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Castello is the largest and second most populous of the six districts (sestieri) of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Venice, Italy.
Introduction to Castello
Castello borders Cannaregio to the north and San Marco to the west. Parts of the district have been settled since at least the 8th century. It experienced growth in the 13th century thanks to the Venetian Arsenal, the largest naval complex in Europe, and represented the industrial and military heart of Venice.
A sizable Greek community of around 5,000 members developed in Castello, reaching its height after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, making the city an important center of Greek education. The community dwindled after the Fall of the Venetian Republic and the establishment of the modern Greek state.
Although we stayed in Castello just off Campo Santa Maria Formosa, we didn’t really explore it until our last two days in the city. The district is home to several impressive churches and palazzos.
Riva degli Schiavoni
The most popular place in Castello is the scenic waterfront, Riva degli Schiavoni, which a promenade that extends from the Ponte della Paglia (Straw Bridge) next to the Doge’s Palace for about 850 meters to the Rio di Ca’ di Dio. It was developed in the 9th century from dredged silt and expanded in 1060. It’s named for the Slavic men who unloaded their cargo there after crossing the Adriatic.
The Riva degli Schiavoni was first paved in 1324. Starting around the 15th century, it became a popular market area. The Slavs and Greeks who moved into the area used it to sell meat and dried fish. The promenade was expanded to its current size between 1780 and 1782.
Today, the Riva degli Schiavoni is a popular tourist attraction and one of the most famous streets in Venice. It’s lined with several hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops, and is home to a handful of important buildings and bridges. The San Zaccaria ferry terminal is an important vaporetto stop, and there are also several gondolas lined up there as well.
Hotel Danieli
One building of note is the Hotel Danieli, which started life as Palazzo Dandolo. It was built near the end of the 14th century by the Dandolo family and was split into three different sections in the 16th century. In the 17th century, ownership passed to the Mocenigo and the Bernardo families.
Giuseppe Dal Niel, known as Danieli, purchased the building in 1824. He restored it and converted it to a hotel, and the property expanded to the lot next door in 1948. The building continues to host one of the most lavish hotels in Venice.
One infamous event occurred where the modern wing of the hotel now stands. In 1172, Marco Cassolo stabbed Doge Vitale II Michiel who was on his way to the Church of San Zaccaria for Easter celebrations. The Senate declared that Cassolo’s house, which sat at spot of the attack, be demolished and no stone structure should be built there. Only one-story wooden buildings were allowed. The law stood until 1948, when the wooden houses were torn down and the modern wing of the Hotel Danieli was built.
Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II
Also on Riva degli Schiavoni is an equestrian monument to Vittorio Emanuele II by Ettore Ferrari (1845-1929). It was unveiled on May 1, 1887, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death. Behind the base is Subjugated Venice, representing the defeat of the short-lived Republic of San Marco (1848–1849). In front of the base is a figure of Venice triumphant, representing the freedom of Venice after it voted for unification with Italy.
Campo San Zaccaria
Campo San Zaccaria is a few steps north of Riva degli Schiavoni. It features the arches of a 15th century cloister and a stone well in the center.
Church of San Zaccaria
The square is named for the Church of San Zaccaria (Chiesa di San Zaccaria), which is dedicated to St. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Admission to the church only is free. To access the chapels and crypt, it’s €3.50 (as of March 2025) or free for holders of the Chorus Pass. The church is open daily from 10am to 6pm.
The first church on the site was founded in the early 9th century by Doge Giustiniano Participazio (d. 829), to house the relics of St. Zechariah, which was a gift from Byzantine Emperor Leo V the Armenian. It was attached to a Benedictine monastery also founded by Participazio. Most of the nuns came from noble Venetian families. They had a reputation for partying and not being very “nunly”. The entire complex burned down in 1105, with more than 100 nuns who had taken refuge in the crypt died of asphyxiation, and it was rebuilt in the 1170s. From the 12th century until the Fall of the Republic of Venice, the doge and his entire court would visit the church for Easter.
