Castello - The largest sestiere. and other Venice, Italy Things to Do Tips

Castello is Venice's largest sestiere, extending from the Rialto to Sant Helena at eastern tip of the city. It's also one of the oldest parts of the city of Venice. It has been inhabited since the 5th century and has a number of attractions for the visitors to Venice, like the Basilica of San Pietro di Castello, the Arsenale di Venezia and the very old low-rise, close clustered buildings.

Castello is a sestiere of 2 very different halves, Castello's grander northern and western area which is closely linked with the centres of power of the city, while the districts around and to the east of the Arsenale used to be home to Venice's most important industries. We explored both parts in one huge hike and were amazed by its monumental magnificence.

We started at the vapareto stop of Giardini an enjoyed the park at the Viale Garibaldi. There are only a few opportunities for enjoying parks in Venice, as most of the gardens are private. The largest green space is the Gardini di Castello, where we found shaded benches and other benches with views over the Saint Matrk's Basin.

Address:
Sestiere of Castello.

Directions:
(North) Eastern of Piazza San Marco – a 5 minute walk.

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We immediately headed for the most eastern part of the city, Sant'Elena, to visit the Basilica of San Pietro di Castello, which was the main church of Venice, prior to the construction of the Basilia in San Marco. The San Pietro di Castello is actually an island. We could visit it by going over one of the two bridges from mainland Venice. It is named Castello, because the island used to be the home of a sixth-century castle, which was turned into the seat of the Bishop of Venice when the seventh century rolled out.

Due to this historical magnificence we had our mind set on visiting this Basilica and we were not disapointed. When we entered the Basilica we noticed that the floor plan resembled that of a Latin cross. It has a single nave that is capped by a deep chancel, and two aisles with their own side chapels. The interior boasts a delightful chapel covered in priceless marble and baroque statues, as well as a remarkable altarpiece.

We learned that the Basilica undergone numerous restaurations and renovations throughout the years since it was built. Once we left the island we had one look back at the Basilica of San Pietro di Castello and had a good look at the amazing white facade done by Andrea Smeraldi and its major future, the bell tower.

Operating hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10:00h - 17:00h
Sunday: 13:00h - 17:00h

Address:
Sestiere of Castello.

Directions:
(North) Eastern of Piazza San Marco – a 5 minute walk.

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Phone: +39 041275 0642

After this visit we walked back to the Via Giuseppe Garibaldi and headed for the Arsenale di Venezia. The low-rise, close clustered buildings of this working-class area housed the employees of the Arsenale, most of which now lies poignantly derelict. The Arsenale, the ship-building yards of the Venetian fleet, is now closed to the public, because the Italian navy have a base in the old complex. It used to be a mighty complex of dockyards, foundries, magazines and workshops for carpenters, sailmakers, ropemakers and blacksmiths, that had the capability of building a ship in a day.

The impressive military construction of the Arsenale was begun in 1104 and was continually extended from the 14th to the 16th century. It is surrounded by high walls with square towers bearing the insignia of the winged lion. During its golden age, over 16.000 people worked at the Arsenale. The Arsenale di Venezia has two docks and lots of huge buildings. What became known as the Arsenale Vecchio (Old Arsenale) is the core of the whole complex. We loved the sight we had at the most notable structure of the Arsenale di Venezia, the Porta dell'Arsenale, the land gateway. We also had a look at the Corderie, where the ropes were made. The Arsenale is trully an amazing structure. But, to get a better understanding of the naval history of Venice visit the closeby Navy Museum.

Address:
Sestiere of Castello.

Directions:
(North) Eastern of Piazza San Marco – a 5 minute walk.

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We continued walking through this beautiful sestiere. We were amazed by the large number of churches. There is San Giorgio dei Greci, with its adjoining museum of icons, and Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, with its captivating cycle of paintings by Carpaccio.

Finally we arrived at campo Giovannie Paola. This square is constantly buzzing with both Venetians and tourists and is surrounded by the huge Basilica and Scuola Grande di San Marco. The two churches are the most magnificent examples of religious Gothic architecture in Venice. The massive Gothic brick church of the 14th century, founded by the Dominican friars, rivals the Franciscans' Frari in size. And don't forget that the remains of the 25 chief magistrates are buried here. It has much grandeur, is the richest monumental public space in Venice after the Piazza and probably therefore we had our most expensive bear of Venice there.

So, our conclusion about the sestiere of Castello, is that it has a split personality. Part of Castello is the ultimate tourist hell. And the other part is trully Venetian. It has some major historical spots that are not even know - much less visited - by most travelers to Venice.

Address:
Sestiere of Castello.

