t Tintoretto’s Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, Madonna dell’Orto
t Tintoretto’s Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, Madonna dell’Orto
This lovely Gothic church, founded in the mid-14th century, was dedicated to St Christopher, patron saint of travellers, to protect the boatmen who ferried passengers to the islands in the northern lagoon. A 15th-century statue of the saint, restored by the Venice in Peril fund, stands above the main portal. The dedication was changed and the church reconstructed in the early 15th century, after the discovery, in a nearby vegetable garden (orto), of a statue of the Virgin Mary said to have miraculous powers.
The interior is large and uncluttered. On the right is a magnificent painting by Cima da Conegliano, St John the Baptist and Other Saints (c.1493). The vacant space in the chapel opposite belongs to Giovanni Bellini’s Madonna with Child (c.1478), stolen in 1993 for the third time.
The church’s greatest remaining treasures are the works of art by Tintoretto, including the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, in the right nave. The most dramatic of his works are the towering masterpieces that decorate the chancel (1562–4). On the right wall is the Last Judgment, whose turbulent content caused John Ruskin’s wife, Effie, to flee the church in horror. In The Adoration of the Golden Calf on the left wall, the figure carrying the calf, fourth from the left, is believed to be a portrait of the artist, who was a parishioner of the church.
t Glorious sunset over the Grand Canal and the Ca’ d’Oro
In 1420 Marino Contarini, a wealthy patrician, commissioned the building of what he hoped would be the city’s most magnificent palace. The building’s intricate carving was entrusted to a team of Venetian and Lombard craftsmen, while the façade was adorned with the most expensive decorative finishes, including gold leaf, vermilion and ultramarine. Over the years the palace was extensively remodelled, and by the 18th century it was in a state of semi-dereliction. In 1846 it was bought by the Russian Prince Troubetzkoy for the famous ballerina Marie Taglioni. Under her direction the palace suffered barbaric restoration, losing, among other things, its staircase and much of its original stonework. It was finally rescued by Baron Giorgio Franchetti, a wealthy patron of the arts, who bequeathed both the building and his private art collection to the state in 1915.
Pride of place on the first of the gallery’s two floors goes to Andrea Mantegna’s St Sebastian (1506), the artist’s last work. Elsewhere, the floor’s main exhibits are ranged around the portego (entrance hall). This is largely dominated by the vivid 15th-century Double Portrait (c.1493) by the sculptor Tullio Lombardo and Sansovino’s lunette of the Madonna and Child (c.1530). Rooms leading off the portego to the right contain numerous bronzes and medallions, with some examples by Pisanello and Gentile Bellini. Paintings here also include the famous Madonna of the Beautiful Eyes, attributed to Giovanni Bellini, a Madonna and Child, attributed to Alvise Vivarini (both late 15th century), and Carpaccio’s Annunciation (c.1504). A room to the left of the portego contains non-Venetian paintings, notably a Flagellation by Luca Signorelli (c.1480). A lovely staircase leads to the second floor, which opens with a room hung with tapestries. It has bronzes by Alessandro Vittoria and paintings by Titian and Van Dyck. The portego displays frescoes (c.1532) by Pordenone from the cloister of Santo Stefano, while an anteroom contains damaged frescoes by Titian taken from the Fondaco dei Tedeschi.
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This terracotta-coloured church is located near to the Rialto. Built between 1479 and 1504, it is a lovely Renaissance design, the last work of Mauro Coducci.
Inside, the light meter illuminates Giovanni Bellini’s St Jerome with Saints Christopher and Augustine (1513) above the first altar on the right. This was most probably Bellini’s last painting, executed when he was in his eighties.
Over the high altar hangs Sebastiano del Piombo’s St John Chrysostom and Six Saints (1509–11).
This exquisite masterpiece of the early Renaissance is the church where many Venetians like to get married.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli was built in 1481–9 by the architect Pietro Lombardo to enshrine The Virgin and Child (1408), a painting believed to have miraculous powers. The picture, by Niccolò di Pietro, still hangs above the altar.
