Venice in 2 Days Top Attractions

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My Venice in 2 Days - Top AttractionsDay 1, Sun Aug 9 2015

Hour Where Recommended Visit Time

1. 09:00 Ca' d'Oro 1 hour, 30 mins

2. 10:40 Ponte di Rialto 30 mins

3. 11:20 Piazza San Marco 1 hour

4. 12:25 Campanile di San Marco 30 mins

5. 12:55 Basilica di San Marco 1 hour

6. 14:00 Palazzo Ducale 1 hour

7. 15:00 Ponte dei Sospiri 15 mins

8. 15:20 San Zaccaria 45 mins


Transportation: Vaporetto - Ca' d'Oro

Web: http://www.cadoro.org

Opening Hours: Mon 8:15am-2:00pm; Tue-Sun

8:15am-7:15pm

Admission: 5.50, 3 for ages 6-14 and students

Phone Number: 041-520-0345

Address: Ca' d'Oro, Venice

09:00 Ca' d'Oro Rating: Palace

Visit Time: 1 hour, 30 mins

The Golden House or Palazzo Santa Sofia faces the GrandCanal, it was designed by Giovanni Bon and BartolomeoBon, completed in 1413, and is one of the city's oldestpalaces. The name comes from when there were goldgilding details on the faade. The building changed handsseveral times over the years and when purchased by thefinal owner, Giorgio Franchetti, he began restoring,renovating and preserving the beautiful architecture. Inparticular he reconstructed the original Gothic stairway andan internal Cosmatesque courtyard. He also amassed afine collection of art and on his death left the property to thestate. Facing the water a recessed colonnaded loggia allowswater vessels to approach the building, and access theportego de mezo directly from the water. The faade of theupper two levels has elegant arches and columns. Thefaade is very impressive, with intricate details, balconyconsoles and polychrome marble incrustations.

Today the palace houses the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti allaCa d'Oro. The highlight of the museum is AndreaMantegna's painting of San Sebastiano which is a feature ofthe chapel altar. Other great works include the DoppioRitratto by Tullio Lombardo; Gian Cristoforo Romano'sBusto di Fanciullo and bas-reliefs by Jacopo Sansovino.There are also bronze reliefs by Andrea Riccio, the Venereallo Specchio by Tiziano, the Venere Dormiente by ParisBordon, landscape paintings by Francesco Guardi, VanEyck's Crsifissione and Van Dyck's Ritratto di MarcelloDurazzo.


Address: Venice, FL 34285

0.6 KM, 9 minutes by walking

10:40 Ponte di Rialto Rating: Bridge

Visit Time: 30 mins

The Rialto Bridge is arguably the most beautiful anddefinitely the most famous and oldest of the 4 bridges whichcross Venice's Grand Canal. The site has always been animportant crossing point as the Rialto market was nearbyand traders needed to be able to cross the water easily.Before the Rialto Bridge there were only wooden bridges,which kept collapsing for one reason or another, until it wasdecided to build a more solid and permanent bridge out ofstone. The bridge was constructed in 1591 to connect thedistricts of San Polo and San Marco, it took 3 years to buildand it remained in use for 300 years. The bridge designerwas Antony da Ponte.

The bridge has inclining ramps from both shores which meetin the middle at a central portico. The underside of thebridge has one large arch which crosses the water. Thebridge has a covered portico with shops on either side andthree walkways running across the bridge. The centralwalkway is the widest while the outer two look down ontothe water through arched openings and over a beautifulbalustrade. The arched bridge is 7.5 meters at its highestpoint and spans 48 meters. The bridge is supported by12,000 wooden pilings rooted deep in the canal bed below.The bridge had to be high to accommodate the shipsbringing goods in to the city from across the globe. Today itis one of Venice's top tourist attractions and a symbol of thecity.


Address: Piazza San Marco, Venice


11:20 Piazza San Marco Rating: Square

Visit Time: 1 hour

This square is the central point of the city, the place alltourists arrive at at some point during their stay in Venice.The square has been a focal point of the city for centuriesand is the only Venice "piazza"; the other squares are called"campi." The square has buildings on three sides and thefourth side is open. The square is a gathering place for bothlocals and visitors and is a pedestrian-only zone. Visitorscan enjoy the open space, which is lined with pleasantoutdoor cafes and restaurants and stores beneath thesurrounding covered arcades. One of the most famouscafes on the square is the Caffe Florian. The square is alsoknown for the many pigeons, but it is now illegal to feedthem. Venice's main street, Merceria, leads onto the squarethrough the arch in Saint Mark's Clocktower and at the endof the square is the Grand Canal and the mooring area forVenetian gondolas.

