Around Castello
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Around Castello
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| If
Venice is shaped like a fish then Castello is its tail. But Castello's
similarities with a caudal fin end there. Rather than being the rear
appendage
of the city, at the peak of La Serenissima's power, Castello was her
heart and soul. The Castellani, as
the
inhabitants of Castello are called, were the force behind
the impressive machinery of the Venetian Arsenal. Centuries before
Henry Ford, the assembly line was already in used at the Venetian
Arsenal
where, to the astonishment of kings and princes, a galley could be
built
from start to finish in less than a day. Today the Arsenal is an empty
shell but Castello's ties to the water continue unbroken. Castello
offers the first glimpse of Venice to all those who approach her from
the sea.
Curiously, Castello is the only sestiere in Venice that is not touched
by the Grand Canal; the closest it comes to it is from Rio del Fontego
dei
Tedeschi by Ponte de l'Olio (near the Rialto Bridge). But what Castello
lacks in splendor it
makes up in character. Some of the most beautiful Carpaccios and
Bellinis have their permanent residence in Castello. Vivaldi called
Castello home. |
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| Because
of its size, I've divided Castello into six smaller sections, each
one encompassing several attractive areas. San Zaccaria is the section closest
to Piazza San Marco. The church of San Zaccaria houses what I consider
the most beautiful painting by Giovanni Bellini. San Giovanni in Bragora is the
parish church where Vivaldi was baptized, close to the Scuola di San
Giorgio degli Schiavoni, where some of the best Carpaccios can be
admired. In the area of Santa
Maria
Formosa I have also included the church of San Lio and
vicinity. Santi Giovanni e Paolo
(San
Zanipolo) is at the northern edge of Castello, no too far from Santa
Maria Formosa. The Arsenale
is close to the Naval
Museum and the church of San Martino. The Giardini Publici, where the
pavilions of the Venice Biennale are located is the easternmost end of
Castello. I included in this area the church of San Pietro, the former
cathedral of Venice, and the modern and lovely district of Sant'Elena. |
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| Map of Venice |
| San Zaccaria We start our walk behind the Basilica di San Marco at the Ponte de la Canonica. To get there, exit the Piazza by its northeastern corner, Calle de la Canonica. From Ponte de la Canonica you can see a different view of the emblematic Bridge of Sighs (Arco dei Sospiri) that connects the Palazzo Ducale with the old prisons. Legend has it that the convicts after being sentenced in the Palazzo Ducale sighed upon seeing Venice from the bridge's windows on their way to their cells. However, this is likely a fabrication that we owe to Lord Byron. Once you cross the bridge you are in Castello; to your right is the Convent of Sant' Apollonia, a jewel from the 12th-13th century and one of the few examples of Romanesque architecture remaining in Venice. The cloister is an oasis of tranquility in the middle of one of the most crowded areas of Venice, and is open to the public. |
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Take Ruga Giuffa Sant'Apolonia; to your left is Pasticceria Canonica (Castello 4323) where you can get one of their scrumptious creations. There is no better way to start a walk than munching on some delicious Venetian pastries. The triangular campo where the bakery is located is Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo, one of my favorites not only because of its character but also because of its excellent food. I made it a tradition that upon my arrival in Venice, my first meal is always in Trattoria Aciugheta (Castello 4357). Even though Aciugheta offers a menu turistico, which might make it look like a typical tourist trap, it is the real deal. The assortment of Venetian dishes such as sarde in saor (sardines in vinegar sauce), seppie in umido (cuttlefish in its ink) and pennette all'aciugheta (penne pasta with anchovy sauce) is superb and the service very friendly. In summertime you can enjoy your dinner al fresco on the campo watching people walk by and in cold winter nights in its cozy interior in the company of locals. If you were to travel in time to the year 1720, chances are that on the same spot where you are having dinner you would meet Vivaldi coming out of his house at number 4358. Part of the charm of this corner of Venice is that Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo is like an intimate theater. On one side are the cafes with their outdoor tables and the kiosks full of knickknacks and on the other, busy locals and relaxed tourists marching to and from San Marco, all enclosed in a small area. Before you leave the campo, visit Corte del Rosario at the end of the sotoportego across from Aciugheta. There you will see, perched up on the wall, a not so menacing beast half serpent and half dragon; both sides are joined by a double ring symbolizing two antagonistic but complementary cosmic powers. It dates from the 14th century. |
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As you leave the campo by Salizzada San Provolo, to your left is one of the oldest pharmacies in Venice, Al Lupo Coronato (The Crowned Wolf), dating from 1554, to your right and next to the bridge is Trattoria Alla Rivetta da Lino. As you climb the bridge, you'd have to be made out of stone not to be tempted by the colorful ciccheti (appetizers) displayed by the window. Alla Rivetta offers a selection of typical Venetian fare including an out-of-this-world polenta with seppie (cuttlefish). It is very popular with tourists and locals and is almost always packed. You may have to wait before you get served and you may be asked to share a table. If space is tight, the atmosphere is always cheerful. |
