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The Grand Canal (Canal Grande) is the main artery through the UNESCO World Heritage city of Venice, Italy.
Introduction to the Grand Canal
When the banks of the Grand Canal were first settled, it was known as the Rio Businiacus. It’s 3.8 kilometers long and makes a reverse “S” shape through all 6 districts of the city. It starts at the lagoon near the Santa Lucia Railway Station and ends at the basin at San Marco. The average depth is 5 meters and it’s 30 to 90 meters wide.
There are over 170 buildings on the Grand Canal dating between the 13th and 18th centuries. Some of them are palaces built by the richest Venetian families to show off their wealth while others are churches, museums, or hotels. Many can only be seen from the canal.
In this post, I’ve written about some of the buildings along the canal as well as the four bridges that cross it. I’ve broken it down into three sections. Keep in mind I spent more time in the southern section and missed a lot in the other sections.
Northern Section of the Grand Canal
The northern section of the Grand Canal runs from the opening of the lagoon to the Ponte degli Scalzi. There are some nice views, especially outside the Santa Lucia Railway Station.
Ponte della Costituzione
The Ponte della Costituzione (Constitution Bridge) was the fourth bridge built over the Grand Canal. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened on September 11, 2008. The original name was Quarto Ponte sul Canal Grande before it was officially changed to honor the 60th anniversary of the Italian constitution, but most locals refer to it as the Calatrava Bridge (Ponte di Calatrava).
The bridge spans 79.72 meters (261.5 feet). The width varies between 9.38 meters (30.8 feet) and 17.68 meters (58 feet). It has a clearance of 7.04 meters (23.1 feet) at high tide.
The Ponte della Costituzione is a very controversial bridge for many reasons. First of all, it doesn’t fit in architecturally with the rest of Venice. Secondly, it isn’t wheelchair accessible so a lift system had to be installed at a very high cost. Finally, the bridge seemed unnecessary with another bridge a mere 330 meters (1,080 feet) away.
Church of San Simeone Piccolo
Directly across from the railway station, in the district of Santa Croce, is the Church of San Simeone Piccolo (Chiesa di San Simeone Piccolo), which was built between 1718 and 1738. The architect was Giovanni Antonio Scalfarotto (1672-1764) who modeled it on the Pantheon in Rome. The Neoclassical church was one of the last churches built in Venice, although the parish likely dates back to the 11th century. For many visitors to the city, it’s the very first landmark they see.
Ponte degli Scalzi
The next bridge is the Ponte degli Scalzi (Bridge of the Barefoot Monks), which is 40 meters long and connects the Santa Croce and Cannaregio districts. Construction began on May 4, 1932, and it opened on October 28, 1934. The stone arch bridge was designed by Eugenio Miozzi (1889-1979) and is named for the Order of Discalced Carmelites. It replaced an iron bridge built during the Habsburg period in 1858 by English engineer Alfred Neville (c. 1800-1861).
From the bridge, which is located next to the Santa Lucia Railway Station, there are great views of the Church of San Simeone Piccolo.
Central Section of the Grand Canal
The central section of the Grand Canal is from the Ponte degli Scalzi to the Rialto Bridge and covers the space between the first two curves in the “S”. There are some nice views of the canal and plenty of historic buildings along the way. It’s also interesting to look down the smaller canals branching off the Grand Canal.
Ca’ Vendramin Calergi (Venice Casino)
One of the important buildings coming around the curve is Ca’ Vendramin Calergi, located in the Cannaregio district. The Venice Casino (Casinò di Venezia), which was founded in 1638, moved into the building in 1959. It’s recognized as the oldest gaming house in the world.
Ca’ Vendramin Calergi was built between 1481 and 1509 by architect Mauro Codussi (1440-1504) for Andrea Loredan (1440-1513). It changed hands several times and was most notably the final home of German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883), who died in the building. A museum dedicated to Wagner opened in the building on February 13, 1995. You can visit the museum by appointment only.
Church of San Stae
The next ferry terminal past the casino is at the small Church of San Stae (Chiesa di San Stae) in the Santa Croce district. It’s officially called the Church of Sant’Eustachio (Chiesa di Sant’Eustachio) but nobody calls it that. The church was founded in the early 11th century and the current structure was rebuilt in the 17th century. The façade was completed in 1709 by architect Domenico Rossi (1657-1737). Inside is a tomb for the Mocenigo family as well as works by several artists, including Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770). Admission is €3.50 (as of August 2024) or free for holders of the Chorus Pass. It’s open Wednesday and Thursday from 2:30pm to 5pm.
Ca’ Pesaro
Just past San Stae is Ca’ Pesaro, which was built by the Pesaro family. Construction on the building started in the mid-16th century by architect Baldassare Longhena (1598-1682) and was completed in 1710 by Gian Antonio Gaspari. Today, it hosts an international art gallery featuring 19th and 20th century paintings and sculptures as well as graphic art. Admission is €14 for adults, €11.50 for visitors aged 6-14 and over 65, and free for children under 6 or holders of the Museum Pass (as of August 2024). It’s open daily except Mondays.
Ca’ d’Oro
The Ca’ d’Oro is across the Grand Canal from the Rialto Market. Officially named the Palazzo Santa Sofia, it’s one of the older palaces on the canal. It was built between 1421 and 1437 for the Contarini family and is considered the best surviving palazzo in the Venetian Gothic style of architecture. The architects were Giovanni Bon and Matteo Raverti. The building has housed the Giorgio Franchetti Gallery (Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro) since 1927. It’s open daily except Mondays. Admission is €8 for adults and free for visitors under 18 (as of August 2024) as the building is being restored.