The interior, embellished by pink, white and grey marble, is crowned by a barrel-vaulted ceiling (1528) with portraits of saints and prophets. The balustrade, between the nave and the chancel, is decorated by Tullio Lombardo’s carved figures of Archangel Gabriel, St Francis, the Virgin and St Clare.
The screen around the high altar and the medallions of the Evangelists in the cupola spandrels are also Lombardo’s work. Above the main door, the choir gallery was used by the nuns from the neighbouring convent, who entered the church through an overhead gallery.
t The monumental Upper Hall in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco
This church is worth visiting for the Gothic portal and the Romanesque lions at the foot of the 14th-century campanile.
Inside, follow the signs for the Via Crucis del Tiepolo – 14 pictures of the Stations of the Cross (1749) by the painter Giandomenico Tiepolo; many of these works include vivid portraits of 18th-century Venetian life. The church also has paintings by Veronese and Palma il Giovane (the Younger), and a dramatic Last Supper by Tintoretto.
Founded in honour of San Rocco (St Roch), a saint who dedicated his life to helping the sick, the Scuola started out as a charitable confraternity. Construction began in 1515 under Bartolomeo Bon and was continued by Scarpagnino until his death in 1549. The work was financed by donations from Venetians keen to invoke San Rocco’s protection and the Scuola quickly became one of the wealthiest in Venice. In 1564 its members decided to commission Tintoretto to decorate its walls and ceilings.
The ground-floor cycle was executed in 1582–7, when Tintoretto was in his sixties, and consists of eight large paintings illustrating, among others, the life of Mary. The series starts with the Annunciation and ends with the Assumption.
The tranquil scenes of The Flight into Egypt, St Mary Magdalene and St Mary of Egypt are remarkable for their serenity. This is portrayed most lucidly by the repentant hermit’s isolated spiritual contemplation in St Mary of Egypt. In all three paintings, the landscapes are rendered with noticeably rapid strokes, and are an important part of the final composition.
Scarpagnino’s great staircase (1544–6), its upper flight decorated with two vast paintings commemorating the plague of 1630, leads to the Upper Hall. Here, biblical subjects decorate the ceiling and walls, painted by Tintoretto from 1575 to 1581.
The ceiling paintings portray scenes from the Old Testament. The three large and dynamic square paintings in the centre show episodes from the Book of Exodus: Moses Strikes Water from the Rock; The Miracle of the Bronze Serpent; and The Fall of Manna in the Desert. These all allude to the charitable aims of the Scuola in alleviating thirst, sickness and hunger. All three paintings are crowded compositions displaying much violent movement.
The vast wall paintings in the hall feature episodes from the New Testament, linking with the ceiling paintings. Two of the most striking are The Temptation of Christ, which shows a handsome young Satan offering Christ two loaves of bread, and The Adoration of the Shepherds. Like The Temptation of Christ, The Adoration is composed in two halves, with a female figure, shepherds and an ox below, and the Holy Family and onlookers above.
The splendid carvings below the paintings were added in the 17th century by sculptor Francesco Pianta. The figures are allegorical and include (near the altar) a caricature of Tintoretto with his palette and brushes, representing Painting. The easel painting Christ Carrying the Cross was once attributed to Giorgione, though many believe it to be by Titian.
Near the entrance to the Sala dell’Albergo is the Annunciation by Titian. The Sala dell’Albergo itself holds the most breathtaking of Tintoretto’s works – the Crucifixion (1565). Henry James remarked of this painting: “No single picture contains more of human life; there is everything in it, including the most exquisite beauty.” Tintoretto began the cycle of paintings in this room in 1564, when he won the commission with the ceiling painting San Rocco in Glory. On the wall opposite the Crucifixion are paintings of episodes from the Passion: Christ before Pilate; The Crowning with Thorns; and The Ascent to Calvary. Closely associated with the celebrated Scuola is the church of the same name, San Rocco. Designed by the sculptor and architect Bartolomeo Bon in 1489 and largely rebuilt in 1725, the exterior suffers from a mixture of styles. Inside, the chancel is decorated with a series of paintings by Tintoretto depicting scenes from the life of San Rocco.