| Cut across Campo San Provolo and go under the beautifully carved arch depicting the Virgin and Child between Saint John the Baptist and Saint Mark with Saint Zacharias above. In front of you is the elegant façade of San Zaccaria, all clad in polychrome marble and Istrian stone, a work by Antonio Gambello and Mauro Codussi completed in 1515. Inside the church, a sarcophagus containing the body of Saint Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, is on the right wall. Giovanni Bellini's Madonna and Child with Saints Peter, Catherine, Jerome and Lucy, one of Venice's masterpieces, is on a left altar. |
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Completed
in 1505 when Bellini was 75, this painting is an optical
illusion that brings a vista of Paradise here to Earth. Totally
integrated with its surroundings, the columns and arch in the
background are a continuation of the real columns and arch in the
forefront (probably a work of Pietro Lombardo). The light in the
painting cascades from the left, the side
where the church's real windows are located. Christ Child has a raised
leg,
a symbol of hope, ever so tenderly supported by the Virgin's hand. The
saints are absorbed in meditation while the angel plays the viola. An
ostrich egg, another symbol of hope and rebirth, hangs from the
ceiling. Notice the painting's square top, Napoleon's signature of
plunder. The painting was taken to Paris where, to make it fit its new
location, the French mercilessly cut off the upper part. Don't let this
distract your contemplation. Put a coin in the light box and
enjoy. If you are lucky, as I was on a cold December morning after a
snowstorm when the church was all empty, celestial music will be
playing in the background. If you are not lucky and no music is playing
in the background and you are not alone but rather surrounding by a
crowd, look around and observe the parishioners. Many would
enter the church and would head directly, and exclusively, to the
Bellini. They would spend ten or fifteen minutes in contemplation and
then leave without paying any attention to the rest of the church. For
many, me included, going to see the Bellini is truly a religious
experience. No trip to Venice is complete without a visit to San
Zaccaria. "Stand in front of the painting when the sun is quite high in the afternoon and you will see the genius of the location as well as the painting. Only one ray of the sun can enter the church through the clerestory windows across the nave, but as the sun moves the ray picks out each of the stunning robes of the saints and the Madonna in turn. The colors glow in succession, creating a magical theater of motion, art, and devout spirituality, all fused into one by the power of both Bellini and San Zaccaria" Theodore K. Rabb |
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| Before you leave Campo
San Zaccaria, look around you. The church in one
corner, the headquarters of the Carabinieri in the other; between them
and
behind an iron fence, the 13th-century campanile and the
remains of the old church; across from the church, the row of shops; in
the middle of the campo, an elegant well-head and if you look closely,
another well-head,
charmingly decrepit and abandoned, tucked away behind the iron fence in
the small garden. The whole space used to be part of the old convent of
San Zaccaria, where the daughters of patrician families took refuge as
Benedictine nuns. Since many of them were forced into the monastic life
by their parents, who could not afford to pay their dowries, the
convent did not always shine as a paradigm of virtue. If you are lucky
again, the bells of San Zaccaria will begin to toll as you look around
and ponder all this. If you are not, exit the campo by the opening
towards the water. The shimmering expanse of the Bacino di San Marco
awaits you. |
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Riva degli Schiavoni (Schiavoni is the term used by Venetians to refer to people from Slavonia or Schiavonia or Dalmatia) offers a magnificent view of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore with its monumental church, the work of Andrea Palladio. An even better view can be admired from the windows of the hotel Savoia e Jolanda, just behind you. The hotel was remodeled not too long ago and offers spectacular accommodations with the same view as that of its more glorious cousin, the Danieli just across the bridge, at a fraction of the cost. The San Zaccaria vaporetto stop (fermata) is right in front of you, which makes this a very busy and often congested area. One might be tempted to say that the best times to explore the Riva are either very early in the morning or late at night when most of the tourists and peddlers are gone and only the most determined visitors are out, however a walk during the busiest times has its own charm. One never knows what is to be found. |
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| San Giorgio Maggiore from Riva degli Schiavoni | Not so unusual activities on Riva degli Schiavoni |
| We cross Ponte del Vin
to take a closer look at the Danieli; we may even go to the bar on its
top
floor for a mid-afternoon snack or a drink and enjoy the sweeping view
from La Salute to the Lido. We cross Ponte del Vin one more time and
take Calle del Vin all the way to its end in Campo San Provolo. We exit
the campo through the east corner and will soon be on Fondamenta de
l'Osmarin (osmarin means rosemary). Palazzo Priuli is on your left. A
cozy and secluded hotel, Hotel Palazzo Priuli,
operates on the first and second floors of the palazzo. There are no
signs or open doors to lure you in, but the entrance to this
magnificent 14th-century
palazzo is on Calle Diavolo, at number 4979. Beautifully appointed,
with a friendly staff and excellent buffet breakfast in a true Venetian
piano nobile, this
hotel is a gem.
