plague of 1630. Although it’s known for its unique Baroque scrolls supporting the drum of the heavy church dome, be sure to see the 12 works by Titian, his altarpiece and ceiling.
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
The old Customs Warehouse (1677) at the tip of the island has been transformed into a center for contemporary art in a joint project by Japanese Architect Tadao Ando and the Francois Pinault Foundation which opened in 2009.
The Punta della Dogana (now a center for contemporary art) next to the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
Castello Sestiere
The Castello sestieri covers the long eastern part of Venice and is named for its 6th century Roman castle ruins. It’s the largest of the six sestiere and includes the nearby island San Pietro.
East of St. Mark’s Square are high-end hotels and the Riva degli Schiavoni, the “sometimes too lively” waterfront area where tour groups disembark. Further along, you can escape the crowds in quiet residential areas and green spaces. Venice’s widest street, Via Gairibaldi (once a canal) has cafes, shops, bars and an outdoor market.
The Hotel Danieli Venezia
Just steps from St. Mark’s Square, the historic Danieli is a grand 5-star landmark hotel along the lagoon. The wealthy Dandolo family, (responsible for four Venetian doges) commissioned the palace in the 1300s. Venetian Giuseppe Dal Niel, known as Danieli, bought the entire 3-section building, then lavishly restored and converted it into a hotel in 1824. Currently being renovated, it will open in 2025 as Hotel Danieli Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel.
The Danieli lobby
Napoleon drained an area of marshland along the waterfront to create the Public Gardens (Giardini Pubblici). Every two years, the site transforms into the Giardini della Biennale, an art exhibit held in 30 different permanent pavilions, each representing a different country.
Shipbuilding was crucial for Venice’s powerful navy, and its Arsenal is in the Castello sestiere. Hundreds of years before the Industrial Revolution, over 16,000 people worked in Arsenal assembly-lines to produce one war ship a day. Part of the great naval shipyards are now a military base for the Italian Army (closed to the public), but you can still tour portions of the Arsenal, some of the old dockyards and armories.
The 12th century Arsenal’s main gate: The Porta Magna
The Naval History Museum (Museo Storico Navale) provides interesting insight and “connects the dots” of Venice’s history and powerful navy with replicas of ships, relics, and historical gondolas.
In the 1400s, the Dominicans built the brick Gothic church San Zanipolo (the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo). One of the largest churches in the city, it is known as the Pantheon of Venice and houses the tombs of 25 doges. After the church was completed, all doge funeral services were held at San Zanipolo.
San Zanipolo
Giovanni Bellini made the Polyptych altarpiece in the church, Veronese painted four masterpieces in the Rosary Chapel, and all of the doge tombs were created by notable artists.
Tombs and monuments of Venetian Doges at San Zanipolo
San Marco Sestiere
San Marco is the tourist heart of Venice named after the Patron Saint of the City, the Apostle Mark. It’s home to major landmarks: St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace and Bridge of Sighs, plus St. Mark’s Square and the Campanile (all covered in Part One of my Venice blog).
The Clock Tower of Venice (the Torre dell’Orologio), on the north side of Saint Mark’s Plaza, stands over the Merceria Street arch (the main shopping street which leads to the Rialto).
At the top of the tower, two large bronze statues, known as the Moors, strike the bell every hour. Working down: the level below shows the Winged Lion of St. Mark. A statue of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus sits above the big clock on a semi-circular balcony. These all represent the three pillars of the Republic’s power: Christian faith, civic enlightenment and science.
Still keeping time today, the Astronomical Clock’s elaborate time piece displays the time of day (in both Roman and Arabic numerals), zodiac signs and the current phase of the moon. For practical purposes, it helped sailors decide the best time to head to sea.
Venice’s Astronomical Clock
Ready for a break? Get a table and sip a super pricey cup of coffee while being serenaded with music at one of the historic coffee shops in St. Mark’s Square. In medieval times, Venice was the center of trade, and coffee was considered a luxury.
The Gran Caffè Quadri
The “big three” cafes are Caffé Florian (1720) the oldest and most famous, Caffé Lavena (who acquired the San Marco coffee house in 1860), and Gran Caffè Quadri (1775) famous for serving Turkish coffee.
The extensive art collections of Teodoro Correr form the civic Correr Museum in St. Mark’s Square (1830). It covers the history and art of the Venetian Republic and Doges with statues and paintings, maps, coins, and armor. The Napoleonic Wing includes a luxurious 17th century palace for kings and emperors.
