The Canal Grande (Grand Canal), about three and a half kilometres (two and a half miles) in length, snakes through Venice, its great double backwards S curve giving the city's sestieri their shape.
The
most interesting stretch is between Vallaresso vaporetto stop, near Piazza
San Marco, in the south-east and the station (Ferrovia) in the north-west
.The trip takes about half an hour and is worth repeating at different times od day (and night).
Strictly speaking, it is wrong to refer to alla Venetian passenger ferries as vaporetti; only the larger, slower, more rounded boat with more room for luggage and those much sought-after outside seats at the front is a genuine vaporetto, while the sleeker, smaller and faster boat with outside seats only at the back is a motoscafo. As for the charming double-decker steamer that crosses the lagoon to Burano and Torcello, that's a motonave.
From 'Vaporetto stop Vallaresso' to 'Vaporetto stop
Rialto'
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The San Marco shore
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Grand Canal
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The Salute shore (South-east) |
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Vaporetto stop Vallaresso
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At the corner of Calle Vallaresso is the self-effacing
Harry's Bar, the near legendary Venetian watering-hole, founded
by Arrigo Cipriani senior
in the 1930s. The first notable building is Ca' Giustinian, in the late Gothic style of the 1470s. It is now the headquarters of Biennale. A little further on is the narrow Gothic Palazzo Contarini Fasan, traditionally, but quite arbitrarily, known as desdemona's house (the Vallaresso stop is used to be called San Marco) |
The view of
the left bank begins with the Dogana di Mare (Customs House,
1677), with its tower, gilded ball and weather vane figure of Fortune. After the Patriarchal Seminary, by Longhena (1671), is the church of Santa Maria della Salute. Baldassarre Longhena's audacious baroque creation took 50 years to build. On 21 November a procession from San Marco makes its way across a bridge of boats to the church. |
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Vaporetto stop Salute | |||
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former abbey of San Gregorio is the first building beyond this stop,
with a fine 14th century relief of St Gregory over a Gothic doorway. Palazzo Salviati is a 19th century building with gaudy mosaics advertising the products pf the Salviati glassworks. Next comes the pure, lopsided charm of the Renaissance Ca' Dario, built in 1740s. Next but one is the single-storey Palazzo Venier dei Leoni. Art collector Peggy Guggenheim lived here from 1949-79; she was the last person in Venice to have her own private gondola. The building now contains the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. After pretty Gothic Palazzo da' Mula comes 16th century Palazzo Barbarigo, disfigured by some tacky 19th century mosaics. The building gives on to Campo San Vio, one of the few campi on the Gran Canal. In the corner is the Anglican church of St George. |
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Vaporetto stop Santa Maria del Giglio
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The Palazzo Corner della Ca' Grande is now the
Prefecture.
After one of the few Grand Canal gardens comes the bashful Casetta delle Rose, set back behind its own small trellised garden. Canova had a studio here. The penultimate buildings before the Accademia Bridge are the two Palazzi Barbaro. The second one (15th century) still partly belongs to the Curtis family. |
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Ponte dell'Accademia
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Accademia Bridge | ||
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The Ca' del Duca incorporates in one corner a part
of the rusticated base columns of a apalace that Bartolomeo Bon
was going to build for the Cornaro family.
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Vaporetto stop Accademia | |||
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and monastery of Santa Maria della Carità, the Galleria
dell'Accademia now boasts an unrivalled collection of Venetian
paintings. The first palazzo after the Accademia Bridge houses the Bristish Vice-Consulate. Just before the Ca' Rezzonico stop is the 15th century Palazzo Loredan. |
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Vaporetto stop San Samuele
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Beyond this stop is Palazzo Grassi. This
was the last of the great patrician palazzi, built in grand style
by Giorgio Massari in 1748-72 when the city was in terminal decline.
A little further on are the four Palazzi Mocenigo, with blue and white poles in the water (Byron lived here). |
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Vaporetto stop Ca' Rezzonico | |||
| Ca' Rezzonico
is a baroque masterpiece by Longhena. It was begun in 1667 for the
Bon family, then sold to the Rezzonico family.. The building now contains
the Museum of 18th Century Venice. After two smaller buildings come three magnificent mid-15th century Gothic palazzi. The first two are the palazzi Giustinian (Wagner stayed here); the last and largest is Ca' Foscari. |
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Vaporetto stop San Tomà | |||
| A little way
beyond the stop is the palazzo Pisani Moretta, a large Gothic palazzo
of the 15th century. Just beyond the Rio San Polo is the 16th century Palazzo Cappello layard.. |
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Vaporetto stop Sant'Angelo
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Next is the small-scale Palazzo Corner Spinelli,
built in the last decade of the 15th century by Mauro Codussi. It
is one of the most beautiful early Renaissance buildings in Venice.
Three palazi further on stands the pink Palazzo Benzon, home of Countess Marina Querini-Benzon, a great society figure at the end of the 18th century. After several more palazzi comes another High Renaissance building similar dimensions to Sansovino's Ca' Corner: Palazzo Grimani, by Sanmicheli. Palazzo Farsetti and Palazzo Loredan are Veneto-Byzantine buildings that now house the Town Hall and various municipal offices. These two adjoining palazzi are among the few survuvung examples of the 12th century Venetian house. Palazzetto Dandolo is a Gothic building that appears to have been squeezed tight by its neighbours. |
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Vaporetto stop San Silvestro | |||
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Rialto Bridge are few houses with Veneto-Byzantine windows and decorations.. |
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