Second day in Venice: walk in Dorsoduro

So if on your first day you traditionally visited San Marco square and Rialto Bridge and are now convinced that Venice is one hot, crowded and overpriced place, on your second day it is right about time to visit Dorsoduro. It is the southernmost of the six sestieri (see more on sestieri in our Venetian dictionary) located between the city center and the Lagoon. Its name meaning ‘hard ridge’ refers to comparatively high, stable land so if you are planning to visit Venice during possible acqua alta staying here will be your safe (and dry) bet. The Western part of Dorsoduro is connected to the city center by Accademia Bridge and therefore is considered more upscale while the Eastern part is more down-to-earth and real.

(1). Time for the first spritz

(2).Visit San Sebastiano church with Veronese’s frescoes and his tomb
(3). Watch fish vendors at work at Campo Santa Margherita,

      admire the wooden sculptures at Carmini
      and the painting that costed artist his life at San Pantalon

(4). Buy some fresh fruits from floating shops at Ponte Dei Pugni

(5). Have a picnic in parterre garden of Ca’Rezzonico

(6). Admire Tintorettos at San Trovaso church

(7). See gondolas in making at Squero San Trovaso

(8). Marvel at Tiepolo frescoes with 3D effects in Gesuati church

(9). Blend with the art students on the steps of Salute
       and walk to the very tip of Dorsoduro at Punta Dogana

So you start your journey from the cruise ship terminal (Stazzione Marittima). By the time you reach Piazzale Roma – the last place in Venice where motorized vehicles are allowed that logically serves as its bus station – you will already be pretty exhausted by the walking and heat and feel a bit worried about the prospects of more walking and more heat. Well, it looks like the time for the first spritz. This fizzy aperitif, a longtime favorite of Venice, consists of Prosecco wine, a dash of a bitter liqueur (Aperol, Campari etc) topped with mineral water and used to temporarily brighten up the day. This bright red drink is served everywhere not only in Venice but in the entire region and became such an important part of local culture that is seems it has been here forever. Hard to believe but this drink with a very non-Italian name (meaning ‘splash’ or ‘sparkling’ in German) was introduced during the brief Austrian occupation and remains pretty much the only thing that Venetians liked and kept even after the occupation ended.

The place we frequent (1) is just on the side of Piazzale Roma on Rio Terrà Sant’Andrea and has an unpretentious names of Enoteca Le Bistro (located between the Garage de Venezia and a place called Snack Bar). There is nothing really special about it, just the right combination of spritz served in chilled wine glasses with a slice of orange, hot panini with local prosciutto, convenient location, opening times (the place is open till at least 11pm) and a very local feel to it. 

After having recharged your batteries with spritz it is time to move to Chiesa San Sebastiano (Church of San Sebastian) (2) (see the map) with a marble façade and festive Veronese paintings. Rumor has it that the artist was harbored here for some time either having killed or simply insulted someone and eventually was buried here as well.

The church is a part of the Chorus system (16 churches with each of them costing 3€ but the pass for all of them being only 10€). The problem with all Italian churches is that you cannot take pictures in most of them. This is an inexplicable requirement that put us off visiting many of the churches of Chorus system. We understand that the sound of shutter click distracts the believers from the prayer but we never even attempt taking pictures during the service, plus if we already pay for the entrance then the place is treated not as a place of worship but a museum, the place that exists for people to see and admire. We also understand that the flash damages the fragile fresco surface, but in many churches around Europe only flash photography is not allowed. Another reason could be money making: who wants to pay for a postcard if everyone can take their own pictures? But there were no books or postcards on sale either. So in Venice not only do you have to pay for the entrance of most churches but you will also have one of the staff following your every step like a hawk making sure you do not release the shutter. Alas, for most churches we cannot boast the interior pictures and you will have to take our word that they are worth visiting.

From San Sebastiano continue across the bridge by Calle Avogaria, after you cross another bridge turn left to Calle Pazienza and to yout left you will see the walls of the Church of Santa Maria dei Carmini (or simply called Carmini) with two facades: first you will see an older one in Gothic style dating back to XIV century. A newer one, in Renaissance style with its characteristic semi-circular shapes, is from XVI century. 

