Centro Storico - Historical Center
- Bacino Orseolo, Giudecca, Basilica Frari, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, San Rocco Church, Campo Sant' Anzolo, Campo Santo Stefano, Campo Stin, Campo Manin, Campo San Luca, Campo San Toma, Campo San Barnaba, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, San Rocco Church, Rio di San Trovaso, Rio Martin, Rio di Ca' Foscari, Zattere, Squero di San Trovaso, gondola boatyardbridges, canals, gondolas
Venice, Venezia in Italian, is famous for its large number of canals. The canals have names, "rio" means river but they still have names like Rio di San Trovaso and Rio Martin. Many of the beautiful bridges and famous gondolas can be seen along the legendary canals. The small canals can be found in Centro Storico, the historical center that is divided in two parts with Canal Grande. Centro Storico consist of separate small islands, on some places you can walk along the canals, on others only boats and gondolas pass. This is also were you find many of the historical churches, narrow streets, lanes and squares. There are many small or midsized squares, campos (literally “field”), all over Venice, with historical buildings, such as Campo Santo Stefano, Campo Sant’Anzolo, Campo Santa Margharita, Campo Manin and Campo San Stin, often with a statue and open air restaurants. Piazzas are often larger, like Piazza San Marco, but not many squares are called piazza in Venice.
Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, or just the Frari Basilica, is the largest church in the city. We visited the interior briefly, it is a Venetian Gothic brick building, the façade was completed in 1440. Scuola Grande di San Rocco is a white neo-classicist building that houses a museum with many paintings of Tintoretto. The San Rocco Church in the same style is just next to it. The San Barnaba Church currently has a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition. Basilica di Santi Giovanni e Paolo is a large brown brick church with a dome, were all funerals of doges are held since the 15th century. It was built in Italian Gothic style in 1430 and is situated in the Northeast part of the city center. The square in front of it is called Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo. Further Northeast is San Francesco della Vigna, roman catholic church that also has a bell tower in similar style as St Mark’s Campanile.
Fondamenta Zattere is a long, wide and beautiful promenade along the open wide ferry canal, the Giudecca Canal. It might come as a surprise that Canale della Giudecca is much wider then the Grand Canal, that is more famous for being…the grand canal. This is were most ferries go, and you find the station for the water bus, the vaporetto. Hilton Molino Stucky is a landmark building on Giudecca Island, that is on the other side of the Giudecca Canal, one of Venice’s few highrises. Basilica del Redentore, also on Giudecca Island, is a large Roman Catholic church from 1592, it´s red and white Italian Renaissance exterior with its dome is a prominent landmark, opposite Piazza San Marco, that is the main square of Venice.
