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Dina Essawy
Dina Essawy
Venice is one of the most fascinating cities in Italy, not only for its long history and beautiful buildings but also for its stunning scenery and unique excursions.
Venice is made up of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges.
The city’s name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who lived in the region during the 10th century BC. The city was also the capital of the Republic of Venice from 697 to 1797.
It played a significant role during the Middle Ages and Renaissance as a staging area for the Crusades and an essential centre of commerce—especially silk, grain, and spice—and art from the 13th century to the end of the 17th.
It became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866 following a referendum held after the Third Italian War of Independence.
Venice is renowned for the magnificent architecture of its buildings, and it remains a trendy tourist destination. It has been ranked as the most beautiful city in the world and one of Europe’s most romantic cities. People come from all over the world to walk around its winding streets and enchanting alleyways to explore the beautiful city.
So, if you plan on taking a trip to this majestic city any time soon, here’s a rundown of some sights and landmarks you cannot miss.
Table of Contents
Piazza San Marco in the Center of Venice
Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square) is the main public square of Venice. The eastern part of the square is dominated by the great church of St Mark (St Mark’s Basilica).
The Piazzetta San Giovanni XXIII is an open space on the north side of the church. The Clock Tower (Torre dell’Orologio) leads through shopping streets to Rialto, Venice’s commercial and financial centre.
To the left is the long arcade along the north side of the Piazza, lined with shops and restaurants at ground level. The restaurants include the famous Caffè Quadri.
Turning left at the end, the arcade continues along the west end of the Piazza, which was rebuilt by Napoleon about 1810 and is known as the Napoleonic Wing. Behind the shops, it holds a ceremonial staircase that was to have led to a royal palace but now forms the entrance to the Museo Correr (Correr Museum).
Basilica di San Marco
The Basilica of Saint Mark is the cathedral church in Venice and the most famous of the city’s churches for its Italo-Byzantine architecture. It lies within the Piazza San Marco.
The current building dates back to the late 11th century, but the original building was constructed around 828 to house Saint Mark’s relics, which had been smuggled out of Alexandria. The gold mosaics that covered the interior took centuries to complete. In addition, the Basilica’s opulent design symbolizes Venice’s wealth and power, which is why the building was also named Chiesa d’Oro (Church of Gold).
The Basilica now has over 4,000 square meters of mosaics.
Although the Basilica’s entrance is free, some parts of the temple, including the museum, the Treasury, and the Pala d’Oro, require an entrance ticket.
The Museo di San Marco allows visitors to observe the Basilica’s ceilings and mosaics up close and see the magnificent original sculptures of the Horses of St. Mark, among other notable artworks.
During the Fourth Crusade, the Venetians sacked Constantinople and brought a collection of gold and silver items, which are now housed within the Basilica’s Treasury.
Like the Vatican, we suggest wearing clothes that cover your shoulders and are knee-length to access St Mark’s Basilica; otherwise, you might not be allowed in. Moreover, you cannot enter the building with luggage. If you have a large backpack or suitcase, you can deposit it in the free lockers at Ateneo San Basso (Piazzetta dei Leoncini).
The Basilica is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except on Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Campanile di San Marco
The Campanile di San Marco is the bell tower of St. Mark’s Basilica. It is located in the Piazza San Marco, and it is the tallest building in Venice; standing 323 ft (98.6 m) tall, you can actually climb up to see a superb view of Venice and the Venetian Lagoon from the observation deck, as well as a beautiful scene of St Mark’s Basilica, Santa María della Salute, San Giorgio and if it is sunny, you can even see the neighbouring island of Murano.
The original tower was used as a lighthouse for the sailors. A golden statue at the top of the tower represents the archangel Gabriel. The tower includes five bells, each with a specific purpose during the Republic of Venice: the “Marangona” rang twice daily, once at the beginning of the worker’s day and once at the end. The “Malefico” rang with every execution. The “Nona” rang at midday. The “Trottiera” would summon the members of the Maggior Consiglio, and the “Mezza terza” would announce a Senate session.