The Renaissance façade gives onto Fondamenta Soccorso (Quay of Salvation). Its name most probably derives from the fact that located here chapel of Santa Maria del Soccorso (#2590) was a retreat for former prostitutes who decided to quit founded by Veronica Franco, a poet and courtesan in XVI century Venice (you could see a movie Dangerous Beauty based on her life). 

Inside it is more Gothic than Renaissance, XIV century basilica with choir galleries going around the entire building, decorated with rich wood carvings.

Time to relocate to (3) Campo Santa Margherita (see the map) – sort of borderline or meeting point between esthetic aristocratic Eastern Dorsoduro (with Galeria Academia, Peggy Guggenheim museum, baroque curls of Salute church) and simple working-class Western Dorsoduro with San-Nicolo-Dei-Mendicoli being the home church of local gangs, port and taverns where locals eat. Campo Santa Margerita is in-between the two worlds: modern, intellectual, meeting place for housewives daytime and spot for heated student discussions and improvised jam-sessions in the evening.

From here you can see the Gothic campanile of Carmini topped by the figurine of Virgin Mary, so attractive that it constantly gets stricken by lightning.

Almost empty during the day, it lives a different life during the night: improvised bands play drums, girls in black gymsuits and pink headbands practice yoga and everybody around them eats, drinks and talks – but only until 2am: the laws regulate the levels of noise in the historical part of town.

But now it is still morning and this is where the fruit market

and fish markets.

Watch fishermen are filleting the fish. Santa Margherita fish market is not so big and famous as the one in Rialto but definitely real and worth a visit. Farther down housewives are touching and sniffing fresh fruits and vegetables gossiping with the vendor.

Surprisingly this campo – now the liveliest in Venice – did not even exist during the time of Venetian Republic, in fact until XIX century this was a canal that served as a city dumpster.

Here is a good opportunity to get some fresh fruits for the future picnic.

If you want to accompany your picnic with a bottle of prosecco, marinated anchovies or cheese from the region find The Punto, local grocery store. You can trust us: it is not easy to find a grocery store in Venice, especially if you are used to big supermarkets surrounded by huge parking lots. Supermarkets in Venice are a sort of mystery and I think their construction requires penetration into some additional dimensions: what from the outside looks like a relatively small door in the middle of the dense labyrinth of historical buildings leads into a spacious, sometimes two-storey store. Unlike in the US where you need to go special ‘organic’ or ‘gourmet’ stores here every local store will offer an excellent selection of local cheeses (what they would call ‘artisanal in US), freshly baked bread and croissants, wines of every price range starting from as little as 2,50€ a bottle and various ready-made appetizers in disposable boxes (marinated anchovies, fried sardines, baby octopus, prosciutto, smoked cheese… the list goes on). Stock up now (you will have another chance to do it at Billa shop on Fondamenta Zattere - 1491 Dorsoduro). It might seem funny that we put such an emphasis on such a banality but Venice is a city unusual in many ways and this is one of its peculiarities: you really have to know where to look for something.

That's the supermarket: untrained eye would not be able to spot it

Also on the campo you can see the former Santa Margherita church with a sort of ‘chopped’ bell tower.

On its side there is a relief of a woman and the dragon plus other decorative elements remind of dragon. The woman is saint Margherita herself. Legend has it that she was eaten by a dragon but then emerged from its belly intact. Apparently, in the eyes of medieval people this experience qualified her to be the patron saint of all pregnant women.

Nowadays the building belongs to the university (this explains the abundance of young people on and around the campo) and houses conference hall but some say if you ask nicely you can be allowed to peek at its theatrically decorated interior. We did not try but if someone did – let us know. 

Across the bridge is Campo San Pantalon and behing is starts the next sestiere of San Polo (that we will be visiting later) but let us stop by the church of San Pantalon.

Do not mind its hangar-looking façade: it was supposed to be richly decorated with marble statues (one can still notice ledges where the marble elements were supposed to be mounted) but the money ran out.

The interior is however impressive: a noteless but very hard-working artist Gianantonio Fumiani spent 24 years working on its ceiling until he fell off the scaffolding in 1710. The painting – using baroque optical 3D effect – tells the story of Saint Pantalon, the doctor in Roman Emperor’s court. There is also the last painting by Paolo Veronese depicting the saint refusing the advice from pagan healer Hippocrates and healing the baby with his own know-how. 