Directions:
(North) Eastern of Piazza San Marco – a 5 minute walk.

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San Polo is the smallest sestiere. It's the 2nd most important area of the city in terms of historical importance and attractions for the visitors to Venice. In this district it is still customery to "live over the shop", which means that dwellings and workplaces are often combined. But it's also one of the most confusing parts of the city to navigate through.

This sestiere runs to the east of the Rio di San Polo to the Rialto Bridge. San Polo has been the liveliest quarter of Venice since the 11th century when it became the centre for the city's markets. Even up till today it's still home to the Rialto Market, which used to be the centre of trade and commerce for the Venetian Empire. Today, from Tuesday to Saterday in the morning hours there is still a major market here besides the Rialto Bridge. The fish market offers remarkably good value for money.

Address:
Sestiere of San Polo.

Directions:
Western of Piazza San Marco – a 7 minute walk.

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As we walked through the narrow and meandering streets of San Polo we passed by some of the oldest buildings in Venice, like the small church of San Giacomo di Rialto, which is genally agreed to be the first of the city's churches. Tradition has it that it was founded in AD 421. The district of San Polo offers numerous fine restaurants hidden away in these old back-streets. The enjoyment of food is still honoured here, even in its most simple and popular forms.

We stayed at a great B&B at the Campo San Polo, which is one of the oldest and largest squares of Venice. This campo is the heart of the San Polo district. It's a beautiful square and especially the north east side of it faces some extremely beautiful palazzo's. The San Polo church at the corner is from the 9th century and has all kinds of architecture in it, which makes it a very nice church to visit. Throughout the calender year this square is a venue for numerous events, especially during the Carnaval.

Address:
Sestiere of San Polo.

Directions:
Western of Piazza San Marco – a 7 minute walk.

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Finally it's impossible to miss the massive Scuola Grande di San Rocco. This church is a 16th century renaissance building dedicated to Saint Roch, the protector of the sick and plague stricken people. The building is still active as a popular venue for classical concerts in the evenings. It contains as extraordinary collection of the works of Tintoretto.

Our conclusion is that San Polo is a great sestiere where we found numerous wine bars and were able to try several Venetian snacks while enjoying delicious local wines at very reasonable prices.

Address:
Sestiere of San Polo.

Directions:
Western of Piazza San Marco – a 7 minute walk.

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The Dorsoduro district is a relatively central area of the city, located on the opposite side of the Canal Grande from the San Marco district. The name Dorsoduro (literally "hard ridge") probably reflects the nature of the land in this area, slightly higher and more solid than the other portions of land that emerged form the lagoon. For us it offered a chance to explore this delightful part of the city free from the massive crowds.

We started our walk through this Sestiere at the Accademia Gallery, which provides the most complete overview of Venetian art history through the century. Via the Rio Terrα Foscarini we arrived at the Zattere, which is a long jetty that goes as far as Santa Maria. It was built in 1516 to unload the timber which rafts (zattere) brought down the river. We definately admired the old Ospedale degli Incurabili building. This was built by the Venetian Republic in the 16th century. It was turned over to the military in 1806.

Address:
Sestiere of Dorsadoro.

Directions:
South western of Piazza San Marco – a 10 minute walk.

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We had a nice cold beer at one of the many terraces and enjoyed the view at the island of Guidecca and its amazing Palladio's Redentore Church. We continued our walk to Squeoro di San Trovaso, the most picturesque gondola workshop of Venice. Unlucky for us, nobody was working on a gondola, but we had a good impression of the atmosphere and hive of acticities anyway. During our walk towards our final destination we saw, admired and visited numerous churches like the Chiesa di San Sebastian and Chiesa Santa Maria dei Carmine.

Our final destination was the Campo Santa Margherita which is the heart of the Dorsoduro district and a popular venue for the Venetians to congregate in the evening hours. At the left side of the square we spotted the amazing Scuola dei Varoti (1725), a former tannery.

Address:
Sestiere of Dorsadoro.

Directions:
South western of Piazza San Marco – a 10 minute walk.

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At another visit to Dorsoduro we went to the Santa della Maria Salute Church, which is one of the most famous landmarks of Venice. Standing at the entrance of the Canal Grande, it was built to celebrate the end of a plague that killed over a third of Venice's population. It's baroque style evokes the themes of heaven and water, and was held as the symbol of Venice's victory over the plague. Especially the inside of the church was overwhelming!

Finally the district offers the recently restored Ca Rezzonico from the Canal Grande, a delightful baroque Palazzo and we walked by the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. Conclusion: a great Sestiere!

Address:
Sestiere of Dorsadoro.

Directions:
South western of Piazza San Marco – a 10 minute walk.

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