Be careful that the tower is open at certain times of the year as follows:
From April to October, daily from 8:30 am until 9 pm.
November until March, daily from 9:30 am until 5:30 pm.
1st – 15th April: daily from 9 am until 5 pm.
Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge (Lover’s Bridge) is the oldest of the four bridges crossing the Grand Canal in Venice. It connects the districts of San Marco and San Polo. It was built in the 12th century as a wooden bridge, but it was constructed in stone in the 16th century. It has had many reconstructions since then. It is now, along with Piazza San Marco, a significant tourist attraction in the city.
Visiting the Rialto Bridge can be done at any hour to watch the Grand Canal in its entire splendour day and night. It’s hard to miss the way to the Rialto Bridge as almost every sign in Venice points the way towards it.
Rialto Market
Suppose you pass over the Rialto Bridge from the direction of Piazza San Marco. In that case, you will come across the Rialto Market, a colourful market packed with delicious fruit and vegetables and a fish market. The Rialto Market opens daily from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon on the Campo della Pescheria and throughout its surrounding streets.
Venice’s market has existed in precisely the same location since 1097.
Some essential products around Venice are glassware, such as beautiful Murano crafts you can buy as souvenirs, the famous Venice carnival masks, beads, Italian wine, exquisite fabrics and Venetian materials, silverwork, and high fashion brands.
The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is the primary water channel in Venice, where most of the city’s water traffic passes. One end of the canal leads into the lagoon near the Santa Lucia railway station, so you’re greeted with a magnificent view as soon as you exit the station when you arrive, and the other end leads into the basin at San Marco. It is 3.8 km long, and 30 to 90 m wide, with an average depth of 5 metres.
The banks of the Grand Canal are lined with more than 170 buildings, most of which date from the 13th to the 18th century. The churches along the canal include the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. Centuries-old traditions like the Historical Regatta, a central boating procession, are held annually along the Canal.
Most of the palaces emerge from water without pavement. So, you can only tour past the fronts of the buildings on the Grand Canal by boat. You can take the Vaporetto, the more affordable option, or the Gondola.
Gondola rides are pretty pricey, ranging up to about 80 euros for a half-hour ride through the Grand Canal and the narrower sub-canals, but they are an experience not to be missed.
Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Not to be confused with the one in Rome, the Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo is one of the largest churches in Venice; it is a minor basilica. The massive tower of the Basilica was designed in the Italian Gothic style and completed in the 1430s. It is dedicated to John and Paul, not the Biblical Apostles of the same names, but two obscure martyrs of the Early Christian church in Rome, whose names were recorded in the 4th century but whose legend is later.
Many notable artists, including Giovanni Bellini, Bartolomeo Bon, Lorenzo Gramiccia, Gregorio Lazzarini, Pietro Lombardo, Lorenzo Lotto, and many more, contributed to the design of artworks ornamenting the interior of the Basilica.
The Basilica is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
Venice Arsenal
The Venetian Arsenal is a complex of former shipyards and armouries in Venice. It is described as “one of the earliest large-scale industrial enterprises in history.”
It was built around 1104, during Venice’s republican era, and became Europe’s most significant industrial complex before the Industrial Revolution.
The Arsenal’s main gate, the Porta Magna, was built around 1460 and was one of the very first works of Venetian Renaissance architecture. It was perhaps built by Antonio Gambello from a design by Jacopo Bellini. Two lions taken from Greece situated beside it were added in 1687.
Large parts of the Arsenal were destroyed during the Napoleonic era and later rebuilt. It is also used as a research centre and an exhibition open every day except Sundays during the Venice Biennale.
