Castello is a district of Venice.
Geographic hints
The
Castello district is the largest and second largest in the city. It is a
peninsula and borders to the north-west with the Cannaregio district in
the stretch between Fondamente Nove and Campo Santa Marina, and to the
south-west with the San Marco district in the stretch between the parish
of San Lio and Piazza San Marco. One of the bridges that connect
Castello with the San Marco district is the Ponte della Paglia which
connects the pier in the small square of San Marco with the Riva degli
Schiavoni, crossing the Rio di Palazzo (adjacent to the Doge's Palace).
The Castello district is connected to that of Cannaregio via the bridge
of Santi Giovanni e Paolo which, in front of the homonymous basilica,
crosses the Rio dei Mendicanti a few steps from the monument to
Bartolomeo Colleoni by Verrocchio. Castello is also the only one of the
Venetian districts not facing the Grand Canal.
Background
The
name of the district derives from a fortification present in the early
Middle Ages on the island of Olivolo, today the island of San Pietro di
Castello. Here is the basilica of San Pietro di Castello, the episcopal
seat until 1807, the year in which Napoleon moved it to the basilica of
San Marco, until then the doge's chapel and used only for special
events. At the beginning of its history it was divided into the two
Gemine islands and the island of Olivolo, later united to form the
current district.
Going east from Piazza San Marco along the fondamenta, you will first
cross the Riva degli Schiavoni, then the Riva di Ca' de Dio, the Riva
San Biasio, the Riva dei Sette Martiri, the Viale Giardini Pubblici
(along the Piazza della Biennale) and finally Viale Vittorio Veneto
(with the vaporetto stop further south). At the transition from Riva San
Biasio to Riva dei Sette Martiri, Via Garibaldi goes in a north-easterly
direction. This street is the only one in Venice with a name starting
with "Via". In Via Garibaldi you will find many cheap or average
restaurants. The whole neighborhood is a popular neighborhood even
discovered by some tourists.
Riva degli Schiavoni — Riva degli
Schiavoni is a pier in Venice, not far from Piazza San Marco. The quay
takes its name from the Dalmatian traders (Schiavonia, the land of the
Slavs) along the Canale di San Marco. The Riva degli Schiavoni serves as
a landing stage for many boats on the Venetian islands.
On boat
San Marco/Zaccaria Pieta "A". 14 15
San Marco/Zaccaria
(M.V.E.) "B". 2 7 20 Blu. From here the vaporettos leave for San Lazzaro
degli Armeni.
San Marco/Zaccaria (Jolanda) "C". 4.2 5.2
San
Marco/Zaccaria (Jolanda) "D". 4.1 N (direction Giudecca and P.Le Roma).
San Marco/Zaccaria (Danieli) "E". 1 (direction P.Le Roma), N (direction
canal).
San Marco/Zaccaria (Danieli) "F". 1 (direction Lido), 5.1
(direction Lido).
Arsenal. 1 4.1 4.2 Blue.
Gardens. 1 2 8 No.
Biennial Gardens. 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 6
San Pietro di Castello. 4.1 4.2
5.1 5.2
Basins. 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 22 Blue.
Celestia. 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2
St. Helena. 1 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 6
Hospital. 5.1 5.2 Blue.
Graveyard.
4.1 4.2
1 Basilica of Saints John and Paul (S. Zanipolo), Castello 6363, ☎
+39 041 5235913, info@santigiovanniepaolo.it. Full price €3.5, reduced
price €1.5 (Aug 2021). Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun and holidays 12:00-18:00.
The church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (S. Zanipolo is a dialectical
contraction) dedicated to the Roman martyrs Giovanni and Paolo belongs
to the Dominican order. It rises in the most monumental square in Venice
after Piazza San Marco. The facade is unfinished but next to it is the
beautiful facade of the former Scuola Grande di San Marco, now a civil
hospital, all encrusted with polychrome marble. The church houses the
remains of numerous Venetian personalities, including many doges. Made
for the Dominicans, it was built in Gothic style between 1234 and 1343,
but the internal embellishments continued at least until 1430, when it
was consecrated. Of grandiose dimensions (101 meters by 45.80 of
transept and 32 of height) the interior is severe and airy. Like many
Venetian buildings, the columns are not entirely vertical due to the
subsidence of the ground.