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This palazzo houses the museum of 18th-century Venice, its rooms furnished with frescoes, paintings and period pieces taken from other palaces or museums. Building began with Longhena (architect of Santa Maria della Salute) in 1667, but the funds of the Bon family, who commissioned it, ran dry before the second floor was started. In 1712 the unfinished palace was bought by the Rezzonico family of Genoa, who spent a large portion of their fortune on its completion.
The Rezzonico family sold it on, in 1888, to the famous poet Robert Browning and his son, Pen. The outstanding attraction in the palace today is Giorgio Massari’s ballroom, which occupies the entire breadth of the building. It is adorned with gilded chandeliers, carved furniture by Andrea Brustolon and a ceiling with trompe l’oeil frescoes. Other rooms have frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo, including his lively Nuptial Allegory (1758), and one by his son, Giandomenico, originally in his villa at Zianigo. There are paintings by Longhi, Guardi and – rare in Venice – Canaletto. On the top floor is a reconstructed 18th-century apothecary’s shop and the Pinacoteca Martini.
Experience Venice
The Venetian gift for intrigue comes into its own during Carnevale, a vibrant, playful festival preceding the abstinence of Lent. Masks and costumes play a key role in this anonymous world; social divisions are dissolved, participants delight in playing practical jokes, and anything goes. The tradition of Carnevale in Venice began in the 11th century and reached its peak in popularity and outrageousness in the 18th century.
Contrasting with the remote and run-down area which surrounds it, this church still remains one of the most charming in Venice. Founded in the 7th century, it has been rebuilt extensively over the years. The little porch on the north flank was built in the 15th century and once sheltered the beggars, or mendicanti, who gave the church its name.
Thanks to the Venice in Peril fund, in the 1970s the church underwent one of the most comprehensive restoration programmes since the floods of 1966. Flooding had become such a problem that the priest often ferried himself around the church in a small wicker boat. The floor, which was 30 cm (1 ft) below the level of the canals, was rebuilt and raised slightly to prevent more flood damage. The roofs and lower walls were reconstructed, and the paintings and statues restored.
The interior is delightfully embellished, particularly the nave with its 16th-century gilded wooden statues. These include the figure of San Nicolò himself. On the upper walls is a series of paintings of the life of Christ (c.1553) by Alvise dal Friso and other pupils of Veronese.
Outside, a small column supports a stone lion, in a humbler echo of the Column of San Marco in the Piazzetta.
Experience Venice
The spritz is ubiquitous all over Italy, and no more so than in the Veneto, where the drink originated in the 1800s. The two most popular versions are made with either Aperol or Campari, depending on preference. The spirit is mixed with prosecco or sparkling water and white wine, and usually served with an olive or orange slice.
t Veronese ceiling painting in the church of San Sebastiano
This 16th-century church features one of the most colourful and homogeneous interiors in the whole of Venice. Much of its splendour is down to Veronese who, from 1555 to 1560 and again in the 1570s, was commissioned to decorate the sacristy ceiling, the nave ceiling, the frieze, the east end of the choir, the high altar, the doors of the organ panels and the chancel.
The paintings feature radiant colours and rich costumes. Those on the sacristy ceiling depict the Coronation of the Virgin and the Four Evangelists.
Of the other paintings, the finest are the three that tell the story of Esther, Queen of Xerxes I of Persia, famous for securing the deliverance of the Jewish people.
Veronese is buried here. His tomb is in front of the paved chapel to the left of the chancel.
t Santa Maria della Salute, at the entrance to the Grand Canal
This great Baroque church standing at the entrance of the Grand Canal is one of the most imposing Venetian landmarks. Henry James likened it to “some great lady on the threshold of her salon”.
Santa Maria della Salute was built in thanksgiving for the city’s deliverance from the plague epidemic of 1630; hence the name Salute, which means “health and salvation”.
Every 21 November, in celebration of the occasion, worshippers light candles and approach across a temporary bridge, resting on boats, which spans the mouth of the Grand Canal.
Baldassare Longhena started the church in 1630 at the age of 32, and worked on it for the rest of his life. It was completed in 1687, five years after his death.
The interior consists of a large octagonal space below the cupola and six chapels radiating from the ambulatory. The large domed chancel and grandiose high altar dominate the view from the main door.
