Rialto Bridge
The Rialto bridge has been a busy part of the city for centuries. At any time of day you will find crowds jostling on the bridge, browsing through the stalls that run over the bridge in two parallel lines, or watching the constant activity on the Grand Canal from the bridges balustrades.

Stone bridges were built in Venice as early as the 12th Century, but it was not until 1588, after the collapse, decay or sabotage of earlier wooden structures, that a solid stone bridge was designed for the Rialto. One of the earlier wood crossings in 1444 collapsed under the weight of spectators at the wedding ceremony of the Marchessa di Ferrara.
Vittore Carpaccio's painting 'The Healing of the Madman' shows the fourth bridge, a rickety looking structure with a drawbridge for the tall masts of the galleys. By the 16th Century this was in a sad state of decay and a competition was held for the design of a new bridge to be built in stone. Michelangelo, Andrea Palladio and Jacopo Sansovino were among the eminent contenders, but after months of deliberation it was the apply named Antonio da Ponte who won the commission. The bridge was built between 1588 and 1591 and constituted the only way to cross the Grand Canal on foot.

The Rialto bridge is formed by a single arch span of white marble stretching 48m or 157 feet. The height reached 7.5m or 24 feet allowing galleys to pass underneath (if they didn't have masts). The bridge is split into three with two lines of shops occupying the bridge. An external balustraded footpath ensured a smooth flow of pedestrians.

San Giacomo di Rialto
The first church to stand on this site was allegedly founded in the 5th Century making it the oldest church in Venice. The present building dates from the 11th and 12th Centuries, with major restoration work in 1601. The original Gothic portico and the huge 24 hour clock are the most distinctive features.

The crouching stone figure on the far side of the square is called the Gobbo (hunchback) of the Rialto. In the 16th Century this was a welcome sight for minor offenders who were forced to run the gauntlet from Piazza San Marco to this square in the Rialto.

Rialto Markets
Venetians have come to the Erberia to buy fresh produce for hundreds of years. Heavily laden barges arrive at dawn and offload their crates on to the quayside by the Grand Canal. Local produce includes red radicchio from Treviso, and succulent asparagus and baby artichokes from the islands of Sant'Erasmo and Vignole. In the adjoining fish market are sole, sardines, skate, squid, crabs, clams and other species of seafood and fish. To see it all in full swing you must arrive early in the morning since by noon the vendors are packing up.

San Cassiano
The mediaeval church of San Cassiano stands on the campo of the same name. The campo is notorious for prostitutes as was the Rialto in general. The highlight of the church is Jacopo Tintoretto's immensely powerful 'Crucifixion' which hangs in the sacristy.

Campo San Polo
The spacious square of San Polo has traditionally been host to spectacular events. As far back as the 15th Century it was the venue for festivities, masquerades, ceremonies, balls and bull baiting. The most dramatic event was the assassination of Lorenzo de' Medici in 1548. He took refuge in Venice after brutally killing his cousin Alessandro, Duke of Florence. Lorenzo was stabbed in the square by two assassins who were in the service of Cosimo de' Medici, and both were handsomely rewarded by the Florentine duke.

On the eastern side of the square is the beautiful gothic Palazzo Soranzo. This was originally two palaces, the left side being older than the right. Palazzo Corner Mocenigo is situated in the northwest corner. A plaque on the apse of the church of San Polo forbids all games or selling of merchandise on pain of prison, galley service or exile.

San Polo
Founded in the 9th Century, rebuilt in the 15th Century, the church of San Polo lacks any sense of homogeneity. Yet it is worth visiting for individual features such as the lovely Gothic portal and the Romanesque lions at the foot of the 14th Century campanile, one holds a serpent between its paws, the other a human head.
Inside are fourteen canvases of the Stations of the Cross by Giandomenico Tiepolo. The church also has paintings by Veronese, Palma il Giovane (the Younger) and a dark and dramatic 'Last Supper' by Tintoretto.

Palazzo Centrani
This Gothic Palazzo has an enchanting courtyard with a 15th Century open stairway and a magnificent well head, which features carved lions and a coat of arms bearing a hedgehog!

Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Founded in honour of St Roch, the Scuola was set up as a charitable institution for the sick. Construction began in 1515 under Bartolomeo Bon and was completed in 1594 by Scarpagnino, financed largely by donations from Venetians who believed that St Roch, the patron saint of contagious diseases, would save them from the plague. In 1564 Tintoretto was commissioned to decorate the walls and ceilings of the Scuola. His remarkable cycle of paintings starts in the Sala dell'Albergo.

San Rocco
Sharing the little square with the celebrated Scuola di Grande San Rocco is the church of the same name. Designed by Bartolomeo Bon in 1489 the exterior has suffered from a mixture of architectural styles in later restorations. Inside, the main interest lies in Tintoretto's paintings in the chancel, which depict scenes from the life of St Roch, patron saint of contagious diseases. Of these the most notable is 'St Roch Curing the Plague Victims'.

San Pantaleone
This church on the Campo San Pantalon is currently under construction and has just been started in the past few years.

Scuola di San Giovanni Evangelista
A confraternity of flagellants founded the Scuola of St John the Evangelist in 1261. The complex, just north of the Frari, has a church, scuola and courtyard. Separating the square from the street is Pietro Lombardo's elegant white and grey screen and portal built in 1480 and in the arch crowning the portal, is an eagle symbolising St John the Evangelist.
The main hall of the Scuola is reached by climbing a splendid 15th Century double stairway by Mario Coducci. The Scuola's greatest art treasure, the cycle of paintings which depicts 'The Stories of the Cross'. The cycle embellished the oratory (off the main hall) where the Reliquary of the true Cross is still carefully preserved.

San Giacomo dell'Oro ( ... dall'Orio)
The church is a focus of a quiet corner of Santa Croce. The name derives from a laurel tree (alloro) that grew nearby. Founded in the 9th Century, rebuilt in 1225 and repeatedly modified, the church is a mix of architectural styles. The campanile, basilica ground plan and Byzantine columns survive from the 13th Century. The ship's keel roof and the columns are from the Gothic period, and the apses are Renaissance. The sacristy has a ceiling painted by Veronese, who did a number of paintings for the altar.

Fondaco dei Turchi
In the 13th Century this was the largest of Venice's palazzi on the Grand Canal. In 1381 it was bought by the Duke of Ferrara and its lavishly decorated rooms were used for banquets and State Functions. In 1621 the Turks set up a warehouse (fondaco) and the spacious portico was used for loading merchandise.

Palazzo Mocenigo (Ca'Mocenigo)
This palace on the Salizzada di San Stae was built for one of the oldest and greatest families in Venice, the Mocenigos, who produced no fewer than 7 Doges. There were various branches of the family and one of them resided in this handsome 17th Century mansion. The entrance facade is unremarkable, but the interior is elegantly furnished and frescoed. The frescoed ceilings and paintings celebrate the family achievements.

Ca'Pesaro (under construction)
Currently under construction for the illustrious Pesaro family by the famed architect Baldassare Longhena.

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