Even though the church is not a part of Chorus system the watchkeeper will still follow your every step to make sure you do not take a picture so unfortunately we cannot share the photos of ceiling so again you have to take our word for it. By the way, one advantage of Chorus system is that at least you know when the participating churched will be open (summer: Mo-Sa 9:00-18:00, Su 9:00-14:00 / winter 9:00-16:00, except the Frari church) while with the rest of them it is always a mystery. Some close for the siesta and reopen after 15:00, some are open only in the morning, some only in the evening, some only during the mass. San Pantalon is open 10:00-12:00 and 13:00-15:00. 

If you walk farther you will end up in San Polo that we leave for the next time. So return to campo Santa Margherita, next to Punto supermarket turn to Rio Terra Canal and by Ponte dei Pugni (4) arrive to Fondamenta Gherardini and Campo San Barnaba (see the map).

Campo San Barnaba with Ponte dei Pugni in the back

Ponte dei Pugni literally means the bridge of punches and was the setting for massive brawls between Castellani and the Nicolotti, two rival factions of the working class in Venice. Castellani lived in the Eastern part of Venice in Castello sestier (where the name obviously derives from), wore red berets and were mostly workers from the Arsenal. The name of Nicolotti derives from the name of the church of San Nicolò dei Mendicoli which was the home church of the faction. 

Church of San Nicolò dei Mendicoli  can also be found in Dorsoduro

Nicolotti were mostly port workers, wore black berets and occupied the Western part of the city. Following Julius Caesar’s ‘divide et impera’ (divide and rule) principle the authorities turned a blind eye on the brawls as they did not allow any of the group grew too strong to potentially endanger the Republic plus these fights were a perfect ‘training camp’ for future soldiers of Venice. The object of guerre dei pugni was to throw opponents into the canal (remember back then the bridges did not have railings. The only rule was that people had to stand on one of the corners and fight at the signal. You can still see the 4 footsteps in the 4 corners of the upper platform. The groups continued meeting here for a bout of fisticuffs until 1750 when the fights became prohibited as the weak Republic needed to unify all forces in front the approaching Austrians. 

Nowadays Ponte dei Pugni is famous for having one of the few remaining floating fruit & vegetables markets: a big and colorful barge is a popular motive for many photographers. 

Continuing to Campo San Barnaba Indiana Jones fans may recognize it as a location for ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’. On the other side of the square a sottoportego (covered passage) leads to another movie location, that James Bond fans may remember from ‘Casino Royale’. 

Church and campo San Barnaba on the right with campanile in the back

The eponymous neoclassic church of San Barnaba built in 1749 is not notable for its architecture but has a pleasant campanile from XIV century and fantastic painted ceiling by a follower of Tiepolo Constantino Cedini.

It is mostly used for various exhibitions and for the last couple of years has been housing the exhibition of the machines made after the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. If it is still the case during your visit you will have to pay for the entrance however the ceiling should still be visible. Unfortunately for a  couple of years it has been under restoration and covered by opaque fabric.

This campo is remarkable for a typical Venetian notion of ‘Barnabotti’: during the last years of the Republic the state moved all poverty stricken aristocrats to the houses around Campo San Barnaba (thus the name). Having lost their fortunes they nevertheless had to follow the laws of the Republic and were not allowed to work and the campo full of former notables dressed in ragged silk clothes (they were not allowed to wear any other clothes) begging for money or food. The only source of income for many of them was to sell their voices in the Big Counsil. Maybe here, on this campo, you can feel the atmosphere of the nearing fall of the Republic. The church is open 12:30-15:30 and 18:00-23:00. 

But enough painted ceilings for now. Plus the siesta time is coming, churches are closing and the bottle of prosecco that you bought on Campo San Margherita is getting warm. It is time for a leisurely siesta picnic. 

Cross the canal by a little bridge right next to San Barnaba church, turn right and soon you will see a brick wall with a beautiful garden showing through the grille. You are almost there! The next entrance will take you to the courtyard of the (5) (see the map). Turn right – and you will be in the inner yard of the museum (by the way, if you want to visit a bathroom do not miss such an opportunity). The museum is definitely worth a visit – first because of the unique artworks displayed in it, most importantly ‘The New World’ by Giambattista Tiepolo, but also because here the paintings and furniture designed and created for a palazzo are exhibited in a palazzo, just like they were destined to be. 