The Venetian Arsenal was mentioned in Dante’s Inferno:
As in the Arsenal of the Venetians
Boils in winter, the tenacious pitch
To smear their unsound vessels over again
For sail, they cannot, and instead thereof
One makes his vessel new, and one recaulks
The ribs of that which many a voyage has made
One hammers at the prow, one at the stern
This one makes oars, and that one cordage twists
Another mends the mainsail and the mizzen…
Another prominent historical figure tied to the Venitian Arsenal is Galileo, who, in 1593, became a consultant to the Arsenal, advising military engineers and instrument makers and helping to solve shipbuilders’ problems.
The area emphasizes Venice’s long history as a centre of commerce and conquest.
The Arsenal is open Monday through Saturday from 8:45 AM to 1:00 PM, so you’d better get there early.
San Polo
San Polo is the smallest and oldest of the six districts of Venice, Italy, along the Grand Canal. People settled there before the ninth century, and it was named for the Church of San Polo.
The district has been the location of Venice’s primary market since 1097, and it has also been connected to the eastern bank of the Grande Canal by the Rialto Bridge since the thirteenth century. Attractions in San Polo include the Rialto Bridge, the Church of San Giacomo di Rialto, the Church of San Polo, the House of Goldoni, the Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the Church of San Rocco and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
San Giacomo di Rialto
San Giacomo di Rialto is a church in the district of San Polo, Venice. It is one of the few surviving examples of Gothic architecture in Venice.
In 1503, it survived a fire that destroyed the rest of the area, and it was restored in 1601 by order of Doge Marino Grimani.
The church is open daily except Sundays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Gallerie dell’Accademia
The Gallerie dell’Accademia is a museum gallery of pre-19th-century art in Venice on the south bank of the Grand Canal.
The Gallerie dell’Accademia contains masterpieces of Venetian paintings up to the 18th century for artists, including Antonello da Messina, Lazzaro Bastiani, Gentile and Giovanni Bellini, Bernardo Bellotto, Giulio Carpioni, Domenico Fetti, Pietro Gaspari, Michele Giambono, Luca Giordano, Francesco Guardi, Charles Le Brun, Leonardo da Vinci, Pietro Longhi, and Lorenzo Lotto.
The collection includes Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of the Vitruvian Man, which is rarely displayed as it is fragile and light-sensitive. The work is on loan to the Louvre in Paris from 24 October 2019 to 24 February 2020.
Opening times are Mondays from 8:15 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 a.m. until 7:15 p.m. It is closed on 1 January, 1 May, and 25 December.
Ca’ d’Oro
Ca’ d’Oro (House of Gold) is one of the most spectacular palaces on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice. It was built in the mid-fifteenth century and has a breathtaking façade with remarkable external decorations.
The palazzo is a mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles. It was called the House of Gold because its outer walls were once covered in gold leaf. Although the gold leaf has faded, the building’s marble still glistens in the sunlight.
The Ca’ d’Oro houses an art museum with an impressive art collection from all over the world.
The gallery is open at the following times:
Monday to Saturday: 8:15 am to 7 pm (Monday until 2 pm)
Sundays and public holidays: 9 am to 7 pm.
Closed 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute
The Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute is one of the best-known in Venice. It is strategically located near the entrance to the Grand Canal, and its dome is visible from all over the city. Its fame comes from the fact that it was constructed to celebrate the end of the plague in 1631.
It is also considered one of Venice’s most important religious buildings. Its striking dome is depicted in most of the city’s postcards. It is most commonly known as Salute (health in Italian).
The architect Baldassare Longhena was commissioned to design the church, which took 56 years to build and was completed in 1687.
Although the church’s decoration may seem quite plain compared to other more impressive churches around the city, there are several striking paintings by Titian and Tintoretto.
Every 21 November, the Venetians celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin (Festa della Madonna della Salute). It is one of the most popular festivals in Venice. It involves crossing an improvised bridge over the Grand Canal to the Salute Basilica in recognition of freeing Venice from the plague.
The Basilica’s entrance is free of charge, and it is open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Museo Correr in Venice
The Museo Correr is the most famous museum in Venice. It houses objects and works of art that reflect Venetian culture, history, and art from its foundation until the unification of Italy in the nineteenth century. It contains a collection of paintings, sculptures, antiques, navigation instruments, and many other exciting items.