I particularly enjoyed waking up to the voice of children
on their way to school on Fondamenta de l'Osmarin and the sound of the
boats moored by my window
bumping against the canal walls. I arrived at Palazzo Priuli in the wee hours of a freezing morning precariously stepping on new snow after a trip of more than 30 hours. Fifteen minutes before our arrival at the Marco Polo airport, I'd started to savor my imminent re-encounter with Venice after thirteen years of absence - I'd be there just in time for a walk along the Riva degli Schiavoni at sundown- when our captain informed us that because of bad weather our plane would instead land in Bologna. I checked my travel guide: three hours top to travel by bus or train from Bologna to Venice. I'd be there for dinner. Well...I didn't factor in the snow. When the bus pulled into the old Marco Polo terminal it was passed 1:00 am. From there another bus took us to Piazzale Roma. On board a solitary night vaporetto, thirteen years and 10 hours later, I was again on the Grand Canal and Venice couldn't have been more magical. Covered in snow and silent she embraced me. |
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| Palazzo
Priuli |
Ponte dei
Carmini on Fondamenta del Osmarin |
Fondamenta del Osmarin, Ponte Diavolo |
| We
cross Ponte del Diavolo, walk by the entrance to the hotel and turn
left at the end; we are now in Campo San Severo. We walk along
Fondamenta San Severo at the end which is an interesting building with
a three-light Gothic window walled up and the remaining arches cut by
two new, rectangular windows. One cannot avoid thinking what could
motivate people to commit such architectural assassinations in the
first place and then leave behind a trail of evidence. Are the
breadcrumbs left behind a
scream for help to the future? |
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| San Giovanni in Bragora We begin our walk on Fondamenta San Lorenzo, which can be reached from the end of Fondamenta San Severo by taking Calle Larga San Lorenzo. The deconsacrated church of San Lorenzo is on the other side of the canal. Marco Polo was buried in this church but his remains were apparently lost. Walk along the fondamenta to Ponte Lion and stand in the middle of the bridge looking north towards the church of San Lorenzo. You will be standing on the same spot used as the vantage point by Gentile Bellini (Giovanni's older brother) for his Miracle of the Cross at the Bridge of San Lorenzo. What is truly remarkable is that many of the buildings are still recognizable after 500 years. Sometime between 1370 and 1382, during the annual procession when the relic of the True Cross was carried from the Scuola San Giovanni Evangelista to the church of San Lorenzo, the relicary fell in the waters of Rio San Lorenzo. Priests and commoners dived into the water (notice the black man on the right just about to jump) but the relicary floated and was rescued by the Grand Guardian of the Scuola, Andrea Vendramin. Gentile Bellini transported the scene to the end of the 15th century and painted Catarina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus kneeling in the forefront and Giovanni Bellini and himself standing on the far right. This exquisitely crafted painting can be admired in the Accademia Gallery. |
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We walk down Fondamenta San Lorenzo to the double bridge, Ponte de l'Osmarin and Ponte dei Greci, from where we have a close view of the leaning bell tower of San Giorgio dei Greci, a Greek Orthodox church. The Museum of Icons of the Hellenic Institute for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies is on the second floor. Both church and museum are worth a visit. |
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| San
Giorgio dei Greci from Ponte Lion |
Ponti
de l'Osmarin and dei Greci |
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| Hellenic
Institute for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies, from Fondamenta de l'Osmarin |
San Giorgio dei Greci, gardens |
We exit by Calle della Madonna next to Ponte dei Greci to Salizada dei Greci that will take us to Ponte Sant'Antonin. We turn left on the fondamenta and walk towards its the end at the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni. Vittorio Carpaccio was commissioned to paint a cycle depicting moments in the lives of the scuola's tutelary saints: George, Jerome and Tryphon. The paintings were originally on the upper floor of the scuola but were later moved to their current location on the lower floor. My three favorite paintings in the scuola are Saint George and the Dragon, Saint Jerome and the Lion and Saint Augustine in His Study. |
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| "This
court is not your dog's bathroom" |
We retrace our steps to the church of Sant'Antonin and take the salizada on the side of the church. This will lead us to Campo Bandiera e Moro o de la Bragora (the term bragora has an unclear origin, but probably means market) where the church of San Giovanni Battista in Bragora is located (the church has its own web site). The church houses a remarkable collection of paintings by Vivarini, Jacobello del Fiore and Cima da Conegliano. Antonio Vivaldi was born near this church on March 4, 1678. That day an earthquake shook Venice, literally. Or should I say musically? |
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San Giovanni in Bragora |
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 Riva degli Schiavoni with the church of La Pietà |
| Doppler's
tomb in San Michele |
Ospedale della Pietà was one of Venice's orphanages for girls. For many years, Vivaldi was the maestro de' concerto of its renowned girls orchestra. After his death Vivaldi was forgotten for almost 200 years until the rediscovery of his works in the 20th century -a process in which the violinist Olga Rudge, Ezra Pound companion and long-time Venice resident, was very instrumental. Vivaldi's work is played almost every night at La Pietà. To my surprise and delight, the night I was there they play not just Vivaldi's Four Seasons concertos but the 'Five Seasons'. At the end the maestro added one of Piazzolla's Four Seasons in Buenos Aires. An unexpected gift for somebody like me, born in Argentina. On the side wall of the church of La Pietà is a tablet from the 16th century written in no kind terms. It asks God's to send a bolt of malediction and excommunion against those who abandoned their children at the Ospedale della Pietà. |
