The canals
If you look at a map of Venice, you'll notice its curious fish shape, with the long spine of the Canal Grande running through the middle. The Canal Grande is one of Venice's three main canals, the other two being the Canale di Cannaregio to the northeast and the Canale della Giudecca to the south. It's possible to travel along these watery arteries, simply by boarding a vaporetto and getting off at the desired stop, just as you would with a bus. Only the three canali are navigable, while the narrower, shallower rii(rio in the singular) are only accessible by gondola, water cab or... private boat.
The streets
Getting around on foot is a little more complicated, as it requires a certain sense of direction. To help you overcome this difficulty, keep the following indications in mind:
Venice has 6 sestieri (singular sestiere): San Marco, Castello, San Polo, Santa Croce, Cannaregio, and Dorsoduro. To these districts must be added two islands: Sant'Elena, connected to the Castello sestiere, and Giudecca, separated from the city by the Canale della Giudecca. The typical Venice address is made up of the name of the sestiere, followed by the number of the building (e.g. Cinema Accademia, Calle Contarini, Dorsoduro, 1018).
The names of streets and squares are quite special. Whereas in the rest of Italy, cities are made up of strada, piazza and via (road, square, street), Venice's thoroughfares have names you won't find anywhere else. Here's a quick guide to help you:
Calle larga street wider than the calle, often a shopping street.
Calle narrow street.
Campiello, corte small, more intimate square than the campo.
Campo square. Literally "field", as in the past it was a cultivated field around which the inhabitants lived. In the middle of the campi there is often a pozzo (well).
Crosera crossroads.
Fondamenta quay.
Lista large shopping street. Takes its name from the fact that it once belonged to an embassy (e.g. Lista di Spagna, near the railway station).
Piazza only Piazza San Marco is entitled to this name.
Piscina a wider stretch of street. In the past, the piscina was a kind of pool.
Ramo ramo: literally meaning "branch". These are the branches of the canals.
Rio terrà former canal, now filled in.
Riva stone staircase leading from the calle to the canal.
Ruga another way of indicating a calle larga. Ruga derives from the French word for "street".
Salizzada paved street.
Sottoportego public passageway under private dwellings.
Strada name given today to new streets.
Don't walk around with your nose buried in the maps: let yourself be seduced by the colors, smells and sounds of one of the world's most beautiful cities.
Street numbering
When it comes to street numbering, Venice again stands out from its neighbors: the numbering is not for a single street, but for the entire district (e.g. Hotel San Gallo San Marco, 1093/a). The exercise is made all the more difficult by the fact that this numbering does not follow a logical order. For example, you could meet in front of number 5478 in Cannaregio and, once over the bridge, find yourself in front of number 3475. It's even possible to cross a bridge from one sestiere to another without realizing it. It's a real headache! Fortunately for tourists, the Canal Grande is an excellent landmark.
San Marco
San Marco is THE mythical district of Venice. Its famous piazza is known the world over, and people from every continent come here to enjoy a hot chocolate in one of its historic cafés facing the prestigious basilica. It was in 828 that two Venetian merchants stole the relics of Saint Mark, disciple of the apostle Peter, from Alexandria and brought them to Venice. Mark had come to evangelize the region in the 1st century and had been shipwrecked in the lagoon that would give birth to the Serenissima in 452. The basilica was built in his honor, and the district was named after him.
Seat of Venetian power and might. Bordered to the northeast and south by the Grand Canal and the San Marco basin, the San Marco district follows the course of the water for two kilometers, offering a grandiose panorama of some sixty buildings, vast or narrow, sumptuous palaces and more modest houses. There are so many theaters here that, at the end of the 18th century, the city council suggested calling the area along the Canal Grande, from Rialto to San Marco, " Spettacolo".
The sestiere is organized around the commercial heart of the city, formed by the Rialto area and the Mercerie. It was here that power was concentrated in all its forms: state, ecclesiastical and economic. For example, the Repubblica Serenissima was based in the Doge's Palace. Rich merchants and ecclesiastics also had their quarters in San Marco.
Today, the area around San Marco is home to the richest palaces, many of the city's libraries and museums, and some of the most luxurious hotels, boutiques and restaurants. But above all, San Marco is a veritable open-air museum, whose wonders have survived the centuries with astonishing ease, retaining their power of attraction and wonder.
