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After exploring a bit of San Polo, we walked over to Dorsoduro. Dorsoduro is one of the six districts (sestieri) of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Venice, Italy.

As we entered Dorsoduro, we passed a bridge over the Rio di Ca’ Foscari with a nice view of the Grand Canal.

View of the Grand Canal while crossing the bridge over Rio di Ca' Foscari
View of the Grand Canal while crossing the bridge over Rio di Ca’ Foscari

 

Campo San Barnaba

The first stop we made was at Campo San Barnaba, which features the Church of San Barnaba (Chiesa di San Barnaba). The original church was built in the 9th century and was destroyed by a fire in 1105. It was rebuilt in 1350 and took its present form during a reconstruction in 1776. It was deconsecrated and is now used strictly for exhibitions. One fun fact is that the façade of the church doubled as a library in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Campo San Barnaba in Venice, Italy
Campo San Barnaba
Church of San Barnaba in Venice, Italy
Church of San Barnaba
Canal next to Campo San Barnaba in Venice, Italy
Canal next to Campo San Barnaba

Next, we walked along some canals and over more bridges for about 10 minutes, enjoying the scenery along the way.

Wandering through Dorsoduro in Venice, Italy
Wandering through Dorsoduro
A canal in Dorsoduro in Venice, Italy
A canal in Dorsoduro
A canal in Dorsoduro in Venice, Italy
A canal in Dorsoduro

 

Accademia

At the end of our walk we came to Gallerie dell’Accademia, which is an art gallery that exhibits pre-19th century art. It was established in 1750 as the gallery of an art school called the Venice Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia). The gallery administratively split from the art school in 1879, but they shared the same building until 2004 when the school moved to another location. Admission is €15 for adults and free for visitors under 18 (as of August 2024). It’s open daily.

Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, Italy
Gallerie dell’Accademia
Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, Italy
Gallerie dell’Accademia

Just outside the gallery is the Grand Canal and the Academy Bridge (Ponte dell’Accademia), which is one of the four bridges over the canal.

Grand Canal at Accademia in Venice, Italy
Grand Canal at Accademia

 

Campo di Sant’Agnese

The next day, we picked up where we left off by taking a vaporetto to Accademia and walking along the building until we reached the Campo di Sant’Agnese. The Church of Sant’Agnese (Chiesa di Sant’Agnese), built between the 10th and 11th centuries, is located on the small square. In 1810, the church was closed to worship and became the private chapel of the Cavanis Institute (Istituto Cavanis) next door.

Path from Accademia to Campo di Sant'Agnese in Venice, Italy
Path from Accademia to Campo di Sant’Agnese
Campo di Sant'Agnese in Venice, Italy
Campo di Sant’Agnese
Church of Sant'Agnese in Venice, Italy
Church of Sant’Agnese

 

Jesuit Church

Just a few steps away is the Jesuit Church (Chiesa dei Gesuati), which sits just along the Giudecca Canal. The official name is the Church of Saint Mary of the Rosary (Chiesa di Santa Maria del Rosario) and it was built between 1725 and 1743. The best view of the church is from a vaporetto on the canal. Admission is €3.50 (as of August 2024) or free for holders of the Chorus Pass. We didn’t visit because it was closed when we passed by.

Jesuit Church in Venice, Italy
Jesuit Church
Jesuit Church in Venice, Italy
Jesuit Church
View of the Jesuit Church from a vaporetto in Venice, Italy
View of the Jesuit Church from a vaporetto

 

Giudecca Canal

We did, however, enjoy the scenery along the Giudecca Canal as well as a nice lunch at La Calcina, just east of the church. After lunch, we took a short walk along the canal.

Walking along the Giudecca Canal
Walking along the Giudecca Canal
A restaurant on the Giudecca Canal
A restaurant on the Giudecca Canal
Path along the Giudecca Canal
Path along the Giudecca Canal

 

San Trovaso Shipyard

A few steps in we saw the San Trovaso Boatyard (Squero di San Trovaso). This is where gondolas have traditionally been built and repaired since the 17th century. Today, it’s strictly for gondolas, but in the past other types of boats were built and repaired there. It’s one of the last shipyards of its kind still in use in Venice.

San Trovaso Shipyard in Venice, Italy
San Trovaso Shipyard
San Trovaso Shipyard in Venice, Italy
San Trovaso Shipyard
Gondolas being prepared at the San Trovaso Shipyard in Venice, Italy
Gondolas being prepared at the San Trovaso Shipyard

Next to the San Trovaso Shipyard is the Church of San Trovaso (Chiesa di San Trovaso), which dates back to at least 1028. The current church was built between 1584 and 1637. Admission is €3.50 (as of August 2024) or free for holders of the Chorus Pass.

Church of San Trovaso (left) in Venice, Italy
Church of San Trovaso (left)

 

Conclusion

Although we didn’t spend too much time in Dorsoduro, we enjoyed what we saw. It was a pleasant place to walk. On another day, we also visited the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, which is at the eastern end of the district.

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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