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Santa Maria Formosa |
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We begin our walk near the Rialto Bridge at Campo San Bartolomeo behind Goldoni's back, still in the sestiere of San Marco. We take Sotoportego de la Bissa, which soon becomes Calle de la Bissa. A few yards before the bridge, to your right is Bar Nuovo, a bar, cafe and restaurant with a warm atmosphere, good food and friendly service. Across the street is Cartoria Tassotti, originally from Bassano dal Grappa (at the foot of the Alps) this is a wonderful shop that specializes in old prints, origami paper and high quality stationary. Next to the bridge and to the right, is another Il Papiro store also specializing in fine stationary (our first encounter with Il Papiro was in San Marco). As we cross the bridge, Ponte Sant'Antonio, we stop and take a look at the building to our right across the canal: Palazzo Gussoni with its richly carved marble façade, attributed to the Lombardo workshop. Once we cross the bridge we are in the sestiere of Castello. We continue on Calle al Ponte Sant'Antonio. It will take us to Campo San Lio. The church of San Lio (San Leone) will be in front of you. It is worth a visit since it contains an exquisitely designed chapel dedicated to the Madonna Addolorata by Pietro Lombardo and assistants. Canaletto's tomb is not too far away. |
Campo an San Lio, at the crossroads between San Marco, Castello and Cannaregio, is always bustling with activity but hasn't changed much over the centuries: the building where the pub L'Olandese Volante is located looks almost the same as in the painting by Giovanni Mansueti from 1494 (Miracle of the Relic of the Holy Cross at Campo San Lio displayed at the Accademia Galleries). Across from the church is a pharmacy with an impressive glass mural depicting an old chemical laboratory. Next to the pharmacy a mask and costume shop. In front of the church a tempting frutariol (fruitseller). |
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We leave Campo San Lio by Salizada San Lio a shopping artery that caters more to locals than tourists. This area has some of the oldest houses in Venice dating from the 13th century, such as those right next to the church and the adjacent sotoportego, Castello 5662-5672. We continue to the end of the salizada where Calle al Ponte de la Guerra becomes Calle de le Bande. At that intersection there is another Il Papiro store. If your espresso machine doesn't brew the perfect cappuccino, the corner store is your place to buy an authentic Italian coffee maker. |
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| Lamp shade
from Il Papiro |
Lamp shade, detail |
We make a right turn on Calle al Ponte de la Guerra and after a few yards turn left on Calle de la Casseleria. In the next intersection make a right turn followed by a left turn on Calle al Ponte de l'Anzolo. This will take us exactly to Ponte de l'Anzolo (Bridge of the Angel) so called because of the sculpture on the façade of Palazzo Soranzo (also called the Angel's House, Castello 4419). According to legend a pet monkey kept at the palazzo was possessed by the devil. During an exorcism the monkey flew through the wall of the building leaving behind a big hole that the owner promptly got covered with the shrine of the angel to prevent the devil from coming back. |
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| Palazzo
Soranzo from P. de l'Anzolo |
Palazzo Soranzo, detail |
We cross the bridge and return momentarily to the sestiere of San Marco. We make a left turn on Ramo de l'Anzolo that takes to Ponte del Remedio. From this bridge we have a different panorama of Ponte and Fondamenta de l'Anzolo and an unexpected view of the Bridge of Sighs separated from us by three other bridges. We continue on Calle del Remedio to Ramo del Remedio, a charming street with three little bridges that lead to private residences; at the end is Campielo Querini Stampalia. The Museum and Foundation Querini Stampalia will be to your right. Mario Botta, the same architect that designed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, was in charge of the latest ground floor renovation of the museum. The beautiful and modernistic gardens were designed by Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa. The building itself marrying 18th-century architecture with modern style elements is worth the visit. But if this is not enough to tempt you, let's add that the museum houses a large collection of Venetian paintings including the enigmatic Presentation of Jesus in the Temple by Giovanni Bellini, and many by Pietro Longhi and Gabriel Bella depicting Venetian customs and activities in the 18th century. |
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 Campielo Querini Stampalia |
| Ramo del
Remedio |
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Cut across Campielo Querini Stampalia, go under the sotoportego and you will be in elegant Campo Santa Maria Formosa. The church was rebuilt by Mauro Codussi at the end of the 15th century. Its interior is divided into square sections separated by low columns and arches which give the church a more human dimension. It contains two amazing paintings, Santa Barbara by Palma il Vecchio and Madonna of Mercy by Bartolomeo Vivarini. During my last visit in a cold December afternoon the church was completely packed and several priests all dressed in white were celebrating mass in the Coptic rite. |
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| Campo Santa
Maria Formosa |
Church of Santa Maria Formosa |
Cut across Campielo Querini Stampalia, go under the sotoportego and you will be in elegant Campo Santa Maria Formosa. The church was rebuilt by Mauro Codussi at the end of the 15th century. Its interior is divided into square sections separated by low columns and arches which give the church a more human dimension. It contains two amazing paintings, Santa Barbara by Palma il Vecchio and Madonna of Mercy by Bartolomeo Vivarini. During my last visit on a cold December afternoon the church was completely packed and several priests all dressed in white were celebrating mass in the Coptic rite. |
