Castello District Sestiere

Castello, from monumental Venice to the city of the Arsenal

Located east of Venice, Castello is the largest of the six sestieri. It extends from the immediate surroundings of St Mark's Square to Sant'Elena and the eastern limits of the city, bringing together very different areas: palaces, large churches, former working-class districts, public gardens and naval installations.

Its name is said to derive from an ancient fortification built in the area of the island of San Pietro, formerly called Olivolo. This area was one of the first religious centres of Venice: the church of San Pietro di Castello was the city's cathedral until 1807, before the title was transferred to St Mark's Basilica.

The history of the district is above all inseparable from the Arsenal of Venice, an immense complex of shipyards, workshops and warehouses that for centuries ensured the maritime power of the Republic. A large part of eastern Castello lived directly from this activity: carpenters, caulkers, rope-makers and other skilled workers lived close to their workplace.

The houses in these areas are generally more modest than the palaces of the historic centre. They nevertheless form a precious urban heritage, revealing a popular Venice rarely highlighted in the most prestigious representations of the city.

To the west, near the San Marco sestiere, Castello becomes more monumental. Here you will find San Zaccaria, Santa Maria Formosa, Palazzo Grimani and the vast Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, one of the most impressive architectural ensembles in Venice.

Main places to visit

1. The Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo : called San Zanipolo in Venetian, this huge Dominican Gothic church houses the funeral monuments of many doges and prominent figures. Paintings, sculptures and monumental tombs make it one of the richest religious complexes in Venice.

2. The Arsenal of Venice : for centuries, this immense complex was the heart of the Republic's naval power, capable of building and equipping a fleet on an exceptional scale for its time. Its walls, its basins and its monumental Porta Magna recall the industrial and military past of Venice, even though a large part of the site remains with limited access.

3. San Zaccaria : located a few minutes from St Mark's, this former monastic church mixes Gothic and Renaissance architecture. It notably preserves the famous Virgin and Child with Saints by Giovanni Bellini, as well as a museum, ancient chapels and a crypt regularly invaded by water.

4. The Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni : this ancient confraternity of Dalmatians preserves on site the exceptional cycle painted by Vittore Carpaccio at the beginning of the 16th century, devoted in particular to Saint George, Saint Tryphon and Saint Jerome. Its small dimensions and the coherence of its decoration make it one of the most singular artistic visits in Castello.

5. The Querini Stampalia Foundation : housed in the former palace of the Querini family, it combines historic apartments, paintings, furniture and a library. The ground floor and garden redesigned by Carlo Scarpa in the 20th century add a remarkable modern architecture intervention to this Venetian residence.

6. Palazzo Grimani : this Renaissance palace stands out strongly from the traditional Gothic residences of Venice with its architecture inspired by Rome and Antiquity. Monumental staircases, decorated rooms and the former Grimani collection of sculptures bear witness to the humanist culture of a powerful patrician family.

7. The Scuola Grande di San Marco : founded in the 13th century, this important confraternity occupied a building reconstructed at the end of the 15th century. Its spectacular marble façade, famous for its perspective effects, now forms the entrance to the civil hospital, while several historic rooms are open to visitors.

8. San Francesco della Vigna : this important Franciscan church has a façade designed by Andrea Palladio and a vast convent complex. Its name recalls the ancient vineyards once cultivated on this land, while its chapels preserve several works and monuments linked to the great Venetian families.

9. San Pietro di Castello : located away from the most frequented routes, this former cathedral of Venice held a major place in the religious life of the city before St Mark's became the patriarchal seat. Its vast campo, its church and its white stone campanile today form one of the most peaceful ensembles in the sestiere.

10. San Giorgio dei Greci : the church and its leaning campanile bear witness to the importance of the Greek Orthodox community established in Venice from the Renaissance. The complex also includes the icon museum and reveals an essential aspect of Venice's relations with the Greek and Eastern world.

11. Santa Maria Formosa : begun at the end of the 15th century to designs by Mauro Codussi, this large church marks an important stage of the Venetian Renaissance. It notably preserves the famous polyptych of Saint Barbara by Palma Vecchio and borders one of the most characteristic campos in the centre of Castello.

12. San Giovanni in Bragora : this ancient church preserves several important works of the Venetian Renaissance and remains closely associated with Antonio Vivaldi, who was baptised there in 1678. Its interior, much richer than its discreet façade, deserves a stop.

13. The monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni : standing in front of San Zanipolo, this equestrian statue designed by Andrea del Verrocchio ranks among the masterpieces of Renaissance sculpture. It is naturally discovered with the basilica and the Scuola Grande di San Marco, which form a particularly remarkable monumental ensemble around the campo.

14. The Giardini della Biennale : laid out during the Napoleonic era, these vast gardens are one of the main green spaces in Venice. Since the end of the 19th century, they have hosted an essential part of the Biennale, with the central pavilion and numerous national pavilions designed at different periods.

15. Via Garibaldi and Sant'Elena : created in the 19th century by filling in a canal, Via Garibaldi is today one of the liveliest and most residential streets in Castello. Continuing eastwards, Sant'Elena offers large green spaces, sports facilities and an atmosphere very different from the monumental centre of Venice.

16. Other notable places: 
    

    • L'Ospedaletto (Santa Maria dei Derelitti) : this former charitable establishment housed orphans, the sick and the needy and also became an important musical centre. Its church and historic spaces preserve a remarkable Baroque décor, including works by Baldassare Longhena and several Venetian artists.

    • The church of the Pietà : built in the 18th century next to the former Ospedale della Pietà, it recalls the musical institution in which Antonio Vivaldi taught for many years. Today it remains particularly associated with the Venetian musical tradition.

    • The Naval History Museum : located near the Arsenal, the museum traces the maritime history of Venice and the Italian navy through ship models, boats, weapons and nautical objects. It is a natural complement to a discovery of the Arsenal and the district's naval past.

Castello thus allows one to pass in a few minutes from the official Venice of the doges and the great confraternities to that of the Arsenal workers, small residential squares and shores open to the lagoon. It is one of the best districts to discover a less uniform city, where monumental scenery still coexists with genuine daily life.