The cathedral houses a large number of
works of art. Pietro Lombardo created the marble tomb of Doge Pietro
Mocenigo on the west side of the cathedral (1481). Giovanni Bellini
painted nine paintings of the life of the Dominican monks: the saints
Vincenzo Ferrer, Cristoforo and Sebastiano. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta
painted the chapel of S. Domenico on the right side of the cathedral,
the frescoes of San Domenico in Gloria are some of the master's best
works. Tullio Lombardo created the tomb of Doge Andrea Vendramin on the
north wall of the choir. The chapel of the Rosary was decorated with the
Veronese (Assumption, Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi on the
ceiling of the chapel; Adoration of the shepherds in the chapel). Piero
di Niccolo and Giovanni Lamberti di Martino created the tomb of Doge
Tommaso Mocenigo in the north nave. Saints Vincent Ferrer, Christopher
and Sebastian. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta painted the chapel of S.
Domenico on the right side of the cathedral, the frescoes of San
Domenico in Gloria are some of the master's best works. Tullio Lombardo
created the tomb of Doge Andrea Vendramin on the north wall of the
choir. The chapel of the Rosary was decorated with the Veronese
(Assumption, Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi on the ceiling of
the chapel; Adoration of the shepherds in the chapel).
In the campo,
in front of the church, is the monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni, the work
of Verrocchio and one of the greatest monuments of Renaissance statuary.
2 Church of San Zaccaria, Campo San Zaccaria (Vaporetto Line 1 S,
Zaccaria), ☎ +39 041 5221257. €1.00. Mon-Sat 10am-12pm, 4pm-6pm. The
church was built in the 9th century to house the relics of San Zaccaria
(father of Giovanni Battista), donated to the city of Venice by the
Byzantine emperor Leo V. After a serious fire in 1105, it was rebuilt
and rebuilt between 1458 and 1515 The construction of the church began
in the Gothic style under the direction of Antonio Gambello. And from
the second floor up it was built according to a project by Mauro
Codussi. The facade of the church is one of the best examples of early
Renaissance Venetian architecture. The internal layout is mostly Gothic,
but with Renaissance decorations. Above the second altar on the left
side is the main masterpiece of the church - the painting by Giovanni
Bellini "Madonna and Child with Saints". Napoleon was fascinated by this
painting and in 1797 he took it with him to Paris, where it was kept for
20 years. The church has two chapels: San Tarasio and the chapel of
Sant'Atanasio. The first contains the Gothic altars of the ancient
church of Luigi da Forlì (1443-1444) with paintings by Vivarini, Plebano
and d'Alemagne, in a semi-flooded crypt are the remains of eight Doges
who ruled from 836 to 1172 The chapel of Sant'Atanasio was originally
the central part of the church, in 1595 it was transformed into a
chapel. Here in the Vittorio altar is a painting by Tintoretto "The
Birth of John the Baptist". The sculptor Alessandro Vittorio created for
the church a statue of San Zaccaria on the facade and a statue of John
the Baptist next to a bowl of holy water. The sculptor himself was
buried in 1608 on the left edge of the choir gallery. In the Middle
Ages, every year at Easter, the Doge attended Mass in this church.
3 Church of S. Francesco della Vigna, Campo San Francesco della
Vigna, ☎ +39 041 5206102. 08:00-12:00, 16:30-18:00. Tradition has it
that the name of this church derives more or less from the vineyards
that were given to the minor monks by Marco Ziani, son of Pietro Doge,
in 1253. In 1534 the church was built on the site of the monastery. It
was designed by Sansovino who oversaw the construction of the work
itself. The facade was built at a later time (1568-1577) based on a
project by Andrea Palladio. Two bronze statues by Tiziano Aspetti are in
the niches on the facade: on the left there is a statue of Moses and on
the right there is a statue of Saint Paul. The interior of San Francesco
della Vigna is a Latin cross with a central nave, side chapels, an altar
and a deeper choir.