The altar’s sculptural group by Giusto Le Corte represents the Virgin and Child giving protection to Venice from the plague. The best of the paintings are in the sacristy to the left of the altar: Titian’s early altarpiece St Mark Enthroned with Saints Cosmas, Damian, Roch and Sebastian (1511–12) and his dramatic ceiling paintings Cain and Abel, The Sacrifice of Abraham and Isaac and David and Goliath (1540–9). The Wedding at Cana (1551) on the wall opposite the entrance is by Jacopo Tintoretto.
Formerly a customs house, where cargo ships were inspected before they entered Venice, the magnificent 17th-century Punta della Dogana was restored by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando and opened in 2009 as a contemporary art gallery. Together with the Palazzo Grassi, it houses the French billionaire François Pinault’s large collection of contemporary art. It contains important works, including pieces by Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and British artists Rachel Whiteread and the Chapman Brothers. The building also has fantastic views towards St Mark’s, San Giorgio and the two main canals of Venice.
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t Bellini’s Madonna and Child, a star exhibit at the Accademia
Housing the largest collection of Venetian art in existence, the Accademia occupies three former religious buildings. The basis of the collection was the Accademia di Belle Arti, founded in 1750 by painter Giovanni Battisa Piazetta. In 1807 Napoleon moved the collection to its current premises, enriching it with artworks removed from churches and monasteries. Spanning five centuries, the paintings and altarpieces in the museum provide a complete spectrum of the Venetian school, from the Byzantine period through the Renaissance to the Baroque and the Rococo. Perhaps the highlight of the collection is Giorgione’s famous Tempest (c.1507). In this enigmatic landscape, Giorgione was probably indulging in his imagination rather than portraying a specific subject.
The International Gothic collection shows the influence of Byzantine art on the early Venetian painters. Paolo Veneziano, the true founder of the Venetian school, displays a blend of both Western and Eastern influences in his sumptuous Coronation of the Virgin (1325). The linear rhythms are unmistakably Gothic, yet the glowing gold background and overall effect are distinctly Byzantine.
Highlights of the Renaissance collection include Giovanni Bellini’s Madonna and Child between St John the Baptist and a Saint (c.1504), Andrea Mantegna’s St George (c.1460), Paolo Veronese’s monumental Feast in the House of the Levi (1573) and Titian’s haunting final painting, the Pietà (1575–6). Other must-see works include a view of Venice by Canaletto (dated 1763) and Vittore Carpaccio’s ensemble of nine large wall paintings chronicling the tragic story of St Ursula (1495–1500).
t Gallery filled with priceless works of art at the Accademia
In 1949 the 18th-century Palazzo Venier dei Leoni was bought as a home by the American millionairess Peggy Guggenheim (1898–1979), a collector, dealer and patron of the arts who befriended, and then furthered the careers of, many innovative abstract and Surrealist artists. One was Max Ernst, who became her second husband.
The Guggenheim is the best place in the city to see 20th-century art. Light-filled rooms and the large modern canvases provide a striking contrast to the Renaissance paintings in most Venetian churches and museums. The collection consists of 200 fine paintings and sculptures, each representing the 20th century’s most influential modern art movements.
The dining room has notable Cubist works of art, including The Poet by Pablo Picasso, and an entire room is devoted to Jackson Pollock, who was “discovered” by Guggenheim.
Other artists represented are Braque, Chagall, de Chirico, Dalí, Duchamp, Léger, Kandinsky, Klee, Mondrian, Miró, Malevich, Rothko, Bacon and Magritte, whose Surreal Empire of Light (1953–4) shows a night scene of a darkened house in a wooded setting with a bright day sky above. The sculpture collection, which includes Constantin Brancusi’s elegant Maiastra (1912), is laid out in the house and the picturesque paved garden.
Marino Marini’s Angelo della Città (Angel of the Citadel, 1948), on the terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, is perhaps the most provocative piece. This shows a prominently displayed man sitting on a horse, erect in all respects.
There are presentations about Peggy Guggenheim and her collection given in several languages every day, and the museum holds special art workshops for children each Sunday.