The city's landmarks. St. Mark's Basilica is much more than just a church, much more than just a religious site. At the same time, it is an eminently political work designed to reinforce Venice's identity and independence. With the Doge's Palace and works by the greatest masters of the 16th century, led by Titian and Veronese, Italy's (or the world's?) most famous square bears witness to the past grandeur of the Serenissima and its commercial and artistic influence on the world during the Renaissance. Today, even in this piazza invaded by tourists and pigeons, past grandeur is omnipresent and will leave no one unmoved.
Not far from here stands the mythical La Fenice theater, which seems to keep the sonatas of the greatest in its walls and its profusion of gilding. Twice reduced to ashes, nothing seems able to bring down this giant of classical culture.
Secret San Marco. But San Marco extends far beyond its famous jewels, and after crossing its countless calli, the two wide, airy campi of Sant'Angelo and Santo Stefano are a breath of fresh air. Sumptuous palaces and invigorating terraces await you before you set off again for the Rialto.
However, in addition to the rich monuments that attract countless tourists every year, the San Marco sestiere also has a more hidden charm. At night, deserted by tourists, its historic cafés, such as the Florian or the Quadri, welcome their regulars. Crossing the Piazza San Marco at night, accompanied by the music of the orchestras in the posh cafés, is an unforgettably gentle experience. The district still has its more intimate corners, such as the Corte Seconda del Milion, where Marco Polo's house is located, or those places that are still home to real neighborhood life, such as the Campo San Bartolomeo, where young Venetians meet under the statue of Goldoni. At times stifling, San Marco remains a unique discovery, over which time and constant change seem to have no hold.
San Polo
This is where history began. The cradle of Venice's history, the San Polo district is, at 34 hectares, the smallest district in the Serenissima. In fact, it's one of the oldest parts of Venice. It was colonized in the 9th century, at the same time as its neighbor San Marco, with which it formed part of the Realtine Islands. The foundations of the San Polo church date back to this period.
It washere, in 1907, that Rialto, Venice's main market,was born. Or rather, where its famous neo-Gothic hall was built, as the Pescheria, the market itself, has existed since the 14th century. It's a mecca for the Venetian ambience, and its stalls, frequented by all the (good) restaurateurs in the City of the Doges, are certainly the most typical and lively in Italy. Just a stone's throw away, the Erberia, the vegetable market, also offers its share of color and its very special atmosphere. To stroll with the old-timers through these alleys is to feel Venice as it really is, beyond the hordes of tourists: lively and authentic.
In the 13th century, the San Polo district was linked to the right bank of the city of the Doges by the Rialto Bridge. But it had to rise from its ruins after the earthquakes that devastated it in 1343. This did not prevent the little Rialto district from remaining the economic lung of the city, as in the case of the Bancogiro walls, which today house a restaurant, but were once the guardians of the first bank in the city of the Doges. Merchants from all walks of life strolled here constantly, a fact not lost on the girls of lesser virtue who offered their services not far away, on the aptly named Ponte delle Tette...
The sestiere San Polo is therefore a very old part of the city. The houses are old, often damp and tightly packed together, so they don't let much sunshine through. However, the maze of streets frequently leads to bright, often shady campi. The atmosphere is absolutely charming. The old folks slump on a bench, moaning about the inexorable exodus from their beloved city, the children, good Italians that they are, improvise a game of soccer at any hour, and the visitor delights in the discoveries offered by San Polo's countless little calli.
But the epicenter of the district is the wide Campo San Polo, which gives its name to this part of Venice. It's the place to be, where Venetians have always gathered for military parades, popular balls, bullfights and other cruel games. Until they were abolished in 1802, that is!
Today, the activities are fortunately more peaceful, and during Carnival you'll find plenty of opportunities to make sure you don't go unnoticed, thanks to the little stalls set up here and there on the campo. In summer, the square is the perfect place to spend an evening with a loved one, thanks to its romantic open-air cinema. Unique in Venice.
Last but not least, the exceptional Santa Maria dei Frari church has taken up residence in this district, much to our delight. This medieval church contains a multitude of treasures. Titian, Canova and Giovanni Bellini are no strangers to it.
Not far away are the district's two "great schools": the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista. Majestic, they contain a few pearls by Tintoretto.
But there are still many wonders to be found in the district, whether they are obvious or have to be earned. So don't hesitate, get lost, ask directions from a group of old-timers playing chess on a little lost campiello or... follow us. And let yourself be carried away by the discovery of a resolutely authentic district, well worth your time. Away from the tourist crowds, but as close as possible to the Venetians...
Santa Croce
At the very beginning of Venice's history, the Luprio was an area of salt marshes. Like the San Polo sestiere (district), often considered its Venetian twin, the Santa Croce district was born here.