Francesco Zorzi was a Franciscan in charge of the
works for the building of the church. He was an expert in cabala and was
based on the number 3, as he wanted the proportions of the building to
include, in addition to the symbol of the Trinity, also the Pythagorean
musical consonances, so that the church "fully reflected the universal
harmony". according to the principles of hermeticism. The church was to
be 3 times the width in length: 27 (3x9) feet long by 9 (3x3) feet wide;
the side chapels were to be 3 feet wide (Venetian foot) and the chapel
behind the altar was to measure 6 feet wide by 9 feet long. The number 3
recalls the fundamental notes of the Pythagorean musical tradition (Do,
Sol, Mi) which in the musical cabala expressed the Holy Spirit (Do -
Body - length of the nave), the Son (Mi - the Soul - the width of the
side chapels ) and finally the Father (Sol - the Spirit - the height of
the chapel behind the choir). Furthermore, for Zorzi, the ratios of the
dimensions of the church had to correspond to the musical intervals: the
dimensional ratios of the church 4/3 correspond, for example, to the
Fourth, the ratios 3/6 to the Octave and the ratios 6/9 to the Fifth.
4 Church of the Pietà (Santa Maria della Visitazione). The church
was built in the 15th century to a design by Giorgio Massari, and was
consecrated in 1760. The building is one of the most elegant and
evocative of the 7th century, in the 18th century it housed an orphanage
and a hospital. On the ceiling of the main entrance there is a wonderful
fresco by Tiepolo: Fortitude Peace is one of his greatest masterpieces.
Also noteworthy are the frescoes that adorn the vault of the choir,
which make up the Triumph of Faith. Here Tiepolo excelled himself,
painting the Glory of Paradise.
The church is also known among
classical music aficionados as the church where Catholic priest and
composer Antonio Vivaldi worked for most of his life.
5
Church of
San Giovanni in Bragora, Campo Bandiera e Moro, ☎ +39 041 5205906.
06:00-11:00, 17:00-19:00. The Gothic-style church was founded at the
beginning of the 8th century, rebuilt in the 9th century, then again -
between 1475 and 1505. In the side altar to the left of the main altar
there is a triptych by Bartolomeo Vivarini “Madonna col Bambino, S.
Giovanni e S. Andrea" (1478). The main altar is adorned with the work of
Cima da Conegliano, The Baptism of Christ (1492-1494). In the first left
side chapel is the "Resurrection" by Alvise Vivarini (1498). The church
is famous for the fact that Antonio Vivaldi and Pietro Barbo, the future
Pope Paul II, were baptized here. Currently, the church contains the
incorruptible relics of the Holy Patriarch of Alexandria John the
Merciful, a thorn of the crown of thorns of the Savior, as well as a
cross from the Tree of the Holy Life-giving Cross of the Lord.
6
Church of San Giorgio dei Greci. The church was built in 1539, as soon
as the Greeks obtained permission to build a church and school in the
Republic. It was completed by Chianantonio and consecrated in 1561. The
interior is truly magnificent: the hemispherical dome is worth
mentioning, with the center covered in frescoes by G. of Cyprus.
7 Basilica of San Pietro di Castello, Campo di San Pietro (Vaporetto:
Line 5.1 Piazzale Roma, Railway). €3.00 reduced €1.50. Mon - Sat.
10am-6pm, Sun 2am-5.30pm. It was founded in 775 on the site of an
ancient Roman castle, from which it took its name. Cathedral of Venice
until 1807, when the seat was transferred to San Marco. In its current
form, the church was built in 1557-1559 by the architect Smeraldi. In
1588 Andrea Palladio began to rebuild the church. The monumental facade
is from 1594-1596 and the bell tower, designed by Mauro Codussi
(1482-1490). There is also a throne on the back of which there are
sentences from the Koran and an Islamic motif, it is believed that it
was used by St. Peter in Antioch.
Next to the church is the
fifteenth-century bell tower by Codussi, inclined like the Leaning Tower
of Pisa.
8 Church of Santa Maria Formosa, Campo Santa Maria
Formosa, ☎ +39 041 5234645. 08:30-12:30, 17:00-19:00. The Church is one
of the eight churches built in the 7th century by San Magno, Bishop of
Oderzo. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to him in the form
of a well-proportioned matron. The church was built several times over
the centuries: in 1668 it was rebuilt after being damaged by an
earthquake and after several renovations, the last reconstruction of the
entire building was carried out between 1916 and 1921, with funds made
available by the Government and by Count Venier. The Baroque bell tower
was built in 1668 to a design by Francesco Zucconi. The facade of the
church overlooking the canal was built using money donated by the
Cappello family, in honor of Captain Vincenzo Cappello, who defeated the
Turks. The interior was decorated by Mauro Coducci and is built
according to the Latin cross pattern on the previous Greek cross
foundations. It has a central nave and aisles, choir, transepts with
cross vaults and hemispherical dome. The church also houses some
wonderful paintings by Bartolomeo Vivarini, Palma il Giovane and Palma
il Vecchio.
9 Church of San Martino. The church was built to a
design by Sansovino in 1540. The facade of the church is very
interesting: brick was used to build the Renaissance facade, which is
very unusual, as it was used to build Gothic temples).
10
Church
of Santa Maria della Fava (Santa Maria della Consolazione). The church
as it stands was designed by Antonio Gaspari in 1711, while the apse and
presbytery (1750) were completed by Giorgio Massari. The right altar of
the church is adorned with the famous painting by Tiepolo "St. Anne, the
Young Mary and St. Joachim" (1732), and the left - with the painting by
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta "Theotokos with St. Philip". Some statues of
saints and evangelists were sculpted by Giuseppe Bernardi. On the sides
of the altar, by Massari, are the two angels Giovanni Maria Morlitera.
11 Church of Sant'Antonin (church of Sant'Antonino martyr).
12
Church of San Biagio (San Biagio dei Marinai).
13
Church of San
Lorenzo. From the 9th century.
14 Oratory of the Ca' di Dio (Church
of Santa Maria della Ca' di Dio).
15 Church of the Madonna
dell'Arsenale.
16 Church of Sant'Anna.
17
Church of Sant'Elena.
18 Church of Santa Giustina.
19
Church of Santa Maria del Pianto.
20 Church of the Ospedaletto (Santa Maria dei Derelitti). Baldassare
Longena created a monumental facade with sculptures for this church
(1668-1674).
21 Church of San Francesco di Paola.
22
Church of San
Giovanni di Malta (San Giovanni al Tempio or also dei Furlani).
23
Church of San Giovanni Nuovo (San Zan Novo).
24
Church of San
Giuseppe di Castello.
25 Church of San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti.
26
Church of San Lio.
27 Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni (Scuola Dàlmata dei Santi
Giorgio e Trifone), Calle dei Furlani, Castello 3259/A (vaporetto line
1-5 or 1-5-2 for S.Zaccaria), ☎ +39 041 5228828. Adults €4, reduced €2.
Tue-Sat 10am-12.30pm and 3pm-6pm, Sun 10am-12.30pm. Built by Slavic
traders from Dalmatia residing in Venice. On the ground floor you will
find a wonderful cycle of paintings dedicated to venerated saints in
Dalmatia, created by Vittore Carpaccio between 1502 and 1509 depicting
the lives of San Giorgio, Tryfone and Jerome. On the second floor there
is a luxurious ceiling in the center.
28 Historical Archive of
Contemporary Arts of the Venice Biennale (ASAC Library), Paludo S.
Antonio, 830 (vaporetto line 1 or 2 for Castello), ☎ +39 041 5218790.
Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. An archive annexed to the gardens of the Biennale
where the Biennale keeps records relating to the exhibitions of the
Biennale and to 20th century art, from 1895 onwards.
29
Great School
of San Marco. The Scuola was founded in 1260 and belongs to one of the
six great Venetian schools. The Scuola San Marco housed a hospital, an
orphanage and training facilities. After a fire in 1485 a modern
building was built by the architects Tulio Lombardi and M. Codussi. The
facade of the building is a well-preserved example of Renaissance
architecture. The statues were made by Bartolomeo Bon and Tullio
Lombardo. Located on the ground floor, the Sala Capitolare has a
16th-century wooden ceiling and a Sansovino-style altar. In the
reception hall, the masters Pietro and Biagio Faenza decorated the
ceiling with blue and gold. In the same room is the Medical Library. The
top floor originally housed the series of Stories of San Marco by
Carpaccio, Bellini and Tintoretto, later transferred in part to the
Galleria dell'Accademia.
30 Hospital of Saints Peter and Paul.
31 Naval History Museum, Riva S. Biasio Castello, 2148, ☎ +39 041
2441399. €1.55. Mon-Fri 08:45-13:30 - Sat 08:45-13:00. The Naval History
Museum, owned by the Navy, is located in the Venice Arsenale. The museum
collects historical testimonies concerning navigation and in particular
the Italian maritime history and the Venetian navy. Be sure to see the
model of the buchintoro, the lavishly decorated and gilded ship that the
Doge used to sail. Unfortunately, in 1798, Napoleon ordered the
destruction of the Buchintoro, built in 1728, but we still have this
historical copy. The shell collection is also interesting.
32
Sant'Apollonia diocesan museum of sacred art, Monumental complex of
Sant'Apollonia Fondamenta della Canonica (vaporetto line 1-5 or 1-5-2
for San Zaccaria), ☎ +39 0415229166. €4.00, reduced €2 ,50. Thu-Tue
10am-5pm. Religious furnishings and objects from churches and convents
now demolished, one of the most evocative Romanesque cloisters in
Venice.
33 Museo Dipinti Sacri Bizantini (Hellenic Institute), Ponte
dei Greci, Castello 3412 (vaporetto line 1-5 or 1-5-2 for San Zaccaria),
☏ +39 041 5226581. Adults €4, reduced €3.50. 09:00-16:30. Collection of
Greek, Cretan and Venetian icons from the 14th to the 18th century.
34 Fondazione Querini Stampalia (Palazzo Querini Stampalia), Castello
5252 (near Camp S.Maria Formosa, vaporetto lines 1-5, 1-5-2 for San
Zaccaria), ☎ +39 0412711411. Adults €10, reduced €8. Mon-Sun
10:00-18:00; 25 and 26 December, 1 January. A small collection of
14th-18th century paintings by Bellini, Palma, Ricci, Tiepolo and
Longhi. The Palazzo Querini-Stampaglia was built in the 16th century and
was renovated in 1961-1963 by the modernist Carlo Scarpa. The most
interesting in the gallery: a garden, a staircase and an easel with a
painting by early Bellini "Taking to the Temple". Also interesting are
69 paintings by Gabriele Bell "Scenes of public life in Venice" (18th
century). In addition to the gallery, the palace also houses a
contemporary art and architecture bookshop, a designer glassworks, a
public library with Internet access, and contemporary art exhibitions.
On Fridays and Saturdays at 17.00 and 20.30 - concerts of 18th century
music. Piazza Querini in front of the castle is very picturesque in
itself: three canals converge here, over which there are three bridges.
35 Palazzo Grimani Museum (Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa), Ramo
Grimani, Castello 4858 (near Campo Sta. Maria Formosa; vaporetto line 1
or 2 Rialto or Zaccaria), ☏ +39041 5200345,
pm-ven.grimani@beniculturali. it. €14.50, EU residents aged 18-25 €7.50.
Tue-Sun 10:00-19:00, closed 25 December, 1 January, 1 May. A jewel of
Renaissance architecture inaugurated in 2008 as a Venetian civic museum,
collections of paintings, archaeological collection of Greek and Roman
artifacts, temporary exhibitions.
36 Venice Arsenal, Campo dell'Arsenale. Here a complex enterprise was
founded in Venice in 1104 for the construction and equipping of
warships, including forges, shipyards, hemp, timber and weapons depots
and various workshops, to equip the warships needed for the crusades at
in which the Republic of Venice participated. On the territory of the
Arsenal there were covered shipyards, where up to 20 galleys up to 40
meters long were built. The wars with Genoa led to the construction in
1326 of a second, new Arsenal (Arsenale Nuovo), in contrast to the old
Arsenal (Arsenale Vecchio), intended to house up to 80 galleys. The
Arsenal received a monopoly on shipbuilding for the city and was the
largest industrial enterprise in medieval Europe. More than 15,000
people have worked here! After the defeat by the Turks at Negroponte in
1473, the third was laid, the brand new Arsenal (Arsenale Nuovissimo),
which was built until 1570. The brand new Arsenal made it possible to
build large ships up to 50 meters in length. The Venetian Arsenal
supplied materials to two of its subordinate arsenals, in Crete and
Corfu, and produced ships not only for Venice, but also to order. The
Triumphal Arch at the entrance was built in 1460 by Antonio Gambello -
the first Renaissance monument in the city. The arch is guarded by a
winged lion. After the victory over the Turks at Lepanto in 1571, the
portal began to be decorated with war trophies, as a large lion to the
left once stood in the fountain of the Greek city of Piraeus. In 1686,
two towers were erected at the entrance to the Old Arsenal. The Arsenale
is still a closed military facility today, but there are rumors that
steamers 41 and 42 may be used to navigate across the bay.
37
Bridge
of Sighs. Built in the 17th century in white Istrian stone, it is the
work of the architect Antonio Contin. The bridge connects the Doge's
Palace to the Prisons and was used to transport inmates from their cells
to the courthouse. The prisons were built in 1589 and can be visited
with a guided tour of the Doge's Palace. The Bridge of Sighs is visible
only from the Paglia bridge or from the Canonica bridge.
38
Equestrian monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni, Campo SS.Giovanni e Paolo.
The work of the famous sculptor Andrea del Verrocchi, master of Leonardo
da Vinci. Bartolomeo Colleoni, an Italian leader, was alternately in the
service of Milan against Venice, then of Venice against Milan. After his
death he left his possessions (100,000 gold ducats) to Venice, but on
the condition that a monument be erected to him in Piazza San Marco. But
since it was forbidden for mere mortals to erect monuments there, the
Venetian authorities had to go out to receive their bequest, and they
concocted a monument in the square in front of the Scuola San Marco and
pocketed the money.
39 Straw Bridge. The Ponte della Paglia is a
bridge in Venice across the Rio di Palazzo near the Palazzo Ducale
connecting the pier of the Piazzetta di San Marco to the Riva degli
Schiavoni. It is one of the bridges that connect the Sestiere of San
Marco and that of Castello.
40 Parco delle Rimembranze (aporetto
Sant'Elena). It is a large urban park located on the east side of
Venice. The park is filled with tall trees, walking paths, a nice
playground. It's away from the tourist areas, so it's a perfect place to
relax and enjoy the trees, grass and lagoon view.
41
Gardens of the
Biennale. They constitute the largest green area in the historic center
and, as the name suggests, are home to the Venice International Art
Exhibition.
42 Church of San Michele in Isola (San Michele di Murano), Isola San
Michele (Vaporetto Cemetery towards Murano Lines 41/42, 61, 62, 71
Fondamento Nuovo), ☎ +39041 522 4119. This church provides an example of
the era renaissance. The church was designed by Mauro Codussi and houses
the city cemetery.
43 San Michele Cemetery, San Michele Island
(vaporetto line 4.1-4.2), ☎ +39 041 7292811. Free. Apr-Sep: 07:30-18:00;
Oct-Mar: 07:30-16:30. Cemetery established following the edict of
Napoleon Bonaparte of 1804, part of the European circuit of monumental
cemeteries. The Russian dancer Sergej Diaghilev, the Austrian physicist
Christan Doppler, the American poet Ezra Pound, the Russian composer
Igor Stravinsky and the Italian-German composer Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari are
buried in the cemetery of San Michele.
Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium.
Libreria Acqua Alta, Calle Lunga Santa Maria Formosa, 5176b, ☎ +39 0412960841. Unusual bookshop populated by cats offering vintage titles piled up in a gondola or forming steps. A very popular place among tourists.
Shows
1 Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, Campo de la Tana, 2161. Theater
used for film screenings during the Venice Biennale.