Deconsecrated six times on account of the blood spilled within its walls, Santo Stefano – one of Venice’s most beautiful churches – is now remarkably serene. Built in the 1300s, and altered in the 15th century, it has a carved portal by Bartolomeo Bon, and a campanile with a typical Venetian tilt. The interior has a splendid ship’s keel ceiling with carved tie-beams, and the sacristy is crammed with valuable paintings.
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t Torre dell’ Orologio
t Winged lion sculpture
This richly decorated clock tower on the north side of the piazza was built in the late 15th century, and Mauro Coducci is thought to have worked on the design. With its display of the phases of the moon and zodiac signs, the clock face was designed with seafarers in mind. According to legend, once the clock was completed, the two inventors had their eyes gouged out to prevent them from ever creating a replica.
On the upper level, the winged lion of St Mark stands against a star-spangled blue backdrop. At the very top, two huge bronze figures, known as the Mori, or Moors, strike the bell on the hour.
Guided tours to visit the clock tower must be booked in advance; they depart from the Museo Correr ticket office.
t The Campanile, dominating the whole of the lagoon
From the top of San Marco’s campanile, high above the piazza, visitors can enjoy views of the city, the lagoon and, visibility permitting, the peaks of the Alps. It was from here that Galileo demonstrated his telescope to Doge Leonardo Donà in 1609. To do so he would have climbed the internal ramp, but access today is via a lift.
The first tower, completed in 1173, was built as a lighthouse to assist navigators in the lagoon. It took on a less benevolent role in the Middle Ages, when offenders were imprisoned – and in some cases left to die – in a cage hung near its summit. In July 1902, with little warning, the tower collapsed. The only casualties were the Loggetta at the foot of the tower and the custodian’s cat. Donations flooded in, and in 1903 the foundation stone was laid for a new campanile “dov’era e com’era” (“where it was and as it was”). The new tower opened on 25 April (the Feast of St Mark), 1912.
Insider tip
Pigeons were once the unofficial mascots of Venice, with around 40,000 reportedly living in and around Piazza San Marco. In 2008 Venice’s then-mayor brought in a law that banned pigeon feeding. Any tourists caught feeding the birds today could face a fine of up to €700.
Teodoro Correr bequeathed his extensive collection of works of art to Venice in 1830, thus forming the core of the city’s fine civic museum.
Its first rooms form a suitably Neo-Classical backdrop for early statues by Antonio Canova (1757–1822). The rest of the floor covers the history of the Venetian Republic, with maps, coins, armour and a host of doge-related exhibits.
The second floor contains a picture collection second only to that of the Accademia. The paintings, hung chronologically, trace the evolution of Venetian painting, and show the influence of Ferrarese, Paduan and Flemish artists.
The gallery’s most famous works are by Carpaccio: Portrait of a Young Man in a Red Hat (c.1490) and Two Venetian Ladies (c.1507). The latter is traditionally, but probably incorrectly, known as The Courtesans because of the ladies’ provocative low-cut dresses. The Museo del Risorgimento on the same floor looks at the history of Venice until unification with Italy in 1866.
Set in a quiet square just a stone’s throw from the busy ferry terminals, the church of San Zaccaria is a successful blend of Flamboyant Gothic and Classical Renaissance styles. Founded in the 9th century, it was rebuilt between 1444 and 1515. Antonio Gambello began the façade in Gothic style and, when he died in 1481, Mauro Coducci added all the Classical detail.
Every Easter the doge came to San Zaccaria – a custom that started as an expression of gratitude to the nuns, who had relinquished part of their garden so that Piazza San Marco could be enlarged.
The interior’s artistic highlight is Giovanni Bellini’s serene and sumptuously coloured Madonna and Child with Four Saints (1505) in the north aisle. A door off the right nave leads to the Chapel of St Athanasius, which in turn leads to the Chapel of San Tarasio. The chapel contains vault frescoes (1442) by Andrea del Castagno, and polyptychs (1443–4) by Antonio Vivarini and Giovanni d’Alemagna.
Designed by Mauro Coducci in 1492, this church is most unusual in having two main façades – one overlooks the campo, the other the canal. The bell tower or campanile, added in 1688, is noted for the grotesque face at its base.
