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The Grand Canal
- Venice's main waterway splits the city in half with sestieri in equal parts to the west and east of it. It is the hub around which much activity in Venice is concentrated and is encircled with elegant facades of the palazzi, which testify to the city's past opulence. The best way to explore the splendour of these Renaissance buildings is on board a vaporetta. Pedestrian access across the canal is only provided along three bridges situated at the station, Rialto and Academia. Gondolas cross the canal at regular intervals and provide a romantic interlude to the sightseeing itinerary.
St Mark's Square, Venice
- St Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) has always been the heart of Venice. The first citadel and church were erected on its foundations, the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica di San Marco respectively. The Basilica's most precious relic is the Pala d'Or, a Venetian-Byzantine gold relief adorned with precious gems. Travellers and pigeons flock to the Piazza with equal zeal. Designer shops line the streets that radiate from the square. There are worthwhile places of interest to explore beyond the square that include the Museo Correr, the Archaeological Museum and the Museo del Risorgimento, which are housed within the Procuratie Nuova.
Rialto Bridge, Venice © Italian Tourist BoardRialto
- The Rialto has long been the commercial core of Venice and is famed as the place where the first bridge over the Grand Canal was built. The original wooden bridge collapsed under the strain of the crowds gathered here to admire a wedding procession. It was replaced by the sturdier single stone arch design of Antonio da Ponte, built in 1588. Today the area is still a bustling fruit and vegetable market, and is additionally swamped with tourists.
Madonna of Case Pesaro, Basilica dei Frari Basilica dei Frari
- This great Gothic Franciscan church was constructed in the 14th century and is primarily known as the burial place of Titian and the Venetian sculptor, Antonio Canova. Titian’s tomb in the south aisle watches over large marble pyramid created for Canova. The interior of the church is adorned with the works of famous artists. These include Donatello’s St John the Baptist, Giovanni Bellini’s triptych of the Madonna and Saints, Titian’s famous Assumption of the Virgin and his Madonna of Case Pesaro.
- Address: San Polo 3003
- Opening time: Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm, and Sunday 1pm to 6pm. Closed to visitors during services
- Admission: €2.50
Academia
- The Gallerie dell'Academia houses one of Europe's finest art collections. Its display follows the progression of Venetian art from the 14th to 18th centuries. Notable works in the gallery include Paolo Veneziano's Coronation of Mary, Carpaccio's Crucifixion and Apotheosis, Giovanni Bellini's Madonna with Child between Saints Catherine and Mary Magdalen, Giorgione's Tempest, Lorenzo Lotto's Portrait of a Young Gentleman in His Studio, Paolo Veronese's Feast in the House of Levi, and Tintoretto's Theft of St Mark's Body and Crucifixion.
- Address: Dorsoduro 1055
- Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday 8.15am to 7.15pm, Monday 8.15am to 2pm
- Admission: €6.50
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
- The Guggenheim collection is housed in the former Palazzo of the wealthy American heiress and has become one of the most illustrious collections of Modern Art in Italy. It spans the artistic movements of Cubism, European Abstraction and Surrealism with notable works by Brancusi, Marino Marini, Kandinsky, Picasso, Magritte, Rothko, Max Ernst, Dali and Jackson Pollock. Peggy Guggenheim built up her collection between 1938 and 1947 and bought the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in 1948 where she lived until her death in 1979.
- Address: Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, 701 Dorsoduro
- Transport: Ferry boat to Academia stop
- Opening time: Daily except Tuesdays 10am to 6pm
- Admission: €10; concessions available
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