The square is surrounded by some of the must-see sites ofVenice like the Doge's Palace where rulers lived and rantheir court; the Basilica San Marco; the basilica'sfree-standing campanile (bell tower); the Procuratie Nouvo(designed by Jacopo Sansovino) which now houses amuseum; a small Loggetta next to the Campanile which wasalso built by Sansovino; the Library of Saint Mark's and St.Mark's Square Clocktower. The small Piazzetta di SanMarco separates the palace and the library building, andhere two columns stand, facing the canal, commemoratingthe city's patrons Saint Mark and Saint Teodoro ofAmasea. One of the column statues is of the Winged Lion ofVenice.

Originally the square was the front courtyard of a smallchapel (now the Basilica) and the Rio Batario ran betweenthe square and the Doge's Palace. In 1174 the canal wasfilled up and the square repaved with a beautifulherringbone pattern almost 100 years later in 1267. AndreaTirali came up with a more complex pattern for the squarepaving using natural Istrian stone in 1735. The square wasused by traders as a convenient market place. The squareis adorned with three tall flagpoles with bronze relief basesdesigned by Alessandro Leopardi (1505), the Italian flagflies here above the beautiful and constantly busy square.


Transportation: Vaporetto - San Marco

Opening Hours: Easter to June 9:00am-5:00pm;

July-Sep 9:00am-9:00pm; Oct 9:00am-7:00pm;

Nov to Easter 9:30am-3:45pm

Admission: 8


Address: Piazza San Marco, 30124 Venice


12:25 Campanile di San Marco Rating: Landmark

Visit Time: 30 mins

Saint Mark's Bell Tower is part of the Basilica di San Marcoand stands in the Piazza di San Marco. The tower wasoriginally constructed as a lighthouse and then a watchtower in the 9 century, over the years it underwent severalthtransformations and was rebuilt a number of times from the12 to 14 century. In 1513 Giorgio Spavento andth thBartolome Bon restored the tower following earthquakedamage. However it collapsed in 1902 and wasreconstructed and reopened in 1912 to resemble the 1513version of the tower. The tower is a symmetrically squarebrick structure reaching a height of almost 100 meters andat the top the belfry houses 5 bells. Each bell had a specificfunction the Mezza Terza Bell announced the Senate; theNona Bell announced midday; the biggest bell, theMarangona Bell, announced the beginning and end of thework day; the Trottiera announced council meetings and thesmallest bell, the Renghiera Bell announced executions.Above the belfry are a gold-leaf pyramid-shaped spire and agilded statue of the Angel Gabriel. For those arriving inVenice from the sea the gold angel would be the first sightof Venice. At the foot of the tower is a balcony, theSansovino Loggia.

The Sansovino balcony was constructed in the early 1500sand in 1569 became a sentry post for dockyard workerswhen the Upper Council was in session. There are threearches separated by classic columns and topped withallegorical marble reliefs created by Sansovino's pupils.Four niches between the columns hold bronze statues andin front of the three arched faade is an elegant balustrade.In 1912 the Sansovino balcony was rebuilt together with therest of the tower.

Galileo used the tower to observe the stars and visitorstoday can enjoy the stunning views from the observatory atthe top of the tower by taking the elevator and not the stairsas Galileo would have done!



Web: http://www.basilicasanmarco.it

Opening Hours: Basilica, Tesoro, and Pala d'Oro:

Summer Mon-Sat 9:45am-5:00pm, Sun

2:00pm-4:00pm; in winter, closes an hour earlier.

Museo Marciano: Summer daily 9:45am-4:45pm

Admission: Basilica - free; Museo Marciano 4,

Pala d'Oro 2


Address: San Marco, 328, 30124 Venice


12:55 Basilica di San Marco Rating: Religious Sites

Visit Time: 1 hour

St. Mark's Basilica is Venice's most famous church, knownfor its art work and history. The church overlooks St. Mark'sSquare on the edge of the Grand Canal and is joined to theDoge's Palace. In the 9 century merchants smuggledthSaint Mark's relics out of Egypt and brought them to Venice.The scene is depicted in the oldest known exterior mosaic inthe world located above the cathedral's front doors(1260-70). A church was constructed to house the saint'srelics but burnt down almost 150 years later. It was rebuiltby Doge Domenico Contarini and the cathedral we seetoday dates back to 1071 but incorporates what remained ofthe original structures. The decoration of the buildingcontinued to be embellished over the years, particularlyduring the 1300's when precious pieces of ancientarchitecture were being brought to the city by merchantswho traveled to the east. Many of the additions were olderthan the building itself. When the adjacent Doge's Palacewas renovated the cathedral also got an architecturalup-date and Gothic architecture was introduced like theelevated domes and a new faade. The Doge's (Dukes) ofVenice used the building as their own private chapel until itbecame the Cathedral of Venice in 1807.