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Walk around the campanile and on the canal side, above the doorway you will see a grotesque sculpture that inspired John Ruskin to say: "A head -huge, inhuman, monstrous, leering in bestial degradation". I personally think that this scacciadiavoli (scaredemons) is just comical. Campo Santa Maria Formosa is the perfect place to unwind, sit down have a cup of coffee and read a book, engage in conversation or just watch people walk by. |
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| Fondamenta
dei Preti |
Ponte del Paradiso |
Leave the campo by the canal side, Fondamenta dei Petri. Before you reach Ponte del Paradiso you will see on your right an old funerary urn inserted in the corner of a building and across the canal, Rio del Pestrin, a beautifully decaying façade pierce by Gothic windows. Vivaldi used to live in this building at number 5879. Right across from the entrance to the building is Ponte del Paradiso with the Gothic arch and the relief of the Madonna della Misericordia. Calle del Paradiso in one of the most charming corners of Venice. It combines a Medieval ambiance with a truly mercantile attitude. If we take Calle del Paradiso we will end up in Salizada San Lio, instead we will continue on the side of the canal, Fondamenta del Dose, that leads to Calle del Dose and Calle de Borgoloco where we turn left. This will take us to Campo Santa Marina. |
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| Gothic window |
For many years Vivaldi lived here |
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 Rio del Pestrin from Ponte del Preti |
| Roman
funerary urn by Ponte dei Preti |
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Campo Santa Marina is one of the few campi in Venice named after a saint and without a church. The church of Santa Marina stood at numbers 6067 and 6068 but was demolished in 1820. It is visible in Jacopo de' Barbari's map. Across from the Hotel Santa Marina is Paticceria Didovich (Castello 5909) where you will find a fantastic assortment of pastries plus some delicious vegetable tarts called salatine. Giovanni Bellini lived in the parish of Santa Marina. He died on November 29, 1516 and was buried alongside his brother Gentile in the Scuola de Sant'Orsola, next to the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo. |
We exit Campo Santa Marina by Calle del Frutariol and Make a right turn at Calle de la Malvasia where at number 5987 we will find another Didovich store to tempt us one more time. We continue on Calle del Pistor where just before crossing the bridge, Ponte del Pistor, the excellent bakery Ponte delle Paste is located. After crossing the bridge the street will take us back to Campo San Lio. |
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| Campo Santa
Marina |
Campo Santa Marina |
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| Real canoce |
Marzipan canoce at "Didovich" |
| Santi Giovanni e Paolo |
We begin our walk in Campo Santa Marina which we exit by Calle and Ponte del Cristo. From Ponte del Cristo there is a view that may succeed in capturing the essence of Venice if that's possible. As we cross the bridge we enter in Cannaregio. We turn right on Ponte de le Erbe. The next bridge is Ponte Rosso from where we have great view of Rio dei Mendicanti and the Scuola di San Marco. Hidden from view to the right is the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (San Zanipolo.) |
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 Scuola Grande di San Marco and church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo |
| Rio dei
Mendicanti from Ponte Rosso |
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Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo is the perfect spot to sit down for a drink or a cup of coffee. Rosa Salva, a Venetian institution that offers delicious pastries and savory treats, is conveniently located just across the side entrance of the church. Impressive stained-glass windows, a rarity in Venice, grace the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo considered the Venetian Pantheon because many doges are entombed here. The Scuola di San Marco houses the Civic Hospital. Its façade, a work of Pietro Lombardo and Mauro Codussi was recently restored. Get close to the main door and admire the amazing tromp d'oeil. The beautifully sculpted wellhead in the middle of the campo was moved here in 1825 from its original location in the sestiere of San Marco. The equestrian statue, a design by Andrea Verrocchio, shows the mercenary captain, condottiere, Bartolomeo Colleoni who victoriously commanded the Venetian land forces for many years. In his will he left most of his fortune to the Venetian state on condition that a monument be erected in his honor in front of San Marco. His wish was granted, almost. The statue was erected in front of San Marco, the Scuola not the Basilica as he had intended. It should be noted that the Venetian abhorred the cult of personality. In the ten centuries of the Venetian Republic no public figure had a statue erected anywhere in the city, much less in Piazza San Marco. The church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo is the home of many works by Pietro, Antonio and Tullio Lombardo and a rare nine-panel painting by Giovanni Bellini, Saint Vincent Ferrer that contains a poignant Saint Sebastian. The former Scuola di Sant'Orsola, for which Carpaccio's Saint Ursula cycle was originally painted (now at the Accademia) stood next to the apse of the church. The Bellini brothers, Gentile and Giovanni were buried in this small scuola. |
 Gentile and Giovanni, standing |
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| You can walk to the Fondamente Nuove, the northern edge
of the city, by the side of the hospital. From there you'll have a
splendid view of the lagoon and the island of San Michele, the resting
place of many personalities: Igor Stravinsky, Ezra Pound, Sergei
Diaghilev, Joseph Brodsky and Christian Doppler among many others. It
was precisely Joseph Brodsky who in his brilliant Venetian reflection "Watermark" wrote the following
words about this corner of Venice: "I remember one day -the day I had to leave after a month here alone. I had just had lunch in some small trattoria on the remotest part of the Fondamente Nuove, grilled fish and half a bottle of wine. With that inside, I set out for the place I was staying, to collect my bags and catch the vaporetto. I walked a quarter of a mile along the Fondamente Nuove, a small moving dot in that gigantic watercolor, and then turn right by the hospital of San Giovanni e Paolo. The day was warm, sunny, the sky blue, all lovely. An with my back to the Fondamente and San Michele, hugging the wall of the hospital, almost rubbing it with my left shoulder and squinting at the sun, I suddenly felt: I am a cat. A cat that has just had fish. Had anyone addressed me at that moment, I would have meowed. I was absolutely, animally happy." |