If you turn left you come into a beautiful parterre garden of Ca’Rezzonico with neatly trimmed flowerbeds, statues and busts surrounding it. The entrance is free and it is a great place to imagine being a Venetian aristocrat, have fresh cherries with prosecco and think about vicissitudes of life.  

Just think about it: Filippo Bon, the head of a noble family imagined the palace as something unheard of that would make other Palazzi on Grand Canal look miserable. He hired Baldassarre Longhena, the greatest proponent of Venetian Baroque (that was at the time replacing Renaissance style so basically was the newest most fashionable trend). But neither Bon nor Longhena saw the palace come alive: Longhena died and Filippo Bon suffered a financial collapse. Not even the family name stayed ‘attached’ to the palace as it was bought by Rezzonico family from the impoverished Bon. Looks like the house did not bring much luck to Rezzonicos either. First everything went well: they moved to Venice from Lombardy, bought a title and the inclusion into Libro d'Oro – Golden Book where all the aristocracy was listed. In mid XVIII century one of the Rezzonico became the Pope and another married into a very old aristocratic family. But this was the peak and by 1810 the family ended: there were no more heirs so their Ca’ was inherited by the State and turned into a museum. 

Now you recharged your batteries with your garden picnic and hopefully this made you ready for more art. 

Next stop – Church of San Trovaso (6) (see the map). To get there you will have to return to Campo San Barnaba, cross it and then either follow a more clear route by Fondamenta Borgo and Fondamenta Bontini or turn into Sotoportego del Casin dei Nobili, cross the bridge to Fondamenta Toletta, get lost in the maze of little streets and finally find yourself on Campo San Trovaso. Do not be afraid of the second option: it is always a pleasant adventure to get lost in Venice.  

This cute white church is actually dedicated to two saints Gervasius and Protasius but apparently Venetians decided to shorten and merge them. Or maybe there was not enough room on the nizioleti? The current building dates back to XVI-XVII century but the church has been here since the beginning of times and apparently served as borderline between Nicolotti and Castellani (those who used to fight on Ponte dei Pugni near Campo San Barnaba). Legend says that this is why the church has two façades of the exact same design: in case there is a wedding between the representatives of different factions the guests could come and leave from different sides, but each from façade. 

Inside the church is free, white and simple which serves as a perfect frame for a couple of beautiful Tintorettos. We especially liked ‘The Last Supper’ – if you look closer it seems that the party was a lot of fun (and a lot of booze). 

There is also 'Temptations of Saint Anthony' (with the angel flying upside down) in the left apse, a couple of Tintorettos in the altar belong to his son Domenico. 

Have 50¢ ready and drop the in the ‘illumination’ box next to St. Chrysogonus on Horseback, a perfect example if late Gothic style of XV century. 

San Trovaso is open 8:00-11:00 and 15:00-18:00

Campo San Trovaso gives you a good view of the way the water is supplied to the city. You will notice that it is slightly elevated – this is because underneath there is a water cistern that accumulates rainwater and filters it through river sand. The cistern is elevated to isolate it from the salty water of the lagoon. 

Next to the other façade, on the canal side you can see why these little squares are called campo (‘field’) – old times they were not paved and the grass grew here. Now most squares are paved but in this particular place you can still get a feel of how it used to be, sit on the grass and see the world go by.

This patch of greenery actually belongs to the next object of our interest – Squero di San Trovaso (7) (see the map). Squero is a gondola-making and repair facility. Back in the days when over 10,000 gondolas roamed the canals of Venice these repair shops were on every corner, just like tire service today. Now there are only few left and purists say that this squero is rather a tourist attraction… Either way, it is nice to see gondolas in making.  

More on gondolas in our Venetian dictionary. 

Now it is time to breathe some fresh air on the quay of Guidecca canal on Fondamenta Zattere. Here it is always sunny during the day and photogenic shadows in the evening. 