Southern Section of the Grand Canal
The southern section of the Grand Canal is from the Rialto Bridge to the Ponte dell’Accademia. It starts after the second curve and rounds the third curve before exiting at the basin at San Marco. We took our first vaporetto ride in this section. There are some impressive buildings on both the San Marco and San Polo sides.
The buildings from the third curve until the Ponte dell’Accademia are some of the most beautiful along the Grand Canal. From Accademia to Piazza San Marco, there are more historic buildings, with the most prominent being the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute.
Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto), which links San Polo with San Marco, is the oldest and most famous bridge on the Grand Canal and roughly at the halfway point. It was originally built in 1181 as the Ponte della Moneta, a pontoon bridge designed by Nicolò Barattieri. An increase in traffic due to the development of the Rialto Market prompted its replacement by a wooden bridge in 1255.
In the first half of the 15th century, shops were built along both sides of the Rialto Bridge and the rents generated income to maintain it. The bridge collapsed twice, first in 1444 and again in 1524, and authorities eventually decided on a stone bridge to replace it.
The current bridge was constructed by architect Antonio da Ponte (1512-1597) between 1588 and 1591. It’s a stone arch bridge that spans 31.8 meters (104.3 feet). It’s 22.9 meters (75.1 feet) wide and the arch is 7.32 meters (24 feet) high. The bridge was very controversial at the time it opened but has since become one of the architectural icons of Venice and one of the top attractions in the city.
Whenever we crossed the bridge during the day it was ridiculously crowded and nearly impossible to admire it. It wasn’t until well after dark when we could have the bridge almost to ourselves.
Palazzo Dolfin Manin
Just past the bridge on the San Marco side between the Rialto “A” and Rialto “C” vaporetto stops is the Palazzo Dolfin Manin. It was built starting in 1536 for the noble Dolfin (Delfini) family and was the home of the last Doge of Venice, Ludovico Manin (1725-1802). The architect was Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570), and the interior features works by Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770). The Venice headquarters of the Bank of Italy (Banca d’Italia) are located in the building.
Palazzo Bembo
Next door is Palazzo Bembo, which was built in the 15th century for the noble Bembo family. The architecture is considered Venetian Gothic-Byzantine. The building, which was the birthplace of Italian scholar Pietro Bembo (1470-1547), currently hosts a hotel and an art exhibition venue.
Palazzo Balbi
At the third curve in the “S”, I spotted the Palazzo Balbi, located in the Dorsoduro district. It was commissioned by the Balbi family, and construction started in 1582 under architect Alessandro Vittoria (1525-1608).The interior contains frescoes by painter Jacopo Guarana (1720-1808) completed in the 18th century. It has been property of the government of the Veneto region since 1971
Ca’ Foscari
The next building past Palazzo Balbi is Ca’ Foscari. It was built in 1453 for Doge Francesco Foscari (1373-1457) and is now the home of Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia. A Byzantine palace known as the House with the Two Towers once stood on the site.
Palazzo Giustinian
Palazzo Giustinian was built in the late 15th century and was the final home of Princess Louise Marie Thérèse d’Artois of France (1819-1864). She died in the palace on February 1, 1864. The building is actually made up of two separate sectors – Ca’ Giustinian dei Vescovi, which now houses part of Ca’ Foscari University (Università Ca’ Foscari), and Ca’ Giustinian delle Zogie, which is privately owned. It’s considered one of the finest examples of late Venetian Gothic architecture.
Ca’ Rezzonico
Just a bit further down the canal is Ca’ Rezzonico, which houses a museum of 18th century art established in 1936. The building was constructed between 1667 and 1752 by architect Baldassare Longhena (1598-1682). It contains several impressive rooms as well as work by Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770) and Francesco Guardi (1712-1793). Admission is €10 for adults, €7.50 for visitors age 6-14 and over 65, and free for children under 6 or holders of the Museum Pass (as of August 2024). It’s open daily except Tuesdays.
Palazzo Stern
Near the Ca’ Rezzonico vaporetto stop is the Hotel Palazzo Stern. The building is actually a 15th century Moorish-style palace built by the Malpaga family.
Palazzo Loredan dell’Ambasciatore
Two buildings further down is the Palazzo Loredan dell’Ambasciatore. This historic palace was the birthplace of two Doges and the site of a Mozart concert. It was built in the 15th century for the Loredan family and now houses private luxury apartments for temporary use.
Ponte dell’Accademia
The Ponte dell’Accademia (Academy Bridge) links Dorsoduro with San Marco and is named for the Venice Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia). The original steel bridge was the Ponte della Carità (Charity Bridge), which was designed by English engineer Alfred Neville (c. 1800-1861) and opened on November 20, 1854. It was demolished in 1933 and replaced with a wooden bridge designed by Eugenio Miozzi (1889-1979). The bridge was rebuilt between 1984 and 1986.
The Ponte dell’Accademia is my favorite bridge because it has in my opinion the best views out of all the bridges. It’s also much less crowded than the Rialto Bridge. Some of the landmarks you can spot from the bridge include the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and Ca’ Rezzonico.
Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti
Finally, south of the bridge is the Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti. Construction began in 1565 and it has been owned by the Habsburgs and the Rothschilds. Since 1999, it has been the seat of the Veneto Institute of Science, Letters and Arts (Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti).
