Venezia

Tour

A two-day sightseeing tour from the Lido

This tour avoids San Marco and Rialto (often unpleasantly busy) — and San Marco offers enough for several days all on its own. These tours take from 10.15 to 17.30 Lido to Lido, but there are coffee and refreshment stops built in.

Day One

Morning

10 minute boat from Lido to Giardini. 17 minute walk through gardens and the back streets (or along the waterfront) to San Giorgio dei Greci — a 16th century church with an interior painted dome supervised by Tintoretto. You can also visit the Greek Icon Museum nearby, although I understand this is closed at present (March 2022).

11 minute walk to Santa Maria Formosa. This church is visited by the Doge every 2nd February — a procession of twelve 'Marias' to commemorate the rescue of the brides abducted by pirates from Istria and Trieste from San Pietro di Castello some time in 944. Santa Maria Formosa was the centre for the guild of casselleri (casemakers) who carried out the rescue and requested an annual visit from the doge as reward. This was also the church of the scuole of fruit-sellers and gunners. The church was rebuilt in 1492. Paintings of note: Santa Barbara by Palma Vecchio.

Exit the campo onto Calle Longa and walk to the nearby Acqua Alta, a fun bookshop with a gondola in situ. From there it's a 5 minute walk to SS Zanipolo, the great 14th century Venetian church of the Dominican order (counterpoint to the Frari, which is Franciscan). Zanipolo is a typically Venetian dialect name for John and Paul — although not named after the apostles but two soldier saints. Art of note: tombs of 25 doges and Gentile and Giovanni Bellini; Giovanni Bellini's San Vincenzo Ferrer polyptych; Saint Anthony Begging by Lotto; and some impressive Veronese ceiling paintings in the Capella del Rosario. Have a coffee / aperol / lunch stop in the square outside.

Day One

Midday

While sitting in the square admire the fine equestrian statue of poor Bartolomeo Colleoni by Verrocchio (1480–1488). The story goes that the immensely wealthy Colleoni was duped into giving a huge amount of money to the state (always in debt — plus ça change) on condition that he had an impressive statue outside San Marco. Colleoni meant the Basilica next to the Doge's palace, of course. But when he died they put his statue outside the Scuola Grande San Marco instead — not what he'd bargained for at all.

After refreshment in the campo, visit the Scuola itself nearby. This building has recently been renovated and opened to the public. Before you go in, pause and admire the façade: at street level, Tullio Lombardo created the four three-dimensional reliefs of the two Lions, together with Saint Mark Healing Ananius and Saint Mark Baptizing Ananius. Marco Codussi completed the upper façade.

In the early 16th century Gentile Bellini (a member of the scuola) began a series of paintings on The Life of Saint Mark for the Sala dell'Albergo, and around 1523–4 various Venetian artists were commissioned to decorate the Sala Grande. The scuola was suppressed by Napoleon, eventually becoming part of the Ospedale Civile, which still functions as an extension of the main hospital. The smaller Sala dell'Albergo has reproductions of the paintings originally sited there — all the originals are now elsewhere, but the reproductions are impressive.

Walk 3 minutes to Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli, a tiny Renaissance jewel box which you can spot in Don't Look Now with Donald Sutherland. The church is an optical illusion, deliberately built to look symmetrical from close up (the marble panels are not, in fact, symmetrical). Now follow the main shopping street for Venetians, the Strada Nova, for 12 minutes and turn off to the Fondamenta Misericordia. Vino Vero for lunch — a great bottle shop and wine bar with cicchetti; tables outside or hover inside. Best cicchetti in Venice, some say.

Day One

Afternoon

You are now well placed to pop into the Scuola Grande Misericordia (if it is open for an exhibition). The old scuola still stands in the Campo dell'Abbazia; the new scuola, a huge unfinished Gothic barn-like building by Sansovino, was restored recently at a cost of 10 million euros and is now used for Biennale exhibits and the like. Local resident Tintoretto used the upper rooms here to paint his huge Paradiso for the Palazzo Ducale. If you've started early you can pause here and eat a lovely lunch in one of the restaurants along the canal — Osteria da Rioba and Paradiso Perduto are especially good, and there's one called Levante which looks wonderful.

When you've got your strength back, walk 8 minutes to Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta (known as the Gesuiti — do not confuse with the Gesuati on the Zattere). If you only see one church, make it this one. The marble intarsia is extraordinary and speaks of the sea. Don't miss the Titian and Tintoretto on offer too.

A little history: originally the order of the Crociferi were in residence here in the 12th century, with a monastery and hospital. It was rebuilt after fires and acquired by the Jesuits in 1657. On the ceiling, gold and white stucco work by Abbondio Stazio surrounds frescoes by Fontebasso and Dorigny; the altar, inspired by Bernini, is by Fra Giuseppe Pozzo with its baldacchino of Solomonic columns. Titian's great, dark Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence (1548) is in the first chapel on the left; Tintoretto's early, movement-filled Assumption of the Virgin is in the left transept; and the sacristy contains 21 unusually superior works by Palma Giovane in celebration of the Eucharist. A short step to the Fondamenta Nove to catch the boat home — or head for San Marco and a cocktail, you've earned it.

Day Two

Morning

20 minute boat from Lido to Salute. Dip inside to pay your respects to Santa Maria della Salute, built to hasten and celebrate the end of the last great plague of 1630–31, which killed 46,000 people — a third of Venice's population.

Take the back alleys behind the Salute and admire the galleries and caffès. You will fetch up almost immediately at the Guggenheim, where you can sit in the garden and have a drink even if you're not up to Max Ernst so early in the day. You may prefer the Accademia — personally I find one great gallery is enough for one day, so choose one for today and come back for the other another time.

Now follow your nose and cut off to the left when you hit a major thoroughfare. When you see water ahead you are on the Zattere (the word means rafts). The island opposite is the Giudecca, famous for the Cipriani, Harry's Dolci and the Redentore church. The Zattere is great for sitting near the water with a coffee. Do not miss the outstanding Gelateria Nico and the Gianduiotto semifreddo, as recommended by Russell Norman (Polpo) and me!

Day Two

Afternoon

If you're game for more sightseeing, take the 12 minute walk to Ca' Rezzonico (closes at 5pm, last ticket 4pm). This is a fabulous 18th century house on the Grand Canal — concentrate on the ground and first floors, especially the Tiepolo frescoes and the view. It's wonderful to stand in a palazzo on the Grand Canal and feel how it must have been to live in one.

Another 12 minutes will find you at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari — you really cannot miss this, and the Titian Assumption altarpiece. This Franciscan church is just as stunning as San Zanipolo. Nearby is the Scuola San Rocco, not large but stunning, and a must if you like Tintoretto.

And finally, as the sun is setting, head to my favourite square, San Giacomo dell'Orio — a lovely space where dogs and children play alongside the ancient church. Get a drink at Al Prosecco or a pizza for dinner at Al Refolo. When you're ready to head home, walk a little further north and cross over the Grand Canal to get the boat back to the Lido.