If you're arriving by car, this is where you'll enter Venice from the bus station and drop off your vehicle in the vast Piazzale Roma parking lot. The Piazzale Roma sees the daily arrival of the many visitors who take the Ponte della Libertà linking Mestre to the Serenissima. The Santa Croce sestiere is therefore the only one to experience some car traffic. Nearby, modernity is reflected in the Ponte della Costituzione, the fourth and final bridge spanning the Grand Canal.
The subject of much controversy, it was the talk of the town for many years before being inaugurated on September 11, 2008. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, all curves, balances and soaring steps, its obvious practicality met with much protest. It has to be said, this is a far cry from the style of the Bridge of Sighs. But it remains a good example of Venice torn between its architectural traditions and its bold contemporary art.
The name of this sestiere has its origins in the foundation of a church dedicated to the Holy Cross. But it was demolished by order of Napoleon, along with the Benedictine monastery to which it belonged. Today, remnants of the church can still be seen in the Hotel Santa Chiara in Piazzale Roma. In its place, the Giardini Papadopoli were designed and planted. But the garden was cut in two by the piercing of the Rio Nuovo canal, and its surface area was greatly reduced by the construction of the Ponte della Libertà and the Piazzale Roma terminal. Nevertheless, a stroll through these gardens, lying on the banks of the Grand Canal, guarantees a refreshing and restorative break. A delicious moment in prospect.
Further alongthe Grand Canal, the imposing yet remarkable Palazzo dei Turchi. The city's natural history museum, with its double gallery, stands majestically and looks as if it has emerged straight from the waters of the Serenissima. It's easy to understand why the Senate used to house its most prestigious guests here.
A few steps away, the astonishing Costume Museum, housed in the Palazzo Mocenigo, offers yet another opportunity to admire Venetian craftsmanship, which still holds many surprises in store.
So quickly traversed by onlookers, Santa Croce still possesses a few treasures. The pretty, vast Piazza San Giacomo dell'Orio is home to one of the first religious buildings in the city of the Doges. The church of the same name, built in the 10th century and rebuilt from 1225 onwards, is a charming blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Before or after your visit, don't forget to take advantage of the campo and its gentle, childlike bustle. In fact, there's no shortage of terraces.
Last but not least, don't miss the Ca' Pesaro. This imposing 17th-century Baroque palace houses the Museum of Oriental Art and an important collection of Japanese art from the Edo period. A must for art lovers! It is also home to the city's Museum of Modern Art, where many great artists have made their home. From Klimt and Chagall to Miro and Matisse, the collection has nothing to envy the greatest museums.
Santa Croce is a discovery in itself. It seems to suffer from its incessant twinning with San Polo, and will offer itself to you in all its finery. But, once again, you'll have to take your time...
Dorsoduro
A favorite haunt of local youth, this district is a delight for visitors seeking to reconcile the past grandeur of the Serenissima with the insolent dynamism that the city of the Doges sometimes displays. Venetian youth, those who don't leave for other climes, are the standard-bearers of this audacity, with the astonishing galleries you'll come across in the narrow streets of Dorsoduro.
Its name literally means "hard back". Indeed, this southern part of Venice, south of the Santa Croce and San Polo sestiere, was the only district built on solid, rocky ground rather than sandy marshland. Beyond the Giudecca Canal, this sestiere also includes the islands of Giudecca, Sacca Fisola and Sacca San Biagio at the western tip of Giudecca.
Initially,the western part of today's district, the island of Mendigola, was colonized. In the 12th century, the beautiful church of San Nicolò dei Mendicoli (St. Nicholas of the Mendicants) was built on this island, and its medieval entrance portal is about the only one to have survived from this period.
Later, the adjacent islands up to Pointe de la Douanewere colonized. The last reclaimed area was where the Basilica della Salute stands today, at the mouth of the Grand Canal on the San Marco Basin. It stands on stilts: it is said that no less than 1,556,627 4-meter-long piles, covered with rubble and mortar, were needed to support the imposing edifice, whose construction was decided by the Republic of Venice after the terrible plague epidemic that ravaged the city in 1630.
In front of the church, the vast paved forecourt and quay extend as far as the sea customs. Strollers are rare here, although part of the Fondation Pinault's contemporary art collection is now housed in the former customs warehouses. Yet the overall view of the Serenissima is well worth the detour: from the Quai dei Schiavoni to the eastern part of the city and its gardens, the Basin of San Marco and the island of San Giorgio Maggiore...