The current structure was constructed between 1458 and 1490 next to the remains of the old church, which still exists in the form of three chapels and the crypt. The architect was Antonio Gambello (d. 1481), who designed it in the Gothic style and supervised construction until 1477. In 1483, he was replaced by Mauro Codussi (1440-1504), who completed the upper part of the façade in the Early Renaissance style.
Nave
The church consists of a central nave with two aisles. It’s adorned with several important paintings by artists such as Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430-1516), Tintoretto (1518-1594), Anthony van Dyck (1519-1641), and Jacopo Palma il Giovane (1548/50-1628). You’ll find tall Gothic windows in the ambulatory surrounding the apse. The organ was built in 1790 by Gaetano Callido (1727-1813).
On the second altar on the right, you can find the relics of St. Zechariah as well as St. Athanasius of Alexandria, given to the monastery by Pope Benedict III after he took refuge there in 855. You’ll also find the tomb of sculptor Alessandro Vittoria (1525-1608), which he built himself.
Chapel of St. Athanasius
Through a door on the right aisle you can enter the real highlights of the building. First is the Chapel of St. Athanasius (Capella di Sant’Atanasio). It served as the choir of the nuns, who would attend services behind barred windows without being seen. It was converted to a chapel in 1595.
The chapel contains benches carved by Francesco and Marco Cozzi (d. 1485). The most important painting in this chapel is the Birth of John the Baptist, painted around 1563 by Tintoretto. You’ll also find the Madonna and Child among the saints Bernardino, Gregory the Great, Paul, Elizabeth, Benedict and Placido, painted by Palma Vecchio (c. 1480-1528) in 1512.
Chapel of Sorrows
Next is the small Chapel of Sorrows (Cappella dell’Addolorata) which contains an altar with cases of relics.
Chapel of San Tarasio
The Chapel of San Tarasio (Cappella di San Tarasio) was the apse of the 1170 church. It was reconstructed in the Gothic style around 1440 by Antonio Gambello. The floor contains tiles from the 9th and 12th centuries. There are frescoes by Andrea del Castagno (c. 1419-1457) and Francesco da Faenza (d. 1451) painted in 1442, discovered in 1923, and restored in the 1950s.
In the apse is the Polyptych of the Virgin, a gilded altarpiece made by Ludovico da Forlì in 1443 with paintings by Antonio Vivarini and Giovanni d’Alemagna (c. 1411-1450). There are two more altarpieces on either side of the apse created by the same trio. The Polyptych of Santa Sabina is on the left while the Polyptych of the body of Christ is on the right.
Crypt
Finally, a stairway leads underneath the Chapel of San Tarasio to the church’s crypt, which was built between the 10th and 11th centuries and is spectacularly flooded by canal water most of the year. It’s divided into three sections by two rows of columns supporting cross vaults. There are no decorations other than a marble altar topped by a sculpture of the Madonna. The tombs of 8 doges who ruled from 836 to 1172 once lay inside alongside the relics of St. Zechariah.
Greek Quarter of Venice
The Greek Quarter of Venice is a short walk from the Church of San Zaccaria. Greeks have lived in Venice since at least the 13th century, and in 1456, they were granted the right to settle permanently in Castello. Furthermore, Greek Orthodox churches had been forbidden in Venice, leaving them to worship in Catholic churches. With the influx of Greeks after the Fall of Constantinople, however, the community quickly became more powerful. Finally, in 1536, the Republic of Venice allowed the Greeks to build their own church.
The Greek quarter is preserved in a small area surrounding the church. The names of the adjacent canal (Rio dei Greci), street (Calle dei Greci), and bridge (Ponte dei Greci) indicate the strong Greek presence. Aside from the complex itself, there are some lovely views from the bridge.
Church of St. George of the Greeks
The Church of St. George of the Greeks (Italian: Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Greci, Greek: Ἅγιος Γεώργιος τῶν Ἑλλήνων) has been the centerpiece of the city’s Greek community since the 16th century. It’s typically open daily except Mondays. I tried to visit three times but unfortunately it was closed each time.