The building has a Greek cross design, a central large domeand four domes on each of the arms of the cross. Within thechurch you can find art from several periods. The narthex(entrance lobby) has a marble mosaic floor from the 11 thand 12 century and gilded ceiling mosaics. 12 centuryth thgilded mosaics cover most of the interior ceilings (about8,000m) on the vaults and cupolas. On the floor there aremore mosaics as well as geometric marble patterns. Abovethe altar sits Pala d'Oro, a golden panel studded with gems.In the choir stalls are reliefs and bronze statues bySansovino. In the cathedral Treasury you can see theCrusader spoils brought from Constantinople and across thecontinent. On the exterior there are two free standing Syriancolumns with intricate Byzantine-style carvings which dateback to the 5th or 6 century.th


14:00 Palazzo Ducale Rating: Palace



Opening Hours: Daily 9:00am-7:00pm (until

5:00pm Nov-Mar; ticket office closes 1 hour

earlier)

Admission: only on San Marco cumulative ticket


Address: Piazza San Marco, 1, 30122 Venice

Visit Time: 1 hour

The Doges Palace is a monumental piece of architectureand perhaps the most important site in Venice. The buildingwas originally founded in the 14th and 15th century withother elements being added over the years. There are threemain areas of the structure, the oldest being the closest toSt. Mark's Basin (1340), the block facing St. Mark's Squaretook its present form in 1424 and the part facing the GrandCanal was built between 1483 and 1565.

As early as the 7th century the local affairs of Venice weregoverned by a Doge or Duke and despite being under theByzantine Emperor the city was relatively autonomous.From the 10th to 11th century the Doge, his wholeentourage, public offices, courtrooms, residentialapartments, stables, prison, armory and other civil facilitieswere moved to the present site of the palace. The "OldCastle" was considered safe, a group of buildings weresurrounded by strong walls with thick corner towers. UnderDoge Ziani (1172-1178) additions to the structure andrenovations were carried out following a destructive fire. Inthe 14th century the palace needed to be expanded againdue to the increased number of participants in governmentaffairs. Doge Franesco Foscari instigated further changes inthe 15th century and several fires caused more renovationsand construction. In the 17th century the prison wasseparated from the palace proper and constructed byAntonio Contin across the Bridge of Signs. So prisonerswould be sentenced in the palace courtrooms and then walkacross the bridge to the prison (or their execution), on theirway they would sigh! After the fall of the Venetian Republicin 1797 the city was occupied by the French, the Austriansand finally in 1866 it joined unified Italy. In 1996 the palacebecame a public museum.

Visitors enter the Palazzo Ducale through the Porta delFrumento through a colonnade. The faade facing thelagoon is the oldest part of the palace there are sculptureson the corners by Filippo Calendari, Antonio Bregno andMatteo Raverti. Porta della Carta, a ceremonial entrance,was decorated by Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon. Above theentrance are a bust of St. mark and the iconic statue ofjustice. On the bottom floor, where the kitchens used to bethere is now the Museo dell'Opera. The courtyard is home toSansovino's colossal statues, Neptune and Mars, whichguard the Giants' Staircase. From the ground floor courtyardyou go up to the first floor loggia and the Doge'sApartments.


In the Doge's Apartments are a number of exquisite roomseach more beautiful than the next. There are frescoes byGiuseppe Salviati and Titian, carved wooden ceilings;marble reliefs by Antonio and Tullio Lombardo; ancientmaps; paintings by Andrea Vicentino; Vittore Carpaccio'spainting Andante Lion and numerous stunning works of art.The palace has a series of hidden passages ways whichconnect different rooms like the stairway behind a smalldoor in the Shield Hall which leads to the Philosopher'sRoom.

