The Old Town of Venice
Six magical neighbourhoods!
The ancient lagoon city of Venice extends over 118 islets, connected by 354 bridges over 177 canals, large and small, and is divided into the six districts of:
If the district of San Marco is the centre of Venice then St. Mark's Square is certainly its heart. Defined by many as "the most beautiful drawing room in the world", this square has always been the centre of Venetian life, with its famous cafe's and the atmosphere alive with music. It is formed by an artistic complex of buildings which, if a mix of different styles, have by now become a coherent urbanistic theme.
Castello was one of the first centres of population in the city (V-VI Cent), the neighbourhood taking its name from a castle built there as a defence against attack from the sea. The Arsenale, the immense military shipyard, for centuries the biggest in the World, is situated in Castello.
The name Cannaregio has two possible origins: from Canal Regio, that is the canal providing the principal water route to the mainland, or from a large extent of reed beds which grew there in the past and led to the name regio cannarum. The Santa Lucia railway station, since it is built on the site of the church of that name (which was disestablished under the Napoleonic decree of 1806), bears the postal address "No. 1" of the neighbourhood. (Postal address in Venice are linked to district rather than to street and houses are numbered from 1 to, perhaps, 4367 in a pattern which only the postman can follow!)
San Polo is the smallest of the districts. It is characterised by a conglomeration of "casa e bottega", that is, small workshops with the artisans' dwelling attached or above. In San Polo, but not only there, the ancient and noble Venetian predilection for good food is very evident. The art of eating well is widespread and considered honourable, even in its more simple and popular manifestations; that is why you will find in this area many small restaurants and traditional wine bars in which you can find dishes typical of Venetian cuisine and taste the famous "cichetti" (small snacks pinned on a toothpick).
The district of Santa Croce is in the north east of the city and connects Venice with the mainland via Piazzale Roma. The whole of this area has been subjected to demolitions and transformation, beginning with the razing of the church and monastery of Santa Croce, after which the neighbourhood had been named, in 1810. The Papadopoli Gardens, based on the English style of garden and designed by Bagnara, are to be found here; they are open to the public.
Dorsoduro lies at the southern and of the city, beginning at La Punta della Dogana, the Customs Quay, which juts into the Basin of Saint Mark's like the prow of a ship.
The Dogana da Mar (Maritime Customs House) of the Republic of Venice was built in the XVII Century and consists of a series of warehouses behind the facade. The building is terminated by a square tower above which bronze figures lift up a gilded ball which represents fortune, a work by Bernardo Falcone. Circling the tower with its statues, you come to the Zattere, a long quay which extends to Santa Marta. Built in 1516, it was used to offload the wood which was transported to Venice along the river highways by raft, or "zatterone".