Two paintings stand out in the interior: a triptych (1473) by Bartolomeo Vivarini and Palma il Vecchio’s St Barbara (c.1510).
t One of the stone lions guarding the entrance to Venice’s Arsenale
Known colloquially as San Zanipolo, Santi Giovanni e Paolo vies with the Frari as the city’s greatest Gothic church. Located in the Castello area, it is slightly off the tourist track, meaning it is often very quiet. Built by the Dominicans in the 14th century, the church is striking for its vast scale and architectural austerity. Known as the Pantheon of Venice, it houses monuments to no fewer than 25 doges. Among these are several fine works of art, executed by the Lombardi family and other leading sculptors.
On arrival, visitors enter through a doorway decorated with Byzantine reliefs and carvings by celebrated Italian sculptor Bartolomeo Bon. The doorway is thought to be one of Venice’s earliest Renaissance architectural works. The commanding bronze statue at the opposite end of the church is a monument to Doge Sebastiano Venier, who was Commander of the Fleet at Lepanto. A few steps away lies the tomb of Andrea Vendramin. Created by Pietro Lombardo in 1476–8, it takes the form of a Roman triumphal arch.
Highlights of the church include the Baroque high altar and the 16th-century frescoes attributed to Palma il Giovane. The tomb of Nicolò Marcello, a Renaissance tribute to Doge Nicolò Marcello by Pietro Lombardo, is another must-see masterpiece. Giovanni Bellini created the church’s polyptych (1465), which shows St Vincent Ferrer, a Spanish cleric, flanked by St Sebastian and St Christopher. Nearby lies the tomb of Pietro Mocenigo, which commemorates the doge’s military pursuits when he was Grand Captain of the Venetian forces.
Further up on the right of the church is the grand Cappella di San Domenico, containing St Catherine of Siena’s foot in a precious reliquary. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta frescoed the ceiling of this chapel. His Glory of St Dominic displays a mastery of colour, perspective and foreshortening that is said to have had a profound influence on the young Tiepolo.
hidden gem
For a local experience, book tickets to a Venice FC match, held from January to May at Stadio Pierluigi Penzo. Tickets are available from the club’s website (www.veneziafc.club).
Bartolomeo Colleoni, the famous commander of mercenaries, left his fortune to the Republic on condition that his statue was placed in front of San Marco. A prominent statue in the piazza would have broken with precedent, so the Senate cunningly had Colleoni raised before the Scuola di San Marco instead of the basilica. A touchstone of early Renaissance sculpture, the equestrian statue of the proud warrior (1481–8) is by the Florentine Andrea Verrocchio, but was cast in bronze after his death by Alessandro Leopardi. The statue has a strong sense of power and movement.
t Carpaccio’s Calling of St Matthew, Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni
This small gem houses some of Vittore Carpaccio’s finest paintings, commissioned by the Schiavoni (or Dalmatian Slav) community in Venice.
The Scuola was established in 1451 and rebuilt in 1551. It has changed very little since. The exquisite frieze, executed between 1502 and 1508, shows scenes from the lives of patron saints St George, St Tryphone and St Jerome. Each episode of the narrative cycle is remarkable for its vivid colouring, minute detail and historic record of Venetian life. Outstanding among them are St George Slaying the Dragon and St Jerome Leading the Tamed Lion to the Monastery.
t Imposing towers and wooden bridge at the Arsenale
The Arsenale was founded in the 12th century. By the 16th century it had become the greatest naval shipyard in the world, capable of constructing a whole galley in 24 hours, using an assembly-line system. Surrounded by crenellated walls, it was like a city within a city. Today the site is used as an exhibition space by the Biennale. Its impressive 15th-century gateway, twin towers and guardian lions can be viewed from the campo or bridge outside. The gateway was built by Antonio Gambello and is often cited as Venice’s first Renaissance construction.
Around the corner, in Campo San Biago, the Museo Storico Navale charts Venetian naval history from the heyday of the Arsenale to the present. Exhibits include friezes from famous galleys of the past and a replica of the Bucintoro, the doge’s ceremonial barge.