Some of the many things not to miss on a visit to the DogePalace are the arcade statues by Filippo Calendario; theFoscari Arch; the Prisons; paintings by Tintoretto, Veroneseand Bella; the Sala del Collegio where you can see theDoge's throne; Tintoretto's ceiling frescoes in the Sala delSenato and Tiepolo's painting of Neptune Bestowing GiftsUpon Venice in the Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci. For a reallyinteresting visit take the Secret Itinerary Tour of the PalazzoDucale.



Opening Hours: Daily 9:00am-7:00pm (until

5:00pm Nov-Mar; ticket office closes 1 hr. earlier)

Admission: with San Marco cumulative ticket


Address: Piazza San Marco, 1, 30122 Venice

15:00 Ponte dei Sospiri Rating: Bridge

Visit Time: 15 mins

The Bridge of Signs spans the Rio di Palazzo or PalaceRiver connecting the Doge's Palace with the Old Prison sothat convicts could go straight from being sentenced in thepalace courtrooms to their prison cell (or execution) acrossthe bridge. Rather than connecting two roads on either sideof the water, the bridge travels from one building to theother.

The origin of the name has several stories. Perhaps it got itsname because of the prisoners who crossed the bridge and"signed" as they had their last glimpse of the free worldthrough the bridge windows before being confined.Alternatively the bridge could have been named for thesighs of lovers as they pass beneath the bridge in aromantic gondola and watch the sunset. The poet LordByron immortalized the bridge in his writing: " I stood inVenice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace and prison on each

In the classic movie starringhand." A Little RomanceLaurence Olivier the legend was created which promisedeternal love to those who kissed on a gondola while passingbeneath the bridge at sunset as the bells of St. Mark's wereringing.

The bridge was designed by Antoni Contino and built in1602, it took about 2 years to build and is 11 meters wide.The Bridge of Signs is enclosed and made of whitelimestone, the two small windows on each side have stonebars on them. The bridge roof has a gentle arch whichechoes the bridge's arch over the water. The bridge isadorned with sculptured faces each with a sad or angryexpression.

You can see the Bridge of Signs from the outside by takinga boat ride beneath it or take the Secret Itinerary Tour of theDoge's Palace to see the bridge from inside.


Transportation: Vaporetto - San Zaccaria

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00am-noon; daily

4:00pm-6:00pm

Admission: Free admission


Address: Campo San Zaccaria, 4693, 30122

Venice


15:20 San Zaccaria Rating: Religious Sites

Visit Time: 45 mins

The church is thought to have originally been constructed inthe 9 century to house the relics of Saint Zaccaria, thethfather of John the Baptist. Although the original structureburnt down in 1105 a crypt still exists which holds theremains of 8 former doges (dukes of Venice). In the 12 thcentury the church was rebuilt and again in the 14 thcentury, this time in the Gothic architectural style. AntonioGambello and Mauro Codussi designed the church we seetoday which was completed in 1515.

The structure has a Byzantine campanile and a Gothic stylechoir but apart from that it is predominantly Renaissance isdesign. The faade appears to rise 6 levels from the ground,and is topped by a semi-circular roof and rounded corners.The incredible art displayed on the church walls betweenlarge Gothic windows includes work by Giovanni DomenicoTiepolo, Palma the Elder, Antonio Balestra, Giovanni Bellini,Giuseppe Salviati, Titoretto, Angelo Trevisani and VanDyck. The highlight of this church's art work is Bellini'spainting of Madonna with Child created in 1505.

In the 18 century the adjacent Benedictine convent gainedthinfamy as it took in unruly daughters from rich and influentialfamilies. These girls then got up to fun and games with astring of young, handsome "pilgrims".