The entrance ticket to the Museo Correr is also valid for the National Archaeological Museum of Venezia and the Marciana National Library. The three museums are connected and can be visited one after the other.
The National Archaeological Museum features many marble, bronze and raw materials sculptures.
The Marciana National Library has two halls open to the general public. The main hall is decorated by Veronese, Titian, and Tintoretto.
The museums are open from 1 November to 31 March from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm and from 1 April – to 31 October from 8:30 am until 7 pm.
Palazzo Ducale (The Doge’s Palace)
The Doge’s Palace is one of Venice’s symbols. Over the years, it has had multiple uses, such as the Doge’s residence or the Venetian Republic’s prison.
The Palazzo Ducale, in Piazza San Marco, was originally a fortified castle founded between the 10th and 11th centuries. The palace’s structure combines architectural styles, including Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance. The interior of the building includes paintings by renowned Italian artists, such as Titian, Tintoretto and Bellini.
You will see the impressive golden staircase leading to the second floor, Scala d’Oro. Inside, you can visit the Doge’s Apartments, the courtyard, the Institutional Chambers, the armoury and the prisons.
The Doge’s Apartments are beautifully decorated with works of art by Veronese, Titian and Tintoretto that depict the city’s history.
After that, you can walk to the Maggior Consiglio hall, where over 1,000 people would go to vote. This hall contains the world’s largest painting, “Paradise” by Tintoretto. The armoury comprises a vast collection of weapons from different historical periods. The visit concludes with the dungeons, where you can see the prison cells.
Giacomo Casanova, the famous lover of Venice, was the only man to escape the Doge’s Palace prison by climbing onto the palace roof in 1756.
The palace is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (from April to October until 7 p.m.).
The ticket price is €20.
Bridge of Sighs
You can cross the famous Bridge of Sighs while visiting the Doge’s Palace. The bridge was built in the baroque style during the 17th century to give access to the prisons of the Palazzo. The melancholic name comes from when the men condemned to death would cross the Bridge and see the Lagoon for the last time.
It was built in 1600 and was designed by Antonio Contino, whose uncle, Antonio da Ponte, designed the Rialto Bridge.
Castello District in Venice
The Castello area is named after the castle built there in the Roman era. Venetian Arsenale takes up half of the neighbourhood.
Castello is the largest of Venice’s six districts. It is divided into various areas, including the touristy San Marco and the Doge’s Palace. It is also home to the Venetian Arsenale.
The rest of the neighbourhood is authentic, home to various landmarks, including the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, the city’s largest temple, and the Naval Historical Museum.
Lido di Venezia
Suppose you’re lucky enough to visit Venice in the summer. In that case, you can’t pass up the opportunity to see the Lido di Venezia, an 11-kilometre-long island where crusaders, on their way to the Holy Land, once set up camp on the same beaches we see today. In the 19th century, the island slowly became popular with the elite crowd of rich and famous writers, film stars, and even royals.
It is also the location of the Venice International Film Festival, which takes place in late August/early September. The first festival, held in 1932, was attended by prominent figures such as Prince Umberto di Savoia, the wife of the Prince of Wales, Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, and film stars Greta Garbo and Clark Gable.
The Lido di Venezia has a long stretch of sandy beach and provides a great break from all the sightseeing in Venice.
The beach is only a few minutes from Venice’s historic centre, which makes it popular as a summer resort for tourists.
Hotels on the island tend to be cheaper than hotels in Venice’s city centre or mainland, and the atmosphere on the island is more relaxed than the city’s overcrowded streets.
Teatro La Fenice
One of the most famous opera houses in the world, the Teatro La Fenice, burned down three times before it was rebuilt for the last time in 2004. Designed by Italian architect Giannantonio Selva, the La Fenice Opera House was first founded in 1792. Throughout the 19th century, the theatre hosted the world premieres of numerous operas by renowned artists, such as Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi.