As you cross a little bridge connecting Fondamenta Zattere Al Ponte Lungo with Fondamenta Zattere Ai Gesuati turn left straight after the bridge. There are at least two reasons for this: first across the canal you can catch some more views of the Squero and the Church of San Trovaso and – not less important – right here on Fondamenta Nani is located one of the most famous bàcaro Al Botegon. So if you want to discover this part of Venetian life, make sure you stop by, blend in the colorful mix of locals and the most advanced tourists and have you glass by the canal side. 

Now it is time to return back to Zattere and turn left next to the bridge. Here you can see why this quay got its name (literally meaning ‘rafts’) – several pontoon restaurants still float here. Among others there will be the floating platform of Gelateria Nico, one of the most famous gelato parlors in the city. Pass the church of Santa Maria della Visitazione with unusual relief on the door. 

Today it is not very remarkable, as it was looted during Napoleon times. But the ceiling of XVI century survived and is quite interesting as it is not typically Venetian (the artists were from Ubria region of Italy). Nowadays the church is used as an exhibition space during the Art Biennale (every two years in the summer of every odd year). This year there was Zhong Biao and this surrealistic canvases ‘floating’ under the Renaissance dome made a strong impression – both the paintings and the way they were presented, merging the past and present of Art. 

Next to it there is one of rare examples of bocca di leone – lion’s mouth – a drop box for anonymous complaints or delations. There used to be many of them around Venice, the most famous being the one in the Doge’s Palace where people could report the activity that was (in their opinion) harmful for the Republic and was taken care of by the Council of 10, Venetian KGB. The bocca next to the church is not that scary, it was designed for anonymous reports concerning health and sanitation issues as here was located local Public Health authorities (magistrato della Sanità). Even back them the problem of garbage was taken seriously and the one not disposing of it in a proper manner could even be imprisoned. The situation with garbage disposal is not any better these days but it is unlikely that someone goes to jail anymore. When there is no Biennale you can enjoy the painted ceiling 10:00-12:00 and 16:00-18:00 on weekdays and 16:00-17:30 on weekends. 

A couple of steps and you are next to Santa Maria del Rosario better known as I Gesuati (8) (see the map). This name links the church with the order of Gesuati not to be confused with Jesuits that in Italian have a very similar spelling Gesuiti and also have a beautiful church Santa Maria Assunta known as I Gesuiti located on the opposite side of the city in sestiere Cannaregio.  

Despite the name the church was built in the beginning of the XVIII century when the order of Gesuati already ceased its existence and belongs in fact to Dominicans, who ardent promote the cult of Virgin Mary and all the mystical sacraments connected to her, rosary (rosario) being one of them. Thus the official name. 

The interior is a perfect example of the art trying to defy the laws of gravitation, time and space. Tiepolo’s painting on the borderline with architecture and sculpture create an architectural trompe l‘oeil with the saints stepping out of their designated frames and otherwise creating an emotional vertigo. The best time to look at the ceiling is in the afternoon when the real light falls same way like the painted one. 

Do not miss a tragic ‘Crucifixion’ by Tintoretto (third painting on the left wall), look at the sculptures in their niches, looking especially imposing in the evening light. 

I Gesuati is open Mo-Sa: 10:00-17:00 and Su: 13:00-17:00 and is a part of Chorus system. 

I Gesuati is a sort of emotional storm and we still have one more church to visit. So if you feel it is getting too much, turn left by Rio Terrà Foscarini and take a break at campo Sant’Agnese with the eponymous XII-XII century church. No major surprises here, just a sympatico place made especially cute and attractive by rare in Venice presence of trees and benches. 

Return to Zattere. You already noticed that this long quay has different names along the way (remember the bridge between Al Ponte Lungo and I Gesuati?), well after the next bridge it will temporarily lose the name: there will be a stretch that popular tradition calls Fondamenta degli Incurabili (Quay of Incurables) as the entire block here is occupied by Casa degli Incurabili – place with a very hopeful name for syphilis patients. After the street of sugar Calle Zucchero the Quay will turn back into Fondamente Zattere, on this stretch called Zattere ai Saloni named not after salons but after salt. Salt warehouses located here constituted a large part of the revenue for the Republic: in the absence of fridges salt was the only way of preserving food. Not only salt was kept here but also ‘human material’: in this district there were also barracks for slaves from the Orient who were getting ready to be converted into Christianity. A reminder of venetian past in slave trade can still be traced in the name of the street Rio terrà dei Catecumeni – street of neophytes.