...as well as the pleasant stroll along the Zattere, certainly the favorite promenade of the lagoon's last inhabitants. The sun fading over the churches of the Redentore and the Zitelle, on the nearby Giudecca, is a dazzling spectacle that's certainly worth a stop at a café terrace. Tourists and artists in search of inspiration will accompany you in this delightful moment.
Admire the craftsmen at work in the squero di San Trovaso, where gondolas have been repaired using the same techniques for centuries, or the galleries of the Accademia and its illustrious painters, and see how these marvels of the past stand in stark contrast to the Punta della Dogana and its works of contemporary art, or those of the Peggy Guggenheim Foundation, or the astonishing creativity of the young artists who like to exhibit in the small galleries around Campo Santa Margherita.
It's in this square that Venice'sstudent youth gather to remake the world over spritzs, sometimes until the wee hours of the morning. It's this same youth that has made Dorsoduro the Venetian "Latin Quarter", bearing witness both to the past grandeur of the city of the Doges and to the dynamism of contemporary art deeply rooted in this new Venetian culture.
So don't hesitate, and take a whiff of the astonishing contrasts and distinctive atmosphere that make Dorsoduro such a pleasant district, seemingly suspended in time, torn between past and future, and constantly searching for a new identity.
Cannaregio
Once the only major link with the mainland, Cannaregio is Venice's northernmost and most densely populated district. Slightly smaller than the larger Castello, this is where the Ponte della Liberta and the railroads linking the city to the mainland end. Cannaregio is therefore the place where you go through the looking glass, where you leave the real world to enter the phantasmagorical universe of the City of the Doges.
Before the dikes were built and the soil consolidated, this vast territory was for a long time the most marshy part of Venice and a major source of malaria. It was probably covered with rushes and reeds (cane), hence its name. Another hypothesis as to the origin of its name is that of the Canal Regio (Royal Canal), which provided easy access to the city for visitors from the mainland.
Before the construction of a rail link to Venice,the Canal di Cannaregio was the main entrance for visitors to the Serenissima. It links the Grand Canal, at the level of the San Geremia church, with the lagoon. Two bridges cross it: the Ponte delle Guglie (Bridge of the Needles), whose four corners are decorated with obelisks, and the Ponte dei Tre Archi, the only three-arch bridge in Venice.
Today,tourists- especially those getting off the train at Santa Lucia station - flock to the Lista di Spagna or the Strada Nuova to reach the Rialto, forgetting to lose themselves in the enchanting, peaceful maze of little side streets. Woe betide them! They've just missed out on treasures and genuine discoveries. Indeed, this is one of those rare places that continue to keep alive the rich traditions of the Serenissima. The district is characterized by a typically Venetian urban fabric.
To the north, a vast zone of parallel rii ( small canals), overlooked by houses and palaces aligned with the quays. The space often opens onto small squares, where the façade of a charming church or the face of a disquieting statue can be seen.
Further south, near the Ponte delle Guglie, stands the ghetto, the first in history, which was established here five centuries ago. Venetian Jews from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the Middle East founded their synagogues here. Because of the prevailing anti-Semitism in the region, the city of the Doges, well aware of the economic power of these wealthy merchants, confined them to this closed quarter, isolated from the rest of the city. So there you have the origins of the word.
But there are happier and, above all, more charming things for those who continue to stroll through the Cannaregio. For this sestiere is also characterized by its wide, romantic quays, the Fondamenta degli Ormesini, della Misericordia and della Sensa. With their small terraces and numerous subtly illuminated bridges, they guarantee a peaceful stroll.
Headingdown to the southeast of the district, you'll reach the splendid Gothic Ca' d'Oro palace, whose finely designed facade will leave you... speechless. Cannaregio is also home to two other marvels: the little church of San Giovanni Crisostomo, whose interior houses masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini and Giorgione, and above all the church with the polychrome marble façade of Santa Maria dei Miracoli. An absolute gem!
But a stroll through Cannaregio is also the certainty of meeting more Venetians in a few minutes than in a day at San Marco, of knowing that the fish on your plate comes fresh from the lagoon, and that lively debates in Venetian will be all the rage at the bar of the charming enoteca you've chosen to enjoy your daily spritz. The simple way to experience Venice...
Castello
A vast olive grove in the Middle Ages, this district was then called Olivolo. It took its present name from the fortress on the small island of San Pedro, which has since disappeared. Today, Castello is the largest of the Serenissima's six districts, and undoubtedly the most peaceful... Come and find peace and quiet here.
