Let’s Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice – Part 2

Venice’s Grand Canal, a major tourist destination in its own right, is also a vital link to many other tourist sites. It’s Venice’s main thoroughfare, curving back in a reverse S through the city’s center, as well as its bustling marketplace, packed with traffic including anything from gondolas to barges transporting vegetables.

Let's Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice - Grand Canal in Venice
Let’s Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice – Grand Canal in Venice

Anyone of importance in Venice had to have a palace overlooking the Grand Canal, and palazzi from all throughout the city exhibit many architectural styles, including those from the 12th to early 18th centuries.

To view and appreciate all the magnificent palaces properly, the best approach is from the canal itself, since their facades are turned toward the water. One of the best things to do in Venice at night is taking in the opulence of these palaces when the lights are turned on. Starting at San Marco, these sites are organized by the order you’ll view them as you go from Ponte Della Costituzione (the opposite end of the Grand Canal) to the Rialto Bridge. You won’t miss a single thing while navigating the Grand Canal with our helpful guide.

Also, note that some companies may be closed because of current worldwide health and safety concerns.

Fish Market

Let's Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice - Fish Market
Let’s Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice – Fish Market

Dating back to 1907, the fish market, known as Pescheria, can be found to the left of Rialto Bridge and was constructed in Gothic style with arches supported by carved capitals. The fishermen and the people of the fishing towns know better than to mess with the morning shoppers and cooks who are scrambling for fresh catches of fish.

While it’s quite new, it was built using more than 18,000 century-old Larchwood piles. A popular free activity in Venice is visiting the bustling, colorful market between the Pescheria and Rialto. Rialto is the closest stop.

Fondaco dei Tedeschi (German Commodity Exchange)

Let's Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice - Fondaco dei Tedeschi (German Commodity Exchange)
Let’s Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice – Fondaco dei Tedeschi (German Commodity Exchange)

This excellent site at the San Marco end of Rialto Bridge was where “German” merchants (a phrase that included encompassed Poles, Czechs, and Hungarians) conducted business in Venice. They resided there from at least 1228. The Republic invested much in the restoration of its trade hub after a fire, which demonstrates how profitable the port was for them. Venice’s exorbitant fees for every purchase and sale needed to be paid.

This is why the Fondaco was referred to as “the gilded ark of the Senate” in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Fondaco was a location where the merchants could do business and escape, since they were not allowed to conduct business alone or appear publicly outside the Fondaco.

The right-hand facade, as you face the Grand Canal, is based on the Venetian style of three storeys. The center of the portico has five arches. The first level was a place for stores and storage, while the higher floors had residential quarters and offices.

The mall is on the roof, which offers expansive views of the city. To bypass the terrace queue, make a free advance reservation.

Ca’ Pesaro

Let's Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice - Ca' Pesaro
Let’s Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice – Ca’ Pesaro

Ca’ Pesaro was constructed by the masters of Venetian Late Baroque, Baldassare Longhena and Antonio Gaspari, and was completed between 1652 and 1710. The stunning facade was modeled by the Piazzetta’s Library by Sansovino.

Despite being the home of the contemporary art museum, the exquisite interior may appear an odd place for the Galleria d’Arte Moderna, one of Italy’s greatest collections of modern art. Though the palace’s aesthetic is at odds with the work of Franz von Lenbach, Auguste Rodin, and Marc Chagall, it does serve as a point of curiosity. On the third level, the Museo d’Arte Orientale contains a display of Chinese ceramics, Japanese paintings, and Indian sculpture, which is equally impressive. Get out at the San Stae vaporetto station and walk to the left to reach Ca’Pