San Polo is a district of Venice. The district takes its name from
Campo San Polo, the largest in Venice after Piazza San Marco and from
the church of the same name. The sestiere, on the other hand, is the
smallest and among the richest in artisan shops and small typical
Venetian taverns: the "bacari".
Geographic hints
The San Polo
district borders to the north and west with that of Santa Croce, having
as a demarcation line the Rio di San Stae, the Rio Marin, and the second
part of Rio della Frescada, up to the entire parish of San Pantalon. The
San Polo district also borders Dorsoduro to the south, while for the
remaining perimeter it is surrounded by the Grand Canal. The
historically most important area is Rialto, once one with the current
San Marco district to which it connects via the Rialto Bridge.
Background
The area covered by the current districts of San Polo and
Santa Croce at the beginning of the history of Venice constituted a
single large area called "Luprio". In this area the Serenissima had its
salt pans. The current district takes its name from its most important
church, the church of San Paolo Apostolo, San Polo for the Venetians.
1 Campo Il San Boldo — You won't find traditional attractions, but
this place somehow captures the spirit of Venice. The church that gave
the square its name is no longer left and its bell tower is surprisingly
integrated into the sixteenth-century Palazzo Grioni. In the center of
the square there is a well and right there the Rio San Boldo canal which
flows in front of the square. Take your time to find this corner.
2
Campo dei Frari
3 Campo San Polo — It is the largest square in Venice
and one of the busiest, especially during the carnival.
4 Campo San
Tomà — The square overlooks the Church of San Tomà, built in 1742 in a
classical style. On the other side is the Scuola dei Calegeri
(shoemaker's school) with a very simple but interesting facade.
On boat
1 San Toma. 1 No.
2 St. Sylvester. 1
3 Rialto
Market. 1 No.
Getting around
Bordered by the Grand Canal, the
district is served by line 1 of the public Vaporetto system through the
ACTV Rialto Mercato and San Silvestro piers. Line 2 also reaches San
Polo with the "San Tomà" pier.
1 St. James of Rialto (San Giacométo). Mon-Sun 09:00-12:00 and
16:00-18:00. This church is perhaps the oldest church in Venice built
around 421. It was built thanks to the faith and talent of a carpenter
from Crete, around the 5th century, also when the first people settled
on this group of islands. The church, in its present form, was built in
the 11th-12th centuries and renovated in 1601. It is best known for its
15th-century clock above the non-functioning church entrance. The
architectural solution is marked by the influence of Byzantine
architecture. She is also recognized for the red pillars and gorgeous
gold accents around the church itself. In the square in front of the
church in 1513 the architect Scarpanino had some arcades built. Only in
this church is there a wooden portal in the Gothic style. The most
interesting painting is the Madonna by an unknown artist in the left
aisle. The church is very small, but very beautiful.
2
Church of
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (Basilica dei Frai, often called only the
Frari), ☎ +39 041 2728618. Adult €3, reduced €1.50. Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00,
Sun and holidays 13:00-18:00. Last admission 30 minutes before closing
time. The largest church in Venice, a fine example of Venetian Gothic
architecture. It was built by minority monks of the Franciscan order,
called the Friars, helped by a donation from Doge Jacopo Tiepolo. The
first version of the church was completed in 1338 and was much smaller
than the current one. On May 27, 1492 the church was consecrated and
dedicated to the Assumption of the Mother of God, as evidenced by the
epigraph in the right transept. The imposing facade is in the late
Gothic style and is divided into three parts by surmounted pillars in
the Venetian-Byzantine style. In 1902-1912 the restoration of the church
was carried out and in 1926 (the year of the 700th anniversary of the
death of St. Francis) Pius XI gave the church the status of "minor
basilica". The cathedral is in the form of a Latin cross and is divided
into three naves by a colonnade of twelve massive columns. It is covered
by a Gothic cross-ribbed vault. The late Gothic facade of the church,
decorated with Venetian-Byzantine style capitals, pilasters and
pinnacles, is divided into three parts. The pediment is decorated with a
brick frieze, which is also present on the side facades. The austere
central portal (15th-16th century) is decorated with statues in white
Istrian stone: the Resurrection of Christ by Alessandro Vittoria (1581),
the Madonna and Saint Francis by Bartolomeo Bona (15th century). In the
lunette a small fresco by Gaetano Zompini of the Assumption of the
Madonna. The rear of the building consists of nine apses. Three round
windows of the façade, also framed with Istrian stone, open onto the
three internal naves. The left window is decorated with a sculpture of a
Venetian lion and a Florentine lily, the right window is a bust of St.
Anthony. The Central Door is decorated with the Madonna and Child and
two angels, as well as sculptures of Saints Francesco and Antonio (13th
century). "The door of the chapel of St. Peter" is decorated with
sculptures of the apostle and Christ, perhaps by Jacopo Cheleg (15th
century). The "Porta di S. Ambrogio" which leads to the left transept is
decorated at the top with a statue of S. Francesco. The Porta di San
Marco, which leads to the corner chapel (San Marco), is decorated by a
Gothic arch with a sculpture of God the Father by Delle Masenier. The
lunette above the door is decorated with a bas-relief depicting the
Madonna and Child Enthroned by Giovanni da Fiesole, Pietro Lamberti and
Pietro di Niccolò (1420). Istrian stone was used to decorate the doors
of the chapels.
The interior is equally magnificent, and you can
admire the grandiose altarpiece of the Assumption and the Madonna di Ca'
Pesaro painted by Titian, as well as a triptych by Giovanni Bellini.
There are also the tombs of Antonio Canova and Tiziano Vecellio. The
main treasures of the church are:
Assumption by Titian, which adorns
the main altar
Choir and marble enclosure of the 15th century choir.
The fence was started by Bartolomeo Bon (still in the late Gothic
style), and finished by Pietro Lombardo (in the early Renaissance style)
The Renaissance altar in the left aisle is adorned with one of Titian's
most beautiful works, the Pesaro Madonna (1519-1526), depicting Mary and
Child surrounded by the Pesaro family.
In the sacristy, in the arch
of the apse, there is a masterpiece by Giovanni Bellini - the altar
triptych Madonna and Child, playing angels and saints (1488).
The
bell tower of the basilica, 70 m high, the tallest in Venice after that
of San Marco, was built in 1396 by the architects Jacopo and Pietro
Paolo Delle Masenier. After the fall of the San Marco bell tower, the
construction of the Frari bell tower was strengthened. Halfway up the
bell tower is a sculpture of St. Francis and the Madonna. At the top of
the bell tower is an observation deck overlooking Venice.
To the
right of the cathedral, the former monastery "Ca' Grande dei Frari" or
"Magna Domus Venetiarum", which got its name due to its large size, had
more than 300 rooms. The monastery has existed for over 6 centuries. In
1810 Ca' Grande dei Frari was first transformed into barracks, and in
1815 into the State Archive. Today it is one of the largest historical
archives in the world, containing over 700 million documents on the
history of Venice. To the left of the basilica there are several schools
(School of the Passion of the Lord, Florentine school, Milanese school,
etc.)
3 Church of San Rocco, Campo dei Frari, 3063 (San Toma
station). €2. 9:30 - 17:30. The church was built and dedicated to San
Rocco, who together with San Marco is the patron saint of Venice. San
Rocco was considered a healer of the plague, a terrible scourge of
European cities in the Middle Ages, and above all of commercial Venice.
Just as the Venetians had previously stolen the relics of San Marco,
later the relics of the French Saint Roch were also stolen. Every year,
on August 16, the Doge visited the church and prayed with an invitation
to the saint to protect the city from the plague. Now this tradition
takes place in the annual theatrical production.
Built by Bartolomeo
Bon between 1489 and 1508 to house the remains of its titular saint, the
beautiful Church of San Rocco received a Baroque reconstruction between
1765 and 1771, which included a large portal surrounded by statues by
Giovanni Marchiori. In 1725 the church was partially rebuilt. The
imposing facade full of sculptures was erected in 1760 by the architect
Maccaruzzi. Bon's pink window was moved to the side of the church, near
the architect's original side door. On the sides of the main altar there
are four huge paintings by Tintoretto depicting the life of San Rocco.
4 Church of San Polo (Church of Saint Paul the Apostle). The Church
of San Polo gave its name to the district of the city. The present
Gothic church dates from the 15th century, but the church has stood on
this site since the 9th century and the southern portal may have
remained from that church. The free-standing bell tower was built in
1362. The vault of the church has the shape of a ship's keel and was
restored in 1804 by Davide Rossi. On the left wall near the entrance is
the "Last Supper" by Jacopo Tintoretto, and the first altar on the left
is attributed to his school. On other walls there are paintings by Paolo
Piazza (San Silvestro Baptizing the Emperor Constantine and Saint Paul
Preaching) and Jacopo Guarana (Sacred Heart). In the chapel of the
northern apse is the "Betrothal of the Virgin Mary" by Paolo Veronese,
in the presbytery of the canvas "St. Peter with the keys", "St. Paul in
Tarsus" and "The temptation of St. Anthony" Palma il Giovane and two
bronze statues by Alessandro Vittoria (San Paolo and Sant'Antonio). On
the ceiling paintings "Glory of the Angels" and "Resurrection" by
Giandomenico Tiepolo, on the north wall of the nave "Apparition of the
Virgin to the Saint" by Giambattista Tiepolo. In the left aisle
Giandomenico Tiepolo painted a cycle of 14 paintings "La Via Crucis".
The square in front of the church is the second largest in the city;
previously it was used for the amusement of the people - bullfights and
bear baiting took place here.
The square in front of the church is
the second largest in the city, it was previously used for people's
amusement: bullfights were held here, bears were hunted by dogs. Today,
during carnival, a courtly dance is held in the square, and in the
summer it serves as an open-air auditorium.
5 Church of Sant'Aponal
(Sant'Apollinare). Founded in the 11th century.
6
Church of San
Cassiano. The church is dedicated to San Cassiano d'Imola, patron saint
of masters. Cassiano was killed by Styles by his own students. The
church houses a painting by Antonio Balestra depicting this event. The
13th century bell tower adjoins the church. The church has a modest
facade which was renovated in the 19th century. The altar contains
several paintings by Tintoretto: "The Crucifixion" (1568),
"Resurrection" and "Descent into Purgatory".
7
Church of San Giovanni
Elemosinario.
8 Church of San Giovanni Evangelista.
9
Church of
San Silvestro.
10 Church of San Tomà (Church of Saint Thomas).
11 State Archives of Venice (Former Monastery of Santa Maria Gloriosa
dei Frari), Campo dei Frari, San Polo 3002 (vaporetto line 1 or 2 for
S.Tomà), ☎ +39 041 5222281, as-ve@beniculturali.it. Free. Mon-Thu
08:10-17:50, Fri-Sat 08:10-13:50 (reading room). One of the largest
archives in the world, in an ancient Franciscan monastery. Manuscripts,
texts and documents relating to the history of the Venetian Serenissima.
12 Palazzo Barbarigo della Terrazza, Ramo Pisani e Barbarigo, 2765. The
late Gothic palace was built in 1568-1569 by the architect Bernardino
Contin and is easily recognizable by its terrace. Today the building
houses the German Venetian Studios Center and the Palazzo Barbarigo on
the Grand Canal Hotel.
13 New Factories. Built by the architect
Sansovino in 1555-1556. This building completed the reconstruction of
the neighborhood after a fire in 1513. Behind the Fabbriche Nuove
building is the Palazzo delle Fabbriche Vecchie, erected by the
architect Scarpagnino in 1520-1522.
14 Palazzo Barzizza. The
Byzantine-style red house was built in the XII-XIII centuries. The
beautiful windows on the balconies have been preserved in their original
form.
15 Ca' Bernardo. The palace was built in the 1420s and 1440s in
the Venetian Gothic style for the Bernardo family. The four-story palace
is decorated in the center with multi-section arched windows, and the
second-order loggia is slightly offset to the right of the third-order
loggia. In 1442 the Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza, stayed at the
palace with his wife Bianca Visconti. Currently the building houses a
hotel.
16 Palazzo Bernardo (Palazzo Giustinian Bernardo).
17 Palazzo Cappello Layard
18
Casa Ravà
19
Palazzo Civran Grimani
20 Palazzo dei Camerlenghi. The palace was built in 1525-1528 at the
behest of Doge Andrea Gritti, as a house for the city treasurers
(camerlinghi), from which it took its name. It later became a state
prison.
21 Corner Mocenigo Palace
22 Palazzo Dandolo Paolucci
23 Palace of the Ten Sages or Palazzo dei Dieci
Savi
24 Palazzo Dolfin
25
Palazzo Donà in
Sant'Aponal (Palazzo Donà or Palazzo Donà dalle Trezze).
26
Palazzo
Donà della Madoneta (Palazzo Donà Dolcetti).
27
Giustinian Businello Palace
28
Giustinian Persico Palace
29
Palazzo Grimani Marcello (Grimani
from the golden tree)
30 Palazzo Grioni
(Palazzo Businello)
31 Marcello dei Leoni
Palace
32 Palazzo Morosini
Brandolin
33 Palazzo Muti Baglioni
34 Palazzo Donà delle Rose
35 Palazzo Papadopoli (Palazzo Coccina Tiepolo Papadopoli). Built in
Renaissance style in the 16th century by the architect Giangiacomo dei
Grigi. Note the two obelisks on the roof. In the 1870s, the architect
Girolamo Levi redesigned the interiors in the Rococo style and set up a
garden on the banks of the Grand Canal. Inside the building there are
frescoes by Tiepolo and Pietro Longhi.
36
Palazzo Pisani Moretta. The
palace was built in the mid-15th century for the Pisani family in the
Gothic style. The arches of the loggias with a particular floral motif
are interesting, and two portals at the bottom underline the beauty of
the facade. The building was remodeled several times in the early 16th
century and took on its current appearance in the mid-18th century. Many
illustrious guests lived in the palace: the Russian emperor Paul I,
Napoleon's first wife Josephine Beauharnais and the ruler of the
Habsburg empire Joseph II of Austria. Today, festive events are held in
this palace during the Venetian carnival.
37
Palazzo Querini Dubois
(Palazzo Giustinian Querini).
38
Scoletta dei Calegheri
39 House Sicher
40 Palazzo Soranzo
41
Palazzo Soranzo Pisani
42
Palazzo Tiepolo
43
Palazzo Tiepolo Passi (Palazzetto Tiepolo
or Palazzo Tiepoletto Passi)
44
Palazzo Zane Collalto
45 Palazzo Zen
(Palazzo Zen ai Frari)
46 Scuola Grande di San Rocco, San Polo 3052 (vaporetto line 1 or 2
for San Tomà, near the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari), ☏
+39 0415234864, fax: +39 0415242820, snrocco@libero.it. Full price €10,
reduced price €8. 09:30-17:30, closed 25 December, 1 January, Easter
Sunday. One of the six great Venetian schools founded in 1549. The
Confraternity of San Rocco was already enrolled in the Council of Ten in
1481 to provide charitable assistance to the sick. By 1515, the
Brotherhood had over 500 members and required a large building. The
construction of the building began in 1515 on a project by Bartolomeo
Bona. In 1524 he was replaced by Santa Lombardo, but after 2 years he
was removed from work. The building was completed by the architect
Antonio del Abbondi (known as Scarpanino) in 1549, who completed the
second floor and the main entrance. The School has preserved
characteristics of the work of both architects. The first floor with
mullioned windows is typical of Bon, the second, with mullioned windows,
of Scarpanino. The construction was carried out mainly with donations
from the Venetians, who believed in the protection of San Rocco from
infectious diseases. Today the Confraternity of San Rocco exists and
continues to do charity. In 1564 a painting competition was announced
with the participation of Paolo Veronese, Schiavone, Salviati,
Tintoretto and Zuccari. Tintoretto overtook the competition by
presenting the finished painting "San Rocco in Glory" instead of a
sketch. This painting is now on the ceiling of the Sala dell'Albergo.
After that, for 23 years, Tintoretto painted the school of San Rocco,
which can be safely called the Sistine Chapel of Venice. Henry James
wrote: “We are unlikely to find anywhere else four walls in which so
much genius is enclosed. The air in these canvases is so thick it's hard
to breathe."
The Scuola is made up of the lower and upper floors and
the Sala dell'Albergo. The hall on the first floor, intended for
receptions, contains a cycle of 8 paintings with scenes from the New
Testament, which tell about the Mother of God and the infancy of Christ.
The cycle opens with the Annunciation, in which Mary is depicted as a
peasant girl with rough hands and a strong figure. The cycle closes with
the painting "The Assumption of the Mother of God", depicting the Virgin
Mary in the radiance of light. The altar is adorned with a statue of
Santa Roca by Gerolamo Campagna (early 16th century). The Scarpagnino
staircase (1544) which leads to the upper hall is decorated with two
canvases by Antonio Zanchi and Pietro Negri depicting the plague of
1630. In Zanki's evocative image, a boatman loading the corpses onto a
boat and many people covering their nose with handkerchiefs.
Tintoretto worked on the walls and ceiling of the main hall on the
second floor, painted with biblical paintings from 1575 to 1581. On the
ceiling - 21 paintings with scenes from the Old Testament. Some of the
ceiling paintings are by Giuseppe Angeli. On the walls - 12 paintings
with biblical subjects. In the room two works by Gian Battista Tiepolo:
"The Hospitality of Abraham" and "Agar Abandoned". The altar in the
upper room by Bernardino (1528), wooden panels on the altar doors by
Giovanni Markiori. Figures and caryatids sculpted by Francesco Pianta,
including a caricature by Tintoretto. The Treasury of the Brotherhood
contains ancient statutes in wooden bindings, sacred vases and church
utensils.
The paintings in the Sala dell'Albergo are entirely the
work of Tintoretto. In the center on the ceiling - "San Rocco in
gloria". The central work is surrounded by paintings that symbolize the
other 5 great Venetian schools, allegorical images of the four seasons,
human dignity and virtue. The school's most notable painting is the
large painting The Crucifixion. To the left of the entrance is "Christ
before Pilate" (1566-1567), to the right - "Ascending Golgotha", also
true masterpieces of Tintoretto. At the entrance to the hall is Titian's
painting "The Annunciation" and the painting "Christ carrying the cross"
attributed to Giorgione (many consider him the author of Titian). Next
to the Albergo Hall is a large collection of unique ceramics.
In
order to allow a comfortable view of the detailed ceiling, mirrors are
offered to visitors.
47 Scuola Grande di San Giovanni
Evangelista, San Polo 2454 (vaporetto line 1 or 2 for San Tomà), ☎
+39 041 718234. €5. 9:30-17:00. The Scuola di San Giovanni was founded
in 1261. The facade of the school dates from 1450, but contains two
small reliefs from 1349. Pietro Lombardo worked on the outer courtyard
and portal starting in 1478, and in 1485 he completed the work and
separated the school from the square with a marble wall. In 1498 the
architect Mauro Codussi completed the connecting staircase between the
upper and lower rooms. Many rooms have been created within the building.
On the ground floor is a large hall known as the Sala delle Colonne.
Here the brothers of the school gathered and this room dates back to the
14th century. Today it is often used for presentations and events. There
are two other smaller rooms on the lower level. These are the Green Room
(former warehouse and office) and the Blue Room (former office). A
beautiful monumental staircase by Codussi leads to a large room on the
upper floor, the Salon. Behind the Salon is the Oratorio della Croce,
where part of the cross is actually kept in a Gothic reliquary, behind
which is the Sala Dell'Albergo, where the ceremonial meetings took
place.
The school building is decorated with paintings by Tintoretto
- scenes from the New and Old Testaments (1626), Tiepolo's painting
"Apocalypse" adorns the Salon, and there are also works by Titian,
Bellini, Carpaccio, Giorgione. Conferences and concerts are held here
and the School is open to the public when it is not being used for
events.
48 Casa di Carlo Goldoni
(Palazzo Centani in San Polo), San Polo 2794 (vaporetto line q or 2
for S.Tomà), ☎ +3 90412440317. Full price €5, reduced price €3.50.
Apr-Oct: Thu-Tue 10am-5pm; November-March: Thu-Tue 10am-4pm; closed on
January 1st, May 1st and December 25th. The birthplace of the famous
playwright Carlo Goldoni, where there is a small museum of Venetian
theater memorabilia. Various educational events and a puppet theater of
Ca' Grimani ai Servi are held here, which was previously part of the Ca'
Rezzonico collection. Important archive and library (over 30,000 works),
including plays, research and original manuscripts.
49 Center de
musique romantique française (Palazzetto Bru Zane).