Night clubs
2 El Refolo, C. Giazzo, 1580. Tue-Sun.
Modest prices
1 A la scoela, Castello 3183/A, 30122, ☎ +39 041 528
5916. Neighborhood cicchetteria, very popular. Great for a true
experience. We recommend tasting the spritz at Cinar or the original
spritz at Select.
Average prices
2 Ae Forcoe, S. Marco, 5377,
30124, ☎ +39 041 520 6215.
High prices
3 Osteria alla Staffa,
Calle Ospedaletto 6398, 30122, ☎ +39 0415239160. Typical Venetian dishes
with a good selection of wines, grappas and coffees.
High prices
1 Hotel Danieli, Riva degli Schiavoni - Castello 4196,
☎ +39 041 5226480. In Palazzo Dandolo, from the 15th century.
2 Hotel
Londra Palace, Riva degli Schiavoni - Castello 4171, ☎ +39 041 5200533.
Useful information
17 SS Giovanni e Paolo Hospital (Vaporetto:
hospital), ☎ +39 0415294111, urp@ulss12.ve.it. Venice hospital. It is
curious to note that ambulances are boats!
The Castello district is the largest (the house numbering goes up to
number 6828, at Ponte Bosso, near Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo) and the
second by population of the city. Comparing the shape of Venice to that
of a fish, Castello can represent its "tail", being placed at the
eastern end of the city and given its narrow shape first then enlarged
and finally forked.
It borders to the north-west with the
Cannaregio district in the section between the Fondamente Nove and Campo
Santa Marina, and to the south-west with the San Marco district in the
section between the parish of San Lio and Piazza San Marco.
One
of the bridges that unites Castello with the San Marco district is the
Ponte della Paglia which connects the pier in the small square of San
Marco with the Riva degli Schiavoni, crossing the Rio di Palazzo
adjacent to the Doge's Palace.
The Castello district is connected
to that of Cannaregio via the bridge of Santi Giovanni e Paolo which, in
front of the homonymous basilica, crosses the Rio dei Mendicanti a few
steps from the equestrian monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni by Verrocchio.
Castello is also the only one of the Venetian districts not facing
the Grand Canal.
Like the whole city of Venice, Castello was formed in the early
Middle Ages starting from distinct settlements.
The most
important inhabited center was Olivolo (probably to be pronounced
Olìvolo instead of Olivòlo), corresponding to its eastern end. It was
the seat of the first truly Venetian diocese and its cathedral dedicated
to Saint Peter, but it also had military importance, having built a fort
(hence the name of today's district) which was to be built where the
arsenal is today. Founded as the seat of a Byzantine exarchal command
along the intra-coastal waterway which since the imperial age connected
Ravenna with Aquileia, it was probably part of a more complex defensive
system including a second castle near the Ducal palace, as well as a
wall - continued by a iron chain in water — erected by doge Pietro
Tribuno on the occasion of the invasion of the Hungarians (9th-10th
century).
The toponym is mentioned for the first time in the
Pactum Lotharii of 840 which mentions the castri Helibolis (in the
genitive in the source). On the basis of this, Giovan Battista
Pellegrini considered the old etymological theories that compared it to
"olive" (due to the shape of the island), to "ulivo" (due to the
presence of this tree) or to pagos oligos ("small castle"); it should
rather be compared to the Greek ῾ΗλιόβολοϚ "exposed to the sun", but
also "to the east".
Another locality was Gemine, corresponding to
the areas of San Lorenzo and San Martino. The toponym seems to allude to
the presence of two nearby islands or two parallel canals.
Numerous documents from the 9th-10th centuries, mostly imperial
privileges or literary sources, report detailed lists of lagoon
inhabited centres. The name "Olivolo" no longer appears starting from
the diploma of Otto II of 983, a sign that it was by now considered an
integral part of the civitas Rivoalti which was expanding towards the
east. Around the year 1000, if Rialto had assumed the role of business
district and San Marco of center of civil power, Olivolo-Castello
represented, as well as the seat of the bishop, the industrial and port
area of nascent Venice.