Construction started in 1536 on a plot of land purchased by the community a few years earlier. Architect Sante Lombardo (1504-1560) supervised the project until 1548 until he was replaced by Giannantonio Chiona. Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) designed the section reserved for women. The church was completed in 1577 and contains four mosaics on the façade. They were created between 1564 and 1574. Another mosaic of St. George is on the side door on the courtyard.
The interior is decorated with icons brought by refugees from Constantinople and other areas. You’ll find works of the Cretan School by important painters including Michael Damaskinos (1530/35-1592/93), Thomas Bathas (1544-1599), and Emmanuel Tzanes (1610-1690). Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594) supervised the decoration of the dome, which, according to the Hellenic Institute, was completed by John the Cypriot.
The bell tower was built between 1587 and 1592 by architect Bernardo Ongarin. Iakovos Samariaris of Zakynthos bequeathed the funds for its construction. The clock was installed in 1589, and cells were added at the beginning of the 17th century as residences for the priests. It leans slightly towards the canal, making it one of two leaning bell towers in Venice. Restoration was carried out between 1999 and 2006.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy
The office of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy (Sacra Arcidiocesi Ortodossa d’Italia) shares the courtyard with the church. The archdiocese was created in 1991 and operates under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It included Malta from 2005 to 2021.
There are a few plaques on the building. One of them commemorates the 500th anniversary of the establishment of the Greek community of Venice in 1498.
Flanginian School
The building to the left of the church was the Flanginian School (Italian: Collegio Flanginiano, Greek: Φλαγγίνειος Σχολή), a Greek educational institute founded in 1644 by Thomas Flanginis (1578-1648), a wealthy Greek lawyer and merchant originally from Corfu. It was designed by Baldassare Longhena (1598-1682) and started functioning in 1665.
Students of the Flanginian School had to be Orthodox of Greek origin, aged 12-16, and would study for 6 years. They could then continue their education at the University of Padua. The school counted several important Greek scholars among its teachers.
The Flanginian School was shut down in 1797 after the Fall of the Venetian Republic. The funds left by Flanginis’ legacy were confiscated by the French and the building was abandoned. The school later reopened in 1824 and operated until 1905.
The building is now the home of the Hellenic Institute (Instituto Ellenico), which was founded in 1951. It’s dedicated to the preservation of property belonging to the Greek Orthodox community of Venice. It also studies Byzantine and post-Byzantine history as well as Greek areas once occupied by Venice.
Brotherhood of St. Nicholas
Between the Flanginian School and the Church of St. George of the Greeks is the Brotherhood of St. Nicholas (Scoletta di San Nicolò), or the Brotherhood of the Greeks (Scuola dei Greci). It was also designed by Longhena and built in the late 17th century.
The brotherhood was a charitable Greek confraternity founded by the Greek community in 1498. It was shut down by Napoleon in 1806, along with all confraternities in Venice, and many of its most valuable possessions were confiscated. The first floor of the building operated as the Hospital for Needy Greeks from 1678 until the early 20th century. The Sala del Capitolo, which was the meeting room of the brotherhood, is now used for events and conferences hosted by the Hellenic Institute.
Museum of Icons
The first floor of the building has housed Museum of Icons (Museo delle Icone) since 1959. The museum displays remarkable Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons as well as documents, manuscripts, and other artifacts reflecting the history of the Greek community of Venice. Among the highlights are two Byzantine icons brought to Venice by Anna Notaras (d. 1507) before the Fall of Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453. She was the daughter of Loukas Notaras (1402-1453), the last megas doux of the Byzantine Empire. The museum is open daily and admission is €4 (as of December 2024).
Church of San Lorenzo
Heading north, we walked past the Church of San Lorenzo (Chiesa di San Lorenzo). It dates back to at least 854 and was part of a Benedictine monastery along with the Chapel of San Sebastiano (Cappella di San Sebastiano). The church was rebuilt from 1580 to 1616 on a design by Simone Sorela. The relics of St. Paul I of Constantinople (d. c. 350), brought to Venice in 1226, are kept there. Marco Polo (c. 1254-1324) was buried in the Chapel of San Sebastiano, which was demolished in the early 19th century.