" ⌂ Campo San Biagio # 8:45am–4:30pm daily ¢ public hols ∑ visitmuve.it
t Santa Maria Assunta in Torcello
Established between the 5th and 6th centuries, Torcello was once a thriving colony with palaces, churches and a population that is said to have reached 20,000. But with the rise of Venice, the island went into decline. Today, the population is just 60, and all that remains of this once-bustling island are the Byzantine cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the church of Santa Fosca and the memory of its former glory.
Founded in 639 but radically restructured in 1008, Santa Maria Assunta retains its Romanesque form and arcaded 9th-century portico. The cathedral’s campanile offers spectacular views. Inside, are breathtaking 12th- and 13th-century Doomsday Mosaics, which depict scenes of devils, angels, wild beasts and fires. The iconostasis is made up of exquisite marble panels showing peacocks drinking from the fountain of eternal life.
Alongside the cathedral is Santa Fosca, an elegant church based on a Greek cross design, encircled by a five-sided portico with columns and carved capitals.
The Museo dell’Estuario, in adjoining Gothic buildings, houses archaeological finds from the island and priceless treasures from the church.
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Daphne du Maurier came up with the plot for Don’t Look Now during a visit to Torcello.
In the days of the Republic, the island of Giudecca was a pleasure ground of palaces and gardens. Today it is very much a suburb of the city, its narrow alleys flanked by apartments, its squares overgrown and its palazzi neglected. Many of its old factories have been converted into modern housing. However, the long, wide quayside skirting the city side of the island makes a very pleasant promenade and provides stunning views of Venice across the water. The name Giudecca, once thought to have referred to the Jews, or giudei, who lived here in the 13th century, is more likely to have originated from the word giudicati, meaning “the judged”. This referred to troublesome aristocrats who, as early as the 9th century, were banished to the island.
Hotel Cipriani, among the most luxurious places to stay in Venice, is discreetly located at the tip of the island. At the western end of Giudecca looms the massive Neo-Gothic Molino Stucky, a former flour mill that is now home to Venice’s Hilton hotel.
Giudecca’s main monument is Palladio’s church of Il Redentore (The Redeemer). It was built in 1577–92 in thanksgiving for the end of the 1576 plague, which wiped out a third of the city’s population. The Classical interior of the church presents a marked contrast to the ornate and elaborate style of most Venetian churches. The main paintings, by Paolo Veronese and Alvise Vivarini, are in the sacristy to the right of the choir.
" ⌂ Campo Redentore 4 Redentore # 10am–4:30pm Mon–Sat ¢ 1 Jan, 25 Dec ∑ chorusvenezia.org
t Palladio’s church of San Giorgio Maggiore, on the island of the same name
Appearing like a stage set across the water from the Piazzetta is the little island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The church and monastery, built between 1566 and 1610, are among architect Andrea Palladio’s greatest achievements. The church’s temple front and the spacious interior, with its perfect proportions, are typically Palladian.
On the chancel walls of San Giorgio Maggiore are two fine paintings by Tintoretto: The Last Supper and Gathering of the Manna (both 1594). In the Chapel of the Dead is his last work, The Deposition (1592–4), which was finished by his son Domenico.
The top of the campanile affords superb views of the city and lagoon. You can see the monastery cloisters below, now part of the Fondazione Cini, a cultural centre that hosts international exhibitions and events.
" ' # 10am–4pm Sat & Sun (Apr–Sep: to 5pm) ∑ cini.it
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drink Skyline Rooftop Bar Skyline has a decidedly Miami vibe – think plush couches, white stools and, come nightfall, moody purple lighting. The views over Venice are the bar’s main draw, but the cocktails aren’t bad either. C4 ⌂ Molino Stucky, Via Giudecca 810 ∑ hilton.com Harry’s Dolci Part of the esteemed Cipriani chain, which first opened Harry’s Bar in Venice in 1931. Expect white tablecloths, waiters in bow ties, panama hat-clad guests and Bellinis served on the quayside terrace. C5 ⌂ Fondamenta S Biagio 773 ∑ cipriani.com |
t Glass baubles in one of Murano's factories
Much like Venice, Murano comprises a cluster of small islands connected by bridges. It has been the centre of the glassmaking industry since 1291, when the furnaces and glass craftsmen were moved here from the city, prompted by the risk of fire to the buildings and the unpleasant effects of the smoke.