 Palazzo Tetta at dusk |
Exit Campo San Giovanni e Paolo by the side of the church, Salizada San Zanipolo, and turn right on Corte Veniera. This will take you to Fondamenta dei Felzi. From the beautiful iron bridge, Ponte dei Conzafelzi, you will have the perfect view of the most remarkable building, Palazzo Tetta, that cuts the canal in two like a ship cuts the waters of the ocean. As you face the palazzo, look up to your right where you will see a remarkable chimney that for a moment will make you forget that you are in Venice and will take you to the Far East. As I as was wandering in this area of Venice some years ago, I saw a handwritten sign posted on a front door that read "Si pregano i signori 'Animali' di lasciare libera la porta dall' inmondizia (loosely translated as: "We beg the animal gentlemen to keep the door free of garbage." This was one of many such signs that I had seen scattered in different corners of the city and I couldn't help but think that for a republic to survive for a thousand years, diplomacy must be ingrained in its citizens' DNA. |  Rio de S. Giovanni Laterano, left, and Rio de la Tetta, right |
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We take Calle Pinelli that ends at Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa where we turn left. You will soon be on Fondamenta and Ponte Tetta. Unlike its more famous cousin Ponte delle Tette in the sestiere of San Polo named after the flashy-fleshy merchandise displayed by many of the prostitutes that lived in the area, the 'Tetta' of this remote part of Castello refers to the noble family Tetta who had their residence in the palazzo around the corner. After crossing Ponte de l'Ospedaleto you will be on Calle de l'Ospedaleto that will take you to Barbaria de le Tole. To your left is the ornate façade of the church Santa Maria dei Derelitti or 'de l'Ospedaleto' (a work by Longhena). This church like Vivaldi's La Pietà has a long and distinguished musical tradition. |
| The area around Rio de San
Giovanni Laterano seems like a very remote part of Venice but don't let
the absence of tourists fool you. From antique dealers to marble
artisans have their shops here, especially on Barbaria de le Tole that
soon becomes Calle del Cafetier at the end of which is Campo de Santa
Giustina or Barbaria. In this campo is a small free-standing building,
the Oratorio
Beata Vergine Addolorata, one of the few of its kind remaining in
Venice. |
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| Rio de S.
Giovanni Laterano |
Ponte Capello on Rio de la Tetta |
We take Calle Zon and after
crossing the bridge we turn left on Fondamenta Santa Giustina and
immediately right on Calle San Francesco
de la Vigna from where you will see half the façade of the
church San Francesco de la Vigna designed by Andrea Palladio. The
church was built using the number three, a reference to the Holy
Trinity, as an important design element. The interior has the splendid
painting by Antonio Falier da Negroponte, "Madonna and Child," a stunning
transition piece between Gothic and Renaissance styles as well as many
other works by Giorgione, Vivarini and Giovanni Bellini. The vineyards
after which the church is named are unfortunately closed to the public.
 Bell towers of the churches of Sant'Antonin (left) and San Francesco de la Vigna (right) from the island of San Giorgio Maggiore |
| We exit the area by the side of
the church, Campo de la Confraternita where I once saw a graffiti that
said: "OKKUPARE
(Occupy the vacant houses. Block the evictions. Housing is a right.)
And I couldn't help but think how strange that in place with so many
vacant houses, housing could still be a problem. Follow the street
Corte drio de la Chiesa and after a few turns and bends you will be in
Campo de la Celestia, one of the few campi
in Venice that actually has grass. This area of Venice, behind the
Arsenale, has a number of blocks with relatively new apartment
buildings. In a small corner of the campo I once saw a ten-year old
girl selling her treasures all lovely arranged on the pavement stones:
a postcard, a comb, a pencil, a transparent plastic purse shaped like a
heart with a vibrant red rim and red handles. I couldn't help but think
that for a republic to survive for a thousand years, entrepreneurship
must
be ingrained in its citizens' DNA. I should have put my inhibitions
aside and bought that purse.GLI SFITTI BLOCCARE GLI SFRATTI LA CASA E UN DIRITTO!" From Campo de la Celestia take Fondamenta del Cristo and cross Ponte del Suffragio or del Cristo and you will be in lovely Campo Santa Ternita (Holy Trinity). Sit down in one of the benches and enjoy the intimate setting: the campanile, the chimneys, the beautiful wellhead, the two bridges, the sound of running water, the color-coordinated laundry hanging from the windows, and the old ladies peeking from their balconies decorated with cartoonish wooden flowers. This is Venice at her best.  |
|
Arsenal
 |
We start our walk on Riva degli Schiavoni by Ponte de la Ca' di Dio. We cross the next bridge, Ponte de l'Arsenal, and turn left on the fondamenta. The little grassy area under the trees is very inviting indeed with a view of the bridge, the Riva and San Giorgio Maggiore in the background. If you are lucky and you are visiting Venice the day before the Regata Storica, held the first Sunday in September, Rio de l'Arsenal is the perfect spot to have a close view of some of the magnificent boats that would be on parade the next day as many of them are moored overnight in this area of Venice. |
 Rio de l'Arsenal before Regata Storica |
 Rio de l'Arsenal before Regata Storica |
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| Rio de
l'Arsenal before Regata Storica |
Regata
Storica, 2002 |
| We continue on to the end of the
fondamenta where we cross Ponte de l'Arsenal or del Paradiso to Campo
de l'Arsenal. In this picturesque campo we can admire the entrance to
the Arsenal,
which for many centuries was the engine behind Venice's power. Here is
where the Venetian ships were built as early as in the 12th century.