Campo Santa Maria Formosa
Campo Santa Maria Formosa, which is named for the Church of Santa Maria Formosa, is one of the largest squares in Venice. It’s bordered by 3 canals and connected to 9 streets and 11 bridges. We stayed just around the corner from the square but didn’t really explore it until our last day in the city.
Church of Santa Maria Formosa
The centerpiece of the square is the Church of Santa Maria Formosa (Chiesa di Santa Maria Formosa). Admission is €3.50 (as of March 2025) or free for holders of the Chorus Pass.
According to tradition, the original church was built in 639 by St. Magnus of Oderzo (d. 670) and financed by the Tribune family. The church was renovated in 864 and again in 1106. It was rebuilt by architect Mauro Codussi (1440-1504) with construction starting in 1492.
The Cappello family financed the façades on the west and north sides. The west façade, started in 1542, honors Admiral Vincenzo Cappello (1469-1541). The Baroque façade on the north side, started in 1604, is crowned with statues of the Virgin and the cardinal virtues. The bell tower was designed in 1611 by priest Francesco Zucconi and completed in 1688. The church was bombed by the Austrians on August 9, 1916, during World War I.
The Church of Santa Maria Formosa was built on a Latin cross plan. It features a nave flanked by two aisles. The chapels along the aisles are decorated with impressive paintings by artists such as Bartolomeo Vivarini (c. 1432-c. 1499), Palma il Giovane (1548/50-1628), Leandro Bassano (1557-1622), Palma Vecchio (c. 1480-1528), and others.
Casa Venier
On the east side of the square is the Casa Venier. It was the birthplace of Sebastiano Venier (c. 1496-1578), who led Venice to victory in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 and later served as Doge. The house was built in the 15th century.
Palazzo Vitturi
Also on the east side is Palazzo Vitturi, which is the oldest building on the square and was originally built in the 2nd half of the 13th century. It has undergone several renovations over the years and the original appearance has been lost. The Venetian-Byzantine style building is decorated with Gothic and Moorish motifs, and the balustrades were added in the 16th or 17th century. It now hosts a hotel.
Palazzo Priuli Ruzzini
On the north side of the square is Palazzo Priuli Ruzzini. It was built for the Ruzzini family in the late 16th century and is attributed to architect Bartolomeo Manopola. In the 18th century, Gregorio Lazzarini (1657-1730) painted the frescoes in the interior halls.
The last member of the Ruzzini family died in 1801 and Count Pietro Priuli became the owner. The building fell into disrepair until it was restored in the early 21st century to become the Ruzzini Palace Hotel.
Palazzo Malipiero Trevisan
Finally, on the south side of the square is the Palazzo Malipiero Trevisan. It was originally the residence of the Malipiero family until the end of the 15th century when it passed through marriage to the Trevisan family. It was rebuilt in its present form in the 15th and 16th centuries and was divided into several properties over the years. Today, it houses the Ca’ Malipiero, a suite hotel. The entrance is only accessible via a small bridge crossing over a canal.
Palazzo Grimani
A few steps from Campo Santa Maria Formosa is Palazzo Grimani. Built starting in the Middle Ages, it was acquired by Antonio Grimani (1434-1523), who later became Doge in 1521. The Grimani family owned it until 1865 and it changed hands several times until it became property of the state in 1981. The building underwent an extensive restoration to return it to its former glory and it finally opened to the public on December 20, 2008 as the Palazzo Grimani Museum (Museo di Palazzo Grimani). General admission is €12, €2 for students age 18-25, or free for anyone under 18 (as of March 2025). It’s open daily except Mondays. The building features a courtyard, a monumental staircase, and several impressive rooms.
Campo Santa Marina
Northwest of Campo Santa Maria Formosa is Campo Santa Marina, a quiet square with a couple wells. It’s surrounded by a few shops and restaurants, and a hotel. The hotel occupies the former site of the Church of Santa Marina (Chiesa di Santa Marina), which was built in 1030, deconsecrated in 1818, and demolished in 1820.
Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Continuing along the maze of canals to the northeast is Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
San Zanipolo
The massive Basilica of SS John and Paul (Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo), more commonly known as San Zanipolo, is the most prominent building on the square. It’s dedicated to John and Paul, two 4th century martyrs from Rome and contains the tombs of 25 Doges of Venice. In fact, after the 15th century, the funeral for every Doge was held there. Admission is €3.50 for adults, €1.50 for students age 13-25, and free for kids under 13 (as of March 2025). Unfortunately, it was too close to closing time so we weren’t able to visit.
One of the largest churches in Venice, construction on San Zanipolo began in 1333 and it was consecrated on November 14, 1430. It replaced an earlier church built in 1246 on land donated by Doge Jacopo Tiepolo (1170-1249). The church administered by the Dominicans, was part of one of the largest monasteries in the city. It was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in September 1922.
San Zanipolo is on a Latin cross plan with a central nave and two aisles. It’s 101.6 meters long, 45.8 meters wide in the transept, and 32.2 meters high. The dome, with an internal height of 41 meters and an external height of 55.4 meters, was added at the end of the 15th century. It’s filled with impressive chapels, funerary monuments, paintings, and stained glass windows.
Scuola Grande di San Marco
Next to San Zanipolo is the stunning façade of the Scuola Grande di San Marco, one of the six great charity organizations of Venice. Founded in 1260, it was first located at the Monastery of Santa Croce, which was demolished in the 19th century. In 1443, the Dominicans of San Zanipolo granted a plot of land to the school for the construction of a new headquarters.
The building burned down on March 31, 1485, and restoration began in 1487 under architects Pietro Lombardo (1435-1515). Mauro Codussi (1440-1504) and Antonio Rizzo (c. 1430-c. 1499) took over in 1490 and all decorations were completed by 1518. In 1807, the Scuola Grande di San Marco was dissolved and the building was converted to a hospital.
The façade of the building was based on St. Mark’s Basilica. The lion sculptures are copies, as the originals were destroyed after the Fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797.
The Scuola Grande di San Marco was restored and reopened to the public on November 20, 2013, as the Museum of the Scuola Grande di San Marco (Museo della Scuola Grande di San Marco). It’s open Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is €8 for adults, €6 for students under 26, and free for kids under 12 (as of March 2025). In addition, the Andrea Vesalio Historical Pharmacy and Museum of Pathological Anatomy (Farmacia Storica e Museo Anatomia Patologica “Andrea Vesalio”) is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The building also hosts a library as well as cultural events and concerts.
Equestrian Statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni
A 3.95 meter high equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni stands in front of San Zanipolo and the Scuola Grande di San Marco. It was sculpted by Andrea del Verrocchio (c. 1435-1488) from 1480-1488. Colleoni (1400-1475), a powerful Captain General of the Venetian army, willed most of his estate to the Venetian Republic, under the condition a statue of himself be erected in Piazza San Marco. In 1479, the Republic accepted the terms but would place the statue in front of the Scuola Grande di San Marco since statues were forbidden in the piazza. It was inaugurated on March 21, 1496, on a pedestal created by Alessandro Leopardi (1466-1512).
Hospital of SS John and Paul
The Hospital of SS John and Paul (Ospedale Santi Giovanni e Paolo) was established as a military hospital under French occupation in 1807. It consisted of the Scuola Grande di San Marco, the former Dominican convent of San Zanipolo, the Hospital of San Lazzaro (Ospedale di San Lazaro e dei Mendicanti), and the Chapel of Peace (Cappella della Pace). Since 1819, it has operated as a civic hospital and has expanded with modern wings. We passed the massive hospital on our way to Fondamente Nove and were able to see some of the ambulance boats docked outside.
Church of San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti
The Church of San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti (Chiesa di San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti) serves as the chapel for the Hospital of SS John and Paul. It was built between 1601 and 1631 for the adjacent Hospital of San Lazzaro, which served as a shelter for lepers, beggars, and orphans.
The church was designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi (1548-1616). The façade was designed by Antonio Sardi but wasn’t completed until 1673 by his son Giuseppe. The interior contains funerary monuments as well as paintings by Paolo Veronese (1528-1588) and Jacopo Tintoretto (1518-1594). The church is typically open Monday through Saturday from 1pm to 6pm.