50 Hunchback of Rialto, Campo San Giacomo di Rialto (in front of the
church of San Giacomo di Rialto, Rialto-Mercato station). For centuries
people have rubbed this statue for good luck, but it is currently fenced
off. "Il Gobbo" ("Hunchback") served as a platform for official
proclamations and punishments: those guilty of crimes were forced to run
among the citizens from Piazza San Marco to the Rialto. The moment they
touched the statue, their sentence was over.
51
Rialto Bridge
(connecting the San Polo and San Marco districts across the Grand
Canal). The bridge has become one of Venice's most recognizable icons
and has a history spanning over 800 years. The current Rialto Bridge was
built in Istria stone by Antonio da Ponte and cost 250,000 gold ducats
and was completed in 1591 to replace a wooden bridge that collapsed in
1524, becoming the first stone construction on the Grand Canal.
Decorated with stone reliefs depicting San Marco and San Teodoro on the
north side and the Annunciation on the other, the bridge crosses the
Grand Canal at its narrowest point, connecting the suburbs of San Polo
and San Marco. Interestingly, it was da Ponte's nephew, Antonio Contino,
who designed another famous bridge, the Bridge of Sighs.
52
Ponte
delle Tette, Fondamenta de le Tette (on the border between the districts
of San Polo and Santa Croce). At the time of the Republic of Venice, the
whole area constituted a real red light district, in which houses of
tolerance abounded and one of these was located just above the Ponte
delle Tette. The prostitutes, looking out the windows towards the bridge
below, used to lure passers-by by showing them their uncovered breasts.
This singular toponymy originates from here. According to the historian
Tassini, this custom could have been imposed on prostitutes by a law of
the Serenissima to limit the spread of homosexuality, or with the aim of
"divert men from sinning against nature with this incentive".
1 Rialto Market, Sestiere San Polo, 30125 (Rialto-Mercato station).
Mon-Sat 7am-8pm. For seven centuries Venice's main market has whetted
the appetite, and fruit and vegetable shops adjoin fish. To see it at
its best, come in the morning with your buyers and you will be rewarded
with pyramids of colorful seasonal products such as castraure di
Sant'Erasmo (artichokes), radicchio trevisano (bitter red radicchio) and
dense and juicy white asparagus.
2 Pescaria (Fish Market), Campo
della Pescaria 30125 (Rialto Mercato Station, next to the Rialto
Market.). Opened in 1907. The Fish Market building was built in 1907 of
brick and white stone. A building with stylized arcades replaced the
standard metal and glass market building, which did not fit the style of
the city at all. But fishermen began to trade seafood in this place as
early as the 14th century.
3 Atelier Marega, Calle Larga Prima,
2940/B, ☎ +39 041 717966. Here you can find handmade masks and costumes.
Prices
1 Cantina Do Spade, San Polo 859, ☎ +39 041 5210583.
10am-3pm and 6pm-10pm. Telephone booking welcome.
High prices
2 Antiche Carampane, San Polo 1911, ☎ +39 041 5240165.
The San Polo district borders to the north and west with that of Santa Croce, having as a demarcation line the rio di San Stae, the rio Marin, and the second part of the rio della Frescada, up to the whole parish of San Pantalon. The San Polo district also borders Dorsoduro to the south, while for the remaining perimeter it is surrounded by the Grand Canal. The most historically important area is Rialto, an ancient center of commerce and administration, connected via the Rialto Bridge to the San Marco district.
The area covered by the current districts of San Polo and Santa Croce
at the beginning of the history of Venice constituted a single large
area called Luprio. In this area the Serenissima had its salt pans. The
current district takes its name from its most important church, the
church of San Paolo Apostolo, San Polo for the Venetians.
Here,
near the church of San Silvestro, it was the Venetian seat of the
patriarch of Grado until 1451.
The San Polo district is the one characterized by the highest concentration of tavern shops: above all typical Venetian bàcari. Bordered by the Grand Canal, the district is served by line 1 of the ACTV public system via the Rialto Mercato and San Silvestro piers. Line 2 also reaches San Polo with the San Tomà pier. The most used stop to reach the most touristic area of the neighborhood is the Rialto stop, located on the other side of the Grand Canal in the San Marco district.