The assembly line was an integral part of the Arsenal's operation way
before Henry Ford, credited with inventing it, put it to use for
automobile manufacture in the USA. The word Arsenal (Arsenal in
Venetian, Arsenale in Italian) is derived from the Arabic word Dar al
Sina'a meaning dockyard, workshop. From Venice the word has transcended
into most European languages with a slightly different meaning. |
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| Unmistakable symbols of Venice,
several lions guard the entrance to the Arsenal, beginning with the one
on top of the portal. However, the most curious one is the lion to the
west side of the entrance. It is a spoil of war brought by Doge
Morosini in 1687 from the Piraeus (the port of Athens). It has some
Runic symbols engraved on its shoulder, probably the work of a Norse
soldier fighting for the Byzantine emperor in the 11th century. |
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| Dante visited the Arsenal in two
occasions in 1306 and 1321. The impression that the place made on him
must have been very strong as the Canto XXI of his Inferno testifies. A
marble plaque on the side of the main portal commemorates this. As in the Arsenal of the Venetians, in winter, the sticky pitch for smearing their unsound vessels is boiling, because they cannot go to sea, and, instead thereof, one builds him a new bark, and one caulks the sides of that which hath made many a voyage; one hammers at the prow, and one at the stern; another makes oars, and another twists the cordage; and one the foresail and the mainsail patches,—so, not by fire, but by divine art, a thick pitch was boiling there below, which belimed the bank on every side. I saw it, but saw not in it aught but the bubbles which the boiling raised, and all of it swelling up and again sinking compressed. If it's open, Bar Arsenale is the perfect place to sit down and unwind while taking in the view. If not, continue on Fondamenta de Fazza Arsenal. It will lead you to the church and Campo di San Martin. |
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| Saint Martin of Tours is a
cosmopolitan saint, a true son of the Roman Empire. Born in 316 in
Sabaria (modern Szombathely in Hungary, near the Austrian border), he
was educated in Pavia, present-day Italy, and became a soldier in the
Roman Army. Drawn from very early in his life to Christianity, newly
proclaimed a legal religion in the Empire, Martin was forced by his
father to join the Roman army as a way to dissuade him from entering
the religious life. In what became the most famous incident of his
life, at the age of 21 he gave half of his cape to a shivering beggar
he encountered at the gates of Amiens (France). He kept the other half
because it belonged to the Roman Army. The relics of the cape were
guarded in France by a custodian called capellanus, a term from which the
words chaplain and chapel derive. The feast of Saint
Martin is celebrated on November 11th. In Venice a traditional cookie
in the shape of a horse with a rider wearing a cape is baked for such
occasion. The church of San Martin (Venetian)
or San Martino (Italian) was built in 1550 by Sansovino. Among the
works of art it contains, the ceiling fresco by Domenico Bruni and
Jacopo Guarana is a remarkable tromp
d'oeil. |
 Campo San Martin |
 San Martin giving his cape to a beggar (marble plaque next to the church) |
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| Giardini We begin our walk on Ponte de l'Arsenal. As we walk on Riva San Biagio the Museo Storico Navale and the church of San Biagio will be on our left. As we cross the next bridge, Ponte de la Veneta Marina or de le Cadene, the wide Via Garibaldi will be on our left. Giovanni Caboto, the New World explorer credited with discovering Canada while at the service of King Henry VII, and his son Sebastiano Caboto, explorer of South America, lived in corner house (Castello 1642). |
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 Via Garibaldi |
| Caboto lived
here |
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| Via
Garibaldi was built on a fill-in canal in the Napoleonic period. Today
is not only the commercial hub of this part of Castello but also the
gateway to the Giardini Plublici. Il
Nuovo Galeon is a wonderful restaurant on Via Garibaldi
(Castello 1308, right across the church of San Francesco di Paola) to
have fresh and perfectly cooked seafood and succulent pastas in a
friendly atmosphere. We walk to the end of Via Garibaldi where the
canal begins (Rio de Sant'Anna) and take the fondamenta on the left of
the canal, Fondamenta S. Gioachin. This is a very colorful area of
Venice that exudes local character. We make a left turn at the end of
the fondamenta on Calle drio el Forner that will take us to Fondamenta
del Forner. We cross Ponte Rielo and ahead of us is Calle Ruga where we
turn left; after crossing the campo, the street becomes Salizzada
Streta. At the intersection with Calle Larga de Castello we turn right.
This takes us to the long bridge of San Piero and to the Campo and
Church of San Piero (San Pietro di Castello in Italian). |
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| Rio de
Sant'Anna |
Rielo and
Ponte Rielo |
| San Piero de
Castello was Venice's cathedral until 1807. Its remote location is
testimony of the distance that for centuries separated the political
power centered around San Marco and the Vatican. The citizens of La
Serenissima always felt that they were Venetians first and then
Christians (veneziani, poi cristiani.) The free standing campanile is very easy to recognize from a distance, not only because is slightly leaning but also because it is one of the few totally clad in white Istrian stone, a work of Mauro Codussi (end of 15th century). |
| I visited the church on a Sunday
morning in the middle of Communion, at the end of the 10 o'clock Mass.
