Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taking an early-morning stroll along
Riva degli Schiavoni
,
Castello's breathtaking
waterfront promenade.
Taking a break from brick and marble amid the leafy byways of Napoleon's
Giardini
Basking in the golden glow of Carpaccio's paintings in the
Scuola di San Giorgio de-
Explore Sestiere di Castello
Stretching eastwards from San Marco, Castello is the city's most sprawling
sestiere
and
exploring its entirety in one day will test walking shoes. Start with its most compelling
sites - the masterfully grand Zanipolo church, Negroponte's rose-fringed Madonna in San
Francesco della Vigna and Bellini's
Virgin Enthroned
in opulent San Zaccaria. All are
within a stone's throw of San Marco and Rialto.
Moving east, you'll reach the engine of the city's seafaring might: the sprawling
shipyards known simply as the Arsenale. While the Arsenale is only open for special
events, the nearby Museo Storico Navale helps fill in the city's blockbuster maritime his-
tory. East of the Arsenale lie working-class neighbourhoods around Via Garibaldi and on
the Isola di Sant'Elena. You're most likely to hear the Venetian dialect here, and it's a
great place for an
aperitivo
(pre-dinner drink) or a local lunch.
The Napoleonic gardens, the pavilion-dotted Giardini Pubblici and the Parco
Sant'Elena skirt the southern shore, the Giardini springing to life in summer months when
Biennale events attract artists, architects and curators from around the world. In Castello's
easternmost reaches visit Venice's first cathedral on the island of San Pietro del Castello
before returning at sunset along the Riva dei Partigiani for sweeping views of San Giorgio
Maggiore and the Bacino di San Marco.
Local Life
ยป
Castello craftsmen
Away from the main tourist areas, Castello's artisans are freer to
experiment. Don't miss 16th-century enamel work at Sigfrido Cipolato (
Click here
),
Alessandro Merlin's (
Click here
)
sgraffito
ceramics and Giovanna Zanella's (
Click here
)
surreal shoes.