Day 2, Mon Aug 10 2015Hour Where Recommended Visit Time

1. 09:00 Arsenale di Venezia 1 hour

2. 10:05 Museo Storico Navale 1 hour

3. 11:15 Riva degli Schiavoni 1 hour, 30 mins

4. 13:05 Collezione Peggy Guggenheim 1 hour, 30 mins

5. 14:40 Galleria dell'Accademia 1 hour, 30 mins

6. 16:15 Squero di San Trovaso 45 mins


Transportation: Vaporetto - Arsenale

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8:45am-1:30pm; Sat

closes at 1:00pm

Admission: 3


Address: 30122 Venice

09:00 Arsenale di Venezia Rating: Museums

Visit Time: 1 hour

This was once a vital complex of shipyards and armorieswhich served the city's powerful navy. The site was builtduring the Venetian Republic Era in about 1104 andremained operational until the end of the Republic in 1797.The large complex covered 110 acres and was surroundedby walls to deter inquisitive eyes. The complex was dividedinto different areas each producing a different part of theships. Every aspect of the shipping industry was coveredfrom the forest in Veneto which supplied the Arsenal withwood to the rigging, ropes, sails, munitions and othermaritime implements. The frame-first method of shipbuildingwas developed here and at its peak the 16,000 shipyardemployees could produce a ship a day. The shipyard wasthe largest preindustrial production center in the world and asymbol of venetian power. Munitions and weapons werealso developed here. Although the shipyard began as anaval ship building site it started to produce merchantvessels as well following the arsenal's expansion in 1320into Arsenale Nuovo. The Arsenale designers created thegalleon, an armed sailing ship which made up theSerenissima fleet and also developed the assembly linemodel of mass production.

The shipyard has a Classical revival gate, Porta Magna(1460) which may have been created by Antonio Gambellobased on a design by Bellini. Nearby are two statues of lionswhich were brought to Venice from Greece. The Arsenaldeclined in importance and today the site is used as a navalbase, a research center, a center for the preservation ofhistoric boats and during the Venice Biennale it is used asan exhibition space.


Transportation: Vaporetto - Arsenale

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8:45am-1:30pm; Sat

closes at 1:00pm

Admission: 3


Address: 30122 Venice


10:05 Museo Storico Navale Rating: Museums

Visit Time: 1 hour

This is Venice's naval and maritime history museum, itcovers 5 floors and includes two huge anchors, photos,models and artifacts. The Austrians began the collection in1815 when they occupied the city. They started byarchiving models of their ships and continued adding itemsfrom historic vessels. The museum has national importanceas it documents not only the maritime history of Venice butof the whole of Italy. You can see maritime artillery likecanons and cannon balls and torpedoes from WWII. Italy'sgreatest navel hero, Angelo Erno, who fought Algiers, ishonored by having an entire room dedicated to him.Francesco Morosini, a 17 century Admiral is also giventhspecial attention. He is best remembered for driving theTurks out of the Peloponnese. The Battle of Lepanto (1571)is highlighted, it was in this battle that the Venetian navyprevailed over the Turkish fleet. Among the many shipmodels is the historic Bucintoro, the ceremonial barge usedby the Doges of Venice during the Ascension Dayceremony. Other interesting sections of the museum are theGondola and non-military sea faring vessels and a collectionof beautiful sea shells.


Address: Riva degli Schiavoni, Venice


11:15 Riva degli Schiavoni Rating: Promenade


This Venice waterfront promenade is located betweenPiazza San Marco and the Arsenale and looks out acrossthe island of San Giorgio Maggiore. The site dates back tothe 9 century when it was created using silt brought upthfrom the water. The site was named after the Slavic cargomen who arrived in Venice by sea, Schiavoni meaning"Slavs" in Old Italian, the former name of Dalmatia.

Just like the market stalls which fill the space today therewere markets here in the 15 century, the foreign tradersthand seamen would sell their goods here. Apart from marketstalls there are restaurants, cafes, stores and bars along thepromenade as well as historic palaces which have beenconverted into hotels. Among the palace hotels is thePalazzo Dandolo which now houses the Hotel Danieli. Thebronze equestrian statue of Vittorio Emmanuel II honorsItaly's first king and was made in 1887 by Ettore Ferrari.

The Church of Santa Maria della Visitazione, also called thePieta, stands along the Riva Degli Schiavoni. The church isfamed for several beautiful statues and for one of thechurch's former congregation, the composer AntonioVivaldi. At the eastern point of the promenade is Ca'di Dio, a13 century hospice used by pilgrims making the journey toththe Holy Land. At the western point of the promenade is thePonte della Paglia or Bridge of Straw which connects thewalkway to St. Mark's Square.


Transportation: Vaporetto - Accademia

Web: www.guggenheim-venice.it

Opening Hours: Wed-Mon 10:00am-6:00pm

Admission: 12 adults, 10 over 65, 7 students

under 26 and children ages 10-18


Address: Dorsoduro, 30123 Venice


13:05 Collezione Peggy Guggenheim Rating: Museums


This is a modern art museum of paintings and sculptureswhich were collected by American Peggy Guggenheim. Themuseum is housed within the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni,Peggy Guggenheim's former home. In 1951 PeggyGuggenheim first welcomed the public into her home, on aseasonal basis to view her private collection and followingher death in 1979 the Guggenheim Foundation opened themuseum year-round to the general public. The museum isone of the most popular in Venice.