The theatre’s name (The Phoenix) pays homage to its ability to rise from the ashes. Its interior is stunning, with detailed ornamentation and intricate motifs. Watching a performance at La Fenice is an experience worth checking out when in Venice.
The ticket allows you to access the foyer, the Apollo rooms and the parterre. You’ll have a great view of the stage and the entire theatre from the Royal Box. You may also request an audioguide, which gives you a lot of information about the history of the building, its restoration, and the architects who helped build it and recreate it after its destruction more than once. You also get to learn about the operas and composers that took part in shaping its artistic history. The audio guide is available in 7 languages: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian.
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
The Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (more commonly known as Frari) is one of Venice’s most important religious buildings. It is located in the Campo dei Frari. The church is built in Gothic architecture and has a stunning interior home to some beautiful pieces of art, including Titian’s Pesaro Madonna.
Completed in 1338, Frari’s ornate tombs, gorgeous paintings, and elegant statues make it well worth a visit.
San Giorgio Maggiore
San Giorgio Maggiore is one of the islands of Venice, and its Palladian church is an essential landmark of the city. Located across the lagoon from St. Mark’s Square, the church on the island was designed by the great Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and built between 1566 and 1610. Its façade is made of white marble.
Visitors can ride an elevator to the top of the church’s bell tower, where they can enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Venice.
San Giorgio Maggiore Church’s beauty even inspired renowned novelists such as EM Forrester, who mentions it in the chapter “On Beauty” of his novel A Passage to India, where the novel’s hero Cyril Fielding compares the lack of equilibrium in Indian buildings with the perfection of Italian architecture:
“and then came Venice. As he landed on the Piazzetta, a cup of beauty was lifted to his lips, and he drank with a sense of disloyalty. The buildings of Venice, like the mountains of Crete and the fields of Egypt, stood in the right place, whereas in poor India, everything was wrong. He had forgotten the beauty of form among idol temples and lumpy hills; how can there be beauty without form? Form stammered here and there in a mosque, became rigid through nervousness even, but oh, these Italian churches! San Giorgio was standing on the island, which could scarcely have risen from the waves without it. The salute was holding the canal entrance, which, but for it, would not be the Grand Canal!”
World-renowned artist and painter Claude Monet visited the city in 1908 and painted a series of paintings of the island monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore. One of the best-known is San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk.
The San Giorgio Maggiore island is now the Cini Foundation Arts Centre and Library headquarters and the Teatro Verde open-air theatre.
Entrance to the church is free during the following times: April – October: daily from 9 am until 7 pm; November – March: daily from 8:30 am until 6 pm.
Ca’ Rezzonico
Ca’ Rezzonico is a palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venice. It is a fantastic example of 18th-century Venetian baroque and rococo architecture and interior decoration, with artworks by Francesco Guardi and Giambattista Tiepolo.
Interestingly, it was also used as a setting for the 2005 film “Casanova” starring Heath Ledger. The palace’s Grand Ballroom hosted numerous parties for more than 200 years. English poet Robert Browning was one of the last to call it home. Today, it is open to the public.
Walking through its halls is similar to walking through the history of Venice through the ages.
It is open from 1 November to 31 March from 10 am to 5 pm and from 1 April to 31 October from 10 am to 6 pm. It closes on Tuesdays and on 1 January, 1 May, and 25 December.
Ticket prices are €10.
Murano
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon. It lies about 1.5 kilometres north of Venice. If you’ve ever talked to anyone who’s been to Venice, you must have heard about their trip to the twin islands of Burano and Murano. A trip to Venice wouldn’t be complete without hopping on a Vaporetto for a ride across the lagoon to Murano, home of Venice’s glass workers. They were sent here in the 13th century hoping to decrease the fire risk from one of the glass furnaces sweeping through Venice’s centre. It was decreed by the Council of Ten decreed in 1454: “If a glass-blower takes his skill to another country to the detriment of the Republic, he shall be ordered to return; should be refuse, his nearest relatives shall be thrown into prison so that his sense of family duty may induce him to return; should he persist in his disobedience secret measures shall be taken to eliminate him wherever he may be.”