Historically, Murano owes its prosperity entirely to glass. In the 15th and 16th centuries it was Europe’s principal glass-producing centre. Murano’s glass artisans were granted unprecedented privileges, but for those who left the island to find businesses elsewhere there were severe penalties – even death. Although a few of Murano’s palazzi bear the hallmarks of its former splendour, and its basilica still survives, most tourists visit for the glass alone. Some are enticed by offers of free trips from factory touts in San Marco; others go by excursion launch or independently on the public vaporetti.
Some of the factories are now derelict, but glass is still produced in vast quantities. Among the plethora of kitsch (including imports from the Far East) are some wonderful pieces, and it pays to seek out the top glass factories. Many furnaces, however, close at the weekend.
" = ⌂ Palazzo Giustinian, Fondamenta Giustinian # 10am–6pm daily (Nov–Mar: to 5pm) ¢ 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec ∑ museovetro.visitmuve.it
This glass museum houses a splendid collection of antique pieces. Its prize exhibit is the Barovier wedding cup (1470–80), with enamelwork by Angelo Barovier. There is also a section on modern glass.
⌂ Fondamenta Giustinian § 041 73 90 56 # 9am–noon & 3:30–7pm daily (Nov–Mar: to 6pm) ¢ Sun am
The undisputed architectural highlight of the island of Murano is the Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato, whose magnificent colonnaded apse is reflected in the waters of the San Donato canal. Despite some heavy-handed restoration undertaken in the 19th century, this 12th-century church still retains much of its original beauty. Visitors should note the Veneto-Byzantine columns and Gothic ship’s keel roof. An enchantingly evocative mosaic portrait of the Madonna, portrayed stand-ing alone against a gold background, decorates the apse. The church’s floor, or pavimento, dating from 1140, is equally beautiful. With its medieval mosaics of geometric figures, exotic birds, mythical creatures and inexplicable symbols, it incorporates fragments of ancient glass from the island’s foundries into its imagery.
Experience Venice
A main attraction of a trip to Murano is a demonstration of the glass-blowing technique. Visitors can watch while a glass-blower takes a blob of molten paste on the end of an iron rod and, by twisting, turning and blowing, transforms it into a vase, bird, lion, wine goblet or similar work of art. The display is followed by a tour of the showroom and some pressure from the salespeople. There is no obligation to buy, however.
t Colourful fishermen’s houses lining the waterways of Burano
Its canals fringed with brightly painted houses, Burano is the most colourful of the lagoon islands and can be recognized from a distance by the tilting tower of its church.
The main thoroughfare, Via Baldassare Galuppi, features traditional lace and linen stalls, plus open-air trattorias serving fresh fish.
" ⌂ Piazza Baldassare Galuppi 187 # 10am–6pm Tue–Sun (Nov–Mar: to 5pm) ¢ 1 Jan, 25 Dec ∑ visitmuve.it
The people of Burano are fishermen and lacemakers by tradition. You can still see fishermen scraping their boats or mending nets, but today lacemakers are rare. In the 16th century, the local lace was the most sought after in Europe. After a slump in the 18th century, the industry revived and a lacemaking school was set up here in 1872. You can watch authentic Burano lace being made at the school, now a museum, which displays fine examples of antique lace.
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shop Here are the best places to buy Murano glassware. Davide Penso Watch a master craftsman create (affordable) necklaces and earrings by shaping portions of coloured glass over a flame. F1 ⌂ Fondamenta Riva Longa 48, Murano ∑ davidepenso.com L’ISOLA – The Carlo Moretti Showroom Founded by brothers Carlo and Giovanni, this glass factory creates exquisite homewares in vibrant patterns and colours. D3 ⌂ Calle de le Botteghe 2970, Venice ∑ lisola.com Marina e Susanna Sent The Sent sisters create glass jewellery and sculptures using traditional techniques passed down through their glassmaking family for generations. F1 ⌂ Fondamenta Serenella 20, Murano ∑ marinaesusannasent.com |