The church was packed like the end of the world was imminent.
Respectfully, I left and sat outside in the beautiful campo, under the
trees. After several days of carrying my photographic equipment around
town for hours on end, my back had reacted with unbearable pain; the
hard wooden benches on Campo San Piero were not helping. Fifteen
minutes passed and hearing intense clapping inside but seeing no one
coming out of the church I decided to go in again. A priest was talking
in words that I didn't fully understand. I must have taken ten steps
inside the church when several folks gave me a look that paralyzed me
on my tracks. Trying to find a surface to lean on to alleviate my
backache, I gave two more steps to position myself next to a column and
got the same look again this time accompanied by a loud shush. I felt
that I had violated some ancient and mysterious rule. I couldn't deny
after all that I was a tourist like a million others. I was embarrassed
and a little perplexed by such unexpected reaction; I have always found
Venetians to be a very polite and tolerant people. I later learned,
through fliers posted all around this area of Castello, that the
parishioners were honoring and giving thanks to Don Gabriele for seven
and a half years of ministry. I couldn't help but think how typical
Venetian; the parishioners didn't stop me when I walked in in the
middle of Communion but they objected when I dared to walk during the
priest's farewell... Veneziani, poi
cristiani. During my wait outside the church I got my reward. A Maltese dog like the one in San Augustine in His Study was lying next to me and I felt Carpaccio's ghost sitting on my shoulder. |
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| We leave the campo by Calle drio
el Campanile that takes us to Calle and Ponte de Quintavale. After
crossing the bridge we will be on Rio de Sant'Anna one more time. We
continue on the fondamenta to the entrance to the Giardini Publici with
its monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi. From the Giardini we have one of
the most beautiful panoramas of Venice's skyline. No photo can capture
the view, especially at sunset when the black silhouettes of La Salute
and San Marco contrast against a crimson sky. Perhaps this is one of
those instances when a few words can say more than a thousand pictures;
especially when they are George Sands': "The sun had already set behind the hills of Vicenza. Great purple clouds were passing over the Venetian sky. The tower of San Marco, the dome of Santa Maria and the nursery-garden of spires and steeples rising from every corner of the city stood out as black needles against the sparkling horizon. The sky turned by subtle gradations from cherry red to cobalt blue while the water, smooth and clear as a mirror, faithfully reproduced its infinite iridescence; it lay like a vast sheen of cooper below the city. Never have I seen Venice more beautiful and enchanted. Its black silhouette, cast between the sky and the glowing waters as on to a sea of fire, seemed to be one of those sublime architectural aberrations the poet of the Apocalypse must have seen floating on the shores of Patmos as he dreamt of the New Jerusalem and likened it in its beauty to a newly wed bride." George Sand, 'Lettres d'un Voyageur.' |
| Inside the Giardini we take
Viale Trento and then turn left on Paludo San Antonio. This will take
us to the district of Sant'Elena. This is one of the newest areas of
Venice. Contrary to what many people, some Venetians and travel books
writers included, may say I think that this is an enchanting area of
Venice. Granted that there are no impressive palazzi or works of art to
admire but Sant'Elena is only a short vaporetto ride away from all of
that while its residents have the luxury of enjoying a lush
surrounding. As you walk on Viale Quattro Novembre on a sunny summer
afternoon underneath a refreshing tree canopy you can enjoy the
spectacular view of the Bacino di San Marco on one side framed by a
backdrop of distant islands, and on the other, amid an unpretentious
but charming architecture, the many little gardens with rosebushes and
oleanders in bloom. We make a left turn on Viale Piave. This takes us to Ponte Sant'Elena and finally to the austere church of Sant'Elena. |
 Many places around the world are named after Saint Helena, Constantine the Great's mother and the godmother of Christianity, but this tiny area of Venice is the real deal. Forget the Saint Helens of volcanic proportions or the Saint Helenas of Napoleonic and Napa-Valley fame, the unassuming church of Sant'Elena almost falling off the map of Venice, is the only place that deserves to be called such, as it houses the relics of the saint. Her remains are displayed in a glass sarcophagus in one of the side chapels to the right of the entrance. Dressed in a golden gown she wears a mask and slippers. As I sat all by myself in the deserted church in front of her relics, I felt 1500 years of history condensed in one indivisible moment as I pondered how one single woman could have so dramatically changed the faith, and in doing so the fate, of the Western world. The picture to the left is the right bottom corner of de' Barbari's map. Below the Subsolanus wind we can see only half of the façade of Sant'Elena, indicating the lack of importance of this peripheral area. The island was cut off from the rest of Venice. |
| After leaving the church, we go
back to the Viale dei Giardini Publici. We cross Ponte San Domenego and
take Riva dei Sette Martiri (named after seven Venetians shot by the
Nazis)on our way back to San Marco. To our right is the twin entrances
to La Marinarezza, a housing project first built in 1335. The building
can be seen in de' Barbari's map. |
 From Ponte de San Domenego
|
 Casa della Marinarezza
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| This ends our tour of the
sestiere di Castello. |