The collection consists of 20 century art from Europe andthAmerica, the core collection holds works by Picasso,Braque, Brancusi, Severini, Picabia, de Chirico, Mondrian,Dali, Pollock, Kandinsky, Miro, Giacometti, Klee, Leger,Ernst, Magritte, Gorky, Calder and Marini. The Hannelore B.and Rudolph B. Schulhof Collection is on permanent loan tothe museum. The collection includes works dated after 1945from Europe and America. The Gianni Mattioli Collectionincludes 26 masterpieces on long term loan and featureswork in the Italian Futurism genre like Boccioni's Dynamismof a Cyclist and Carra's Interventionist Demonstration. Thereare also early works by Morandi and a portrait f Modigliani.The Patsy R. Raymond D. Nasher Sculpture Garden is partof the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. The palace's outdoorspace has been used to display works by Arp,Duchamp-Villon, Moore, Flanagan and more.

The museum is housed in an 18 century palace on thethGrand Canal, designed by Lorenzo Boschetti, however thebuilding was never completed. It is unknown why the palacewas never completed. The palace has a distinctive faade,which is unusually long and low on the water. The faade ismade of Istrian stone. The home changed owners, from theillustrious and powerful Venier family to Marchesa LuisaCasati who owned the property from 1910 to 1924. PeggyGuggenheim made the palace her home away from home in1949 and remained here until her death in 1979.


Transportation: Vaporetto - Accademia

Web: www.gallerieaccademia.org

Opening Hours: Mon 8:15am-2:00pm; Tue-Sun

8:15am-7:15pm; last admission 45 min. before

closing

Admission: 6.50 adults, 3.25 EU citizens 18-25

and free for EU citizens younger than 18, free for

children under 12.


Address:


14:40 Galleria dell'Accademia Rating: Museums


This museum is one of the world's greatest museums andone of the city's top attractions. It is housed within theScuola della Carita (1343), Convento dei CanoniciLateranensi (1561) and the Church of Santa Maria dellaCarita in the Dorsoduro Quarter. It began as Venice's artschool, Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia but becameindependent in 1879. The approach to the museumentrance is via the wooden arch of the Pontedell'Accademia.

The art work in the museum collections is displayedchronologically and some sections are arranged in thematicgroups throughout 24 rooms. The pieces are all from the18th century or earlier. The artists featured were all majorinfluences on European art as a whole. Some of thehighlights of the museum include da Vinci's Vitruvian Man(1487); Giorgione's The Tempest; Lorenzo Lotto's Portrait ofa Young Man; Carpaccio's Crucifixion and Glorification ofthe Ten Thousand Martyrs of Mount Ararat; Mantegna's StGeorge and Paolo Veronese's The Feast in the House ofLevi. Other featured artists include Bellini, Pacino diBonaguida, Carriera, Michele Giambono, Francesco Guardi,Pietro Longhi, Rocco, Tiepolo, Titian and Veronese.

You can see works by the earliest recorded Venetian artistslike Paol Veneziano, in fact the museum gives you a prettygood lesson in the history of Venetian art up until the 18 thcentury.


Transportation: Vaporetto - Zattere

Admission: Free

Address: Squero di San Trovaso, Venice


16:15 Squero di San Trovaso Rating: Landmark

Visit Time: 45 mins

This is a 17 century boatyard located next to the SanthTrovaso Church, it is one of three remaining gondola repairyards in the city and it is the oldest. The boat buildersoriginated from the Italian Alps and so the style of boats thatvisitors can see constructed today are Tyrolean. The highlyskilled gondola builders have been making the traditionalboats here for generations and they are the same boatsused today to ferry visitors down the canals of Venice.Today the boatyard is used more for repairs than forconstruction and it services the 350 gondolas which travelthe canals.

The traditional structure of a gondola requires 8 types ofwood and according to a 16 century law must be paintedthblack. They take about 45 days to construct. The vesselsare asymmetrical with the right side always being lower asthe gondolier stands at the back on the left. The Venetiangondolas all have an iron symbol, the , of the cityferroaffixed to the bow and a or wooden oarlock.forcoleOccasionally the Squero di San Trovaso boatyard does getan order to produce a new boat in accordance with tradition.

Unfortunately the boatyard is not open to the public but youcan get a peek inside the yard from across the Rio SanTrovaso or take a guided tour of one of the other, lessphotogenic, squero.

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Venice in 2 Days Top Attractions