Millions of visitors from all over the world gather yearly in Saint Mark’s Square for Carnival where it began in 1162 to celebrate the Republic’s victory over the Patriarch of Aquileia. Abolished in 1797 by Napoleon, Carnival festivities resumed in 1979 and include grand masquerade balls, water parades, circuses, costumed street parties and the Flight of the Angel. Carnival dates for 2024 are February 3-13.
Masks are a must for Carnival in Venice
Harry’s Bar, on the canal near St. Mark’s Square has been the drinking spot for well-known patrons, including Ernest Hemingway, since 1931. Try a refreshing Bellini (Prosecco with peach purée). The Venetian cocktail was invented at Harry’s Bar.
The Accademia Bridge (the Ponte dell’ Accademia) crosses the Grand Canal near the southern end and connects the sestiere of San Marco with Dorsoduro. The 1933 wooden bridge (meant to be temporary) replaced the old 1854 steel bridge. Head to the top for gorgeous views both ways!
Near the art museum with the same name, you’ll find the Accademia Bridge.
The 17th century Baroque Palazzo Grassi was purchased by French billionaire François-Henri Pinault in 2005 and overlooks the Grand Canal. Like the Punta della Dogana, it was remodeled by Tadao Ando and displays portions of Pinault’s large art collection.
Grassi Palace, now a contemporary art museum
Since 1792, one of the most famous and historical opera theaters in the world is Venice’s La Fenice Opera House. Attend a performance or tour the theater just so you can experience the stunning Neoclassical, Baroque, and Rococo styles. Wow! Just Wow!
On the island bearing its name (and part of the San Marco sestiere), the Basilica de San Giorgio Maggiore church and monastery (1159-80) are among architect Andrea Palladio’s greatest achievements. The church is filled with paintings by Tintoretto, including his last work–The Deposition–finished by his son. Take the elevator to the top of the bell tower for great views of Venice.
Palladio’s Basilica de San Giorgio Maggiore
Now at the Louvre, Napoleon had Veronese’s Wedding Feast at Cana ripped from the walls of San Giorgio Maggiore where it had hung for over 200 years.
Hundreds of artists have painted the popular church at sunrise and sunset! Claude Monet’s painting San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk (1908) was featured (and stolen) in the 1999 movie The Thomas Crown Affair. It is housed in the National Museum Cardiff.
Nearby Islands: Murano, Tortello and Burano
We planned an afternoon to island hop over to Murano, which is less than two miles from Venice’s mainland. Since 1921, Murano has been the glassmaking industry center of the world, where glass factories and furnaces (fornaces) were forced to move because of constant fires and smoke side effects.
Murano has its own Grand Canal which circles around five islands with connecting bridges, plus its jewel church Santa Maria e Donato. To see medieval and ancient glass pieces, head to The Vetrario Museum.
Not a tourist trap, Murano is the best place to take guided tours, watch skilled blown glassmakers demonstrate their craft, and purchase authentic Murano glass. Known for their bold colors and elaborate designs, secret family glassmaking recipe books are passed down from generation to generation.
Antica Vetreria Fratelli Toso is the oldest glass factory in Murano. The Mazzega Factory also offers demonstrations and shopping; and Linea Murano Art Gallery displays a collection of hand-picked creations by several local glass artists. With many more to choose from, do your research and make a plan before traveling to Murano.
One of the many Murano glass chandeliers in our hotel, The Bonvecchiati.
To escape the crowds, the island of Torcello was established in the 5th century and has the oldest building in the lagoon: the Byzantine Cathedral of Santa Maria dell’Assunta (639 AD), popular for its ancient mosaics.
Burano is the lagoon island populated with brightly colored houses. It’s well known for traditional lacemaking and linen stalls, plus its open-air trattorias serving fresh fish. The famed church of San Martino has a leaning bell tower, like Pisa.
And just like that, our memorable trip to Italy came to an end. We traveled from Rome, to Pompeii, along the Amalfi Coast to Sorrento and Positano, then on to beautiful Tuscany and Florence, Pisa, and finally Venice. It was a grand adventure! (Check out my travel blogs for each of these cities).
Below: Our Italy travel bunch making memories in both St. Mark’s Square and from the top of the Duomo in Florence.
Stay tuned for my new series on Greece. Until then, keep exploring! And, ciao for now!
Tami Kooch
I truly loved this trip. Every city and adventure provided many experiences and memories I will treasure forever. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
My wife and I absolutely loved our Italy trip, and Venice was such a memorable stop along the way! So much to explore, and your parts 1 & 2 nailed them all. We must have walked 5 miles in one day hitting those spots you featured. Thanks so much for bringing us back to “romantic “ Venice!