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Top Attractions | Worth Noting

Beckoning travelers across Saint Mark’s Basin, sparkling white through the mist, is the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, separated by a small channel from the Giudecca. A tall brick campanile on that distant bank nicely complements the Campanile of San Marco. Beneath it looms the stately dome of one of Venice’s greatest churches, San Giorgio Maggiore, the creation of Andrea Palladio. To the west, on the Giudecca, is Palladio’s other masterpiece, the Church of the Santissimo Redentore.

You can reach San Giorgio Maggiore via vaporetto Line 2 from San Zaccaria. The next three stops on the line take you to the Giudecca. The island’s past may be shrouded in mystery, but despite recent gentrification by artists and well-to-do bohemians, it’s still down to earth and one of the city’s few remaining neighborhoods that feels truly Venetian.

Timing

A half day should be plenty of time to visit the area. Allow about a half hour to see each of the churches and an hour or two to look around the Giudecca.

Top Attractions

Fodor’s Choice | San Giorgio Maggiore.
There’s been a church on this island since the 8th century, with a Benedictine monastery added in the 10th century. Today’s refreshingly airy and simply decorated church of brick and white marble was begun in 1566 by Palladio and displays his architectural hallmarks of mathematical harmony and classical influence. The Last Supper and the Gathering of Manna, two of Tintoretto’s later works, line the chancel. To the right of the entrance hangs The Adoration of the Shepherds by Jacopo Bassano (1517–92); his affection for his home in the foothills, Bassano del Grappa, is evident in the bucolic subjects and terra-firma colors he chooses. The monks are happy to show Carpaccio’s St. George and the Dragon, hanging in a private room, if they have time. The campanile dates from 1791, the previous structures having collapsed twice.

Adjacent to the church is the complex now housing the Cini Foundation, containing a very beautiful cloister designed by Palladio in 1560, his refectory, and a library designed by Longhena. Guided tours are given on weekends (10–4), reservations not required. | Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore | 30133 | 041/5227827 | Church free, campanile €3 | Daily 9–12:30 and 2:30–6; Sunday 2-6:30 | Station: Vaporetto: San Giorgio.

Santissimo Redentore.
After a plague in 1576 claimed some 50,000 people—nearly one-third of the city’s population (including Titian)—Andrea Palladio was asked to design a commemorative church. Giudecca’s Capucin friars offered land and their services, provided the building was in keeping with the simplicity of their hermitage. Consecrated in 1592, after Palladio’s death, the Redentore (considered Palladio’s supreme achievement in ecclesiastical design) is dominated by a dome and a pair of slim, almost minaret-like bell towers. Its deceptively simple, stately facade leads to a bright, airy interior. There aren’t any paintings or sculptures of note, but the harmony and elegance of the interior make a visit worthwhile.

For hundreds of years, on the third weekend in July the doge would make a pilgrimage here to give thanks to the Redeemer for ending the 16th-century plague. The event has become the Festa del Redentore, a favorite Venetian festival featuring boats, fireworks, and outdoor feasting. It’s the one time of year you can walk to Giudecca—across a temporary pontoon bridge connecting Redentore with the Zattere. | Fondamenta San Giacomo | 30133 | 041/5231415, 041/2750462 Chorus Foundation | €3, Chorus Pass €10 | Mon.–Sat. 10–5, closed Sun. | Station: Vaporetto: Redentore.

Worth Noting

Giudecca.
The island’s name is something of a mystery. It may come from a possible 14th-century Jewish settlement, or because 9th-century nobles condemned to giudicato (exile) were sent here. It became a pleasure garden for wealthy Venetians during the Republic’s long and luxurious decline, but today it’s populated by a combination of working class Venetians and generally expatriate gentrifiers. The Giudecca provides spectacular views of Venice. Thanks to several bridges, you can walk the entire length of its promenade, relaxing at one of several restaurants or just taking in the atmosphere. Accommodations run the gamut from youth hostels to the city’s most exclusive hotels: the Cipriani (no longer associated with the Cipriani family), the Bauer Palladio, and the Hilton Molino Stucky, whose rooftop bar offers perhaps the most spectacular (and free) view of Venice. | Fondamenta San Giacomo, Giudecca | 30133 | Station: Vaporetto: Redentore, Palanca.

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