This street will take you to Campo San Gregorio and the eponymous Gothic church of somehow austere looks. But unfortunately for the fans of Gothic architecture it is closed for public as inside there are restoration workshops tirelessly working on preserving Venetian cultural heritage (despite that some estimate that due to time and elements Venice loses around 6% of its artworks annually) 

Good final chord of today’s symphony is church of Santa Maria della Salute (Saint Mary of Health) or simply (9) located next to the very tip of Dorsoduro (see the map). This church was built in 1630-1631 during one of the most devastating plague epidemics that killed almost one third of the population. The Republic of Venice vowed to build and dedicate a church to Our Lady of Health (or of Deliverance, Italian: Salute) as a votive offering for the city's deliverance from the pestilence as other saints did not seem to help. 

During the previous epidemic they built Il Redentore church addressing Jesus the Savior, this time it was turn to seek help from Virgin Mary. A competition was launched and out of 11 submissions a young (at that time) architect Baldassare Longhena (the same Longhena who started building Ca’Rezzonico that we visited earlier) won the contest with his project that was archaic and ultra-modern at the time. One hand it was ancient Byzantine octagonal rotunda (quite a change from the usual basilica) on the other hand it was Baroque which was the latest trend of the time as Renaissance influence was gradually subsiding, as Longhena put it himself ‘work of new invention, not built in Venice’. It took over a million polls hammered into the bottom of the lagoon and half a century to finish the construction but Longhena (though not so young anymore) was still able to see it completed. Even gray-and-white design of Fondamenta Salute (quay in front of the church) was planned by Longhena to complete this temple – metaphor of Mary’s womb, Mary’s crown and the cloud on which she resides – all together. The church's façade is embellished with 125 statues and giant volutes remind rolled fire hoses and seem ready to burst with a fountain celebrating Mary’s glory.

Once a year on November 21st on the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin, in a celebration known as the Festa della Madonna della Salute, the city's officials parade from San Marco to the Salute by a specially built pontoon bridge. Only on this day can you see the church the way it was designed: with the doors wide open and people stepping from the street right in the middle. On other days the entrance is from the side church is open 9:00-12:00 and 15:00-18:00. Do not miss the sacristy: the entrance is not evident and you might be charged a few euros to get in but because of both these factors you will most like be there one-on-one with some impressive paintings. Here you can enjoy three painted ceilings and ‘The Descent of the Holy Ghost’ by Titian as well as Marriage at Cana by Tintoretto (which also includes his self-portrait). 

Here it is always shady in the afternoon so those who walked here enjoy their well-deserved rest on the steps. Overstep them, overstep the young artists with drawing pads on their lap and end your day in Dorsoduro at punta della Dogana, where the Sea Customs Dogana di Mare (now converted into an exhibition space) is located. Seat right on the quay looking at the ferries and cruise ships sailing past with an impressive backdrop of Campanile of San Giorgio Maggiore on Giudecca island across the canal and start planning your next day in Venice. 

You can then slowly return back by Zattere while still enjoying the panorama of Giudecca. Next to vaporetto stop San Basilio turn right to Campo San Basegio. There you can find a couple of nice eating places by the canal side. The first one is right on the corner with a couple of tables by the canal side and we stopped there a few time for a spritz and panini (cannot speak of other foods though) plus it offers free wi-fi for those who are interested.

In the second place we tried pasta that tasted like home-made. For those in a mood for more traditional pasta we recommend the pasta with porchini mushrooms. 

And more adventurous souls can taste a typically Venetian pasta with sepia ink. 

Did we cover the entire Dorsoduro? 

Of course, not. There is still Galeria de l’Academia that requires at least half day, there is Peggy Guggenheim Modern Art museum, there is Ca’Rezzonico, there is Palazzo Cini with collection of Ferrara and Toscana art from XV-XVI centuries, there is exhibition of Leonardo’s mechanisms in the church of San Barnaba, there is San Nicolò dei Mendicoli – severely-looking home church of nicolotti faction – with gilded wooden sculptures, cute campo Anzolo-Rafael with eponymous church containing paintings by Gvardi brothers, there is scuola Carmini (next to basilica Carmini) with meteoric paintings by Tiepolo… 

We hope you will have time to visit these places and share with us your impressions… 

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