The eastern part ofCastello is dominated by the high walls of the Arsenal, a symbol of Venice's maritime and military power. To the west, it extends to the immediate vicinity of San Marco, from which it is separated by the Rio di Pallozo della Paglia, behind the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica.
Above all, it's a place of contrasts. While to the west, the tourist hustle and bustle of San Marco is omnipresent, as is the crowded Salizada San Lio, the east is one of the last retreats for Venetians who have fled the open-air museum and soaring prices. Authentic and charming, the maze of narrow streets is a delight for visitors, so don't hesitate and lose yourself in the discovery of this Venice, still somewhat... Venetian.
And when it comes to nature, there's plenty of green here and there... Don't hesitate to push open the door to its secret gardens, but also to other green spaces, such as the Napoleon Gardens or the Sant'Elena Gardens. From the Giardini vaporetto station, located between San Marco and the Lido, access the gardens where your children can stretch their legs.
Architecture-wise, churches draped in gold and frescoes in Byzantine, Baroque and Renaissance styles, such as the majestic Santi Giovanni e Paolo church, and the Arsenale pavilions that host the biennial Biennale, the spearhead of international contemporary art.
Beyond the Rio di San Lorenzo, which flows from north to south, we arrive at the Arsenal, founded in the early 12th century to provide Venice with a naval warehouse and a depot for arms and munitions, and which inspired Hugo Pratt.
From the 14th century onwards, the need to increase naval armament and the Republic's control over merchant fleets led to a major expansion of the Arsenal. Dry docks, gun, oar and mast factories, wood and coal warehouses were all located here. The district still bears the imprint of the Arsenal workshops and the Arsenallotti workers' houses. A visit to the Museo Storico Navale will give you a better understanding of the importance of water and inland navigation in the long history of the city of the Doges. A must before strolling along the Riva degli Schiavoni, where you'll be torn between memories of the slave-filled boats that anchored here and the magic of Palazzo Dandolo, home to the legendary Hotel Danieli.
To the southeast, the district is more popular , and you'll hear the Venetian dialect, Venesian, in the small, authentic and inexpensive restaurants that abound for your enjoyment. However, around the time of the Biennale (of art or architecture, every other year), the area is invaded by visitors, and English becomes the national language. This is also where you'll find the city's only green space (I Giardini), built at Napoleon's request on reclaimed marshland. It's a breath of fresh air and one of the city's few peaceful spots. And, to make matters worse, the view of the lagoon at sunset is unforgettable.
It was also Napoleon who had the banks consolidated and the quays built on the islands of Sant'Elena and San Pietro. The latter, which seems to have fallen asleep forever, was nevertheless the first to be inhabited. And it is to this former ecclesiastical stronghold of Venice, which was dethroned by San Marco in 1807, that Venetians go every Sunday in Lent to attend the ceremony of the Pardons.
Aparadox, finally, when we bear in mind that one of the last truly Venetian districts was for centuries the haunt of Greek and Armenian communities and the gathering point for merchants from the East. It's as if history wanted to gradually push out of the lagoon a population that had radiated out into the world for centuries.
A commercial district. However, if you want to immerse yourself in merchant Venice, we recommend a stroll along the city's widest thoroughfare, via Garibaldi, where fruit and vegetable vendors (markets are generally open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.) gather for our greatest pleasure, in an authentic, less touristy atmosphere than in Rialto.
The Giudecca
As Giudecca is an island, it can only be reached by sea, by cab or vaporetto (from San Zaccaria or the Zattere). This is undoubtedly the most heterogeneous area of Venice: housing, convents, factories and warehouses.
This fishermen's island was originally called Spina Longa, because of its fishbone shape. The origin of its current name is controversial. Some claim that the island was used as a place of deportation for giudei, Italian for "Jews", or zudegà, Venetian for "judged" (i.e. condemned), since in the 9th century this was the name given to the nobles whom the Republic sent there in exile.
In the 16th century, the island became a more spontaneous choice for nobles, not as a place of exile, but rather as a place of leisure. They built marvellous mansions surrounded by gardens, of which the legendary Hotel Cipriani remains the best reminder today. It was also during this period that the Church of the Redentore was built. In the 18th and 19th centuries, with industrial development, port infrastructures, barracks and factories multiplied, and the island was inhabited by an ever-increasing number of workers.
The island of Giudecca is made up of eight small islets and crossed by a long main fondamenta, starting at the Sacca Fisola and ending at the Zitelle quay. The southern part of the island is occupied by gardens and workers' houses. Giudecca is both the largest island and the closest to Venice.
