Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SanTomà:
Fiftyyardsahead,ontherightside(withtwinobelisksontherooftop)stands
PalazzoBalbi,thepalaceofanearly-17th-centurycaptaingeneralofthesea.TheseVenetian
equivalents of five-star admirals were honored with twin obelisks decorating their palaces.
This palace, like so many in the city, flies three flags: Italy (green-white-red), the European
Union(bluewithringofstars),andVenice(aliononafieldofredandgold).Todayithouses
the administrative headquarters of the regional government.
Just past the admiral's palace, look immediately to the right, down a side canal. On the
right side of that canal, before the bridge, see the traffic light and the
fire station
(the 1930s
Mussolini-era building with four arches hiding fireboats parked and ready to go).
The impressive
Ca' Foscari,
with a classic Venetian facade (on the corner, across from
the fire station), dominates the bend in the canal. This is the main building of the University
of Venice, which has about 25,000 students. Notice the elegant lamp on the corner—needed
in the old days to light this intersection.
The grand, heavy, white
Ca' Rezzonico,
just before the stop of the same name, houses
the Museum of 18th-Century Venice (see
here
). Across the canal is the cleaner and leaner
Palazzo Grassi,
the last major palace built on the canal, erected in the late 1700s. It was
purchased by a French tycoon and now displays a contemporary art collection.
Ca' Rezzonico:
Up ahead, the Accademia Bridge leads over the Grand Canal to the
Ac-
was put up in 1934 as a temporary structure. Locals liked it, so it stayed. It was rebuilt in
1984 in the original style.
Accademia:
From here, look through the graceful bridge and way ahead to enjoy a clas-
sic view of
La Salute Church,
topped by a crown-shaped dome supported by scrolls (see
here
). This Church of Saint Mary of Good Health was built to thank God for delivering
Venetians from the devastating plague of 1630 (which had killed about a third of the city's
population).
Thelow,whitebuildingamonggreenery(100yardsahead,ontheright,between theAc-
cademia Bridge and the church) is the
Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
The American heir-
ess “retired” here, sprucing up a palace that had been abandoned in mid-construction. Peggy
Asyouapproachthenextstop,noticeontherighthowthefinelineofhiggledy-piggledy
palaces evokes old-time Venice. Two doors past the Guggenheim, Palazzo Dario has a great
set of characteristic
funnel-shaped chimneys.
These forced embers through a loop-the-loop
channel until they were dead—required in the days when stone palaces were surrounded by
humble, wooden buildings, and a live spark could make a merchant's workforce homeless.
Notice this early Renaissance building's flat-feeling facade with “pasted-on” Renaissance
motifs.Threedoorslateristhe
Salviatibuilding,
whichonceservedasaglassworks.Itsfine