While the mainland in Venice is lined with shops selling Murano trinkets, the artwork can be found on the island where it is made. Inside the 17th-century Palazzo Giustinian is the Glass Museum, one of the largest collections of Venetian glass from the Romans to the 20th century.
So, enjoy your time and walk around the island to buy some of the best glass souvenirs in the world!
Burano
Burano in the Venetian Lagoon near Torcello is another grand island that should not be missed. This island is known for its lace work and brightly coloured homes. It is just a 40-minute Vaporetto ride from Venice’s mainland, and you can easily walk around it in one day to enjoy the sites and the cosy shops.
Interestingly, the colours of the houses on Burano Island are not just decided haphazardly. If someone wants to paint their home, they have to send a request to the government, which will notify them of the specific colours permitted for that lot.
The notable attractions on the island that you won’t want to miss are the Church of San Martino, the Oratorio di Santa Barbara and the Museum and School of Lacemaking.
Although lacemaking is the central craftsmanship in Burano, they also specialize in “lume glass working”. You can also find some Murano glasswork here.
If you are looking for a place to eat, Burano is famous for its fish dishes. However, if your time is short, there are several pizzerias, or you can opt for a delicious ice cream or a famous Burano cookie from a pastry shop at Piazza Galuppi.
Hotel Locanda Canal
One of the oldest parts of Venice, Burano is the island where renowned author Ernest Hemingway lived in 1948 to write Across the River and Into the Trees. The book was written at the Hotel Locanda Canal, still owned by the same Cipriani family. If you find this five-star hotel a bit much, you can at least stay long enough to order one of the famous Bellini cocktails. Giuseppe Cipriani invented them in the 1930s, and Hemingway was known to love them.
Torcello Island
Venice began on the island of Torcello, founded in the 7th century. By the 12th century, it was a flourishing commercial town. It was home to many historical landmarks, including palaces, churches, shipyards, and docks, but only two churches and a few houses remain today. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is the best example of Venetian-Byzantine architecture. It was built in the 7th century but reconstructed in the 9th and 11th centuries.
Another noteworthy sight for tourists is an ancient stone chair known as Attila’s Throne. It has, however, nothing to do with the king of the Huns but may have been the podestà’s or the bishop’s chair or the seat where chief magistrates were inaugurated. Torcello is also home to a Devil’s Bridge, the Ponte del Diavolo or the Ponticello del Diavolo (devil’s little bridge).
Ernest Hemingway spent some time on the island, and it inspired Daphne du Maurier’s short story, Don’t Look Now.
Café Florian
Caffé Florian is one of the most well-known cafes in San Mark’s Square in Venice. It has been there since 1720. Although quite pricey, it still offers a great view of the square as you sip on your hot drink and enjoy rest after a long day of sightseeing.
They also have a live orchestra, but you’ll be charged an additional €6 per person to sit out front. You can sit at the bar inside to avoid the surcharge.
Carnavale Festival
One of the most well-known festivals worldwide, the Carnavale is renowned for its extravagant costumes and opulent masks, sold year-round around Venice.
It is celebrated during the two weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday. You’ll find people in costumes around the streets and boat parades, street fairs, and formal balls, and the atmosphere in the city is quite festive. The festival is centred around Piazza San Marco, but there are events in every district around Venice. Carnevale dates vary from year to year, depending on the timing of Easter, so be sure to do your research if you’re planning your vacation around that time.
Venice is a one-of-a-kind experience that must be visited once in a lifetime, at the very least. We’ve tried to list as many sites that make Venice what it is as possible, but we are sure many more can be included. Have you ever been to Venice? Did you visit somewhere that is not on this list? Let us know where! And if you did go somewhere we’ve mentioned, let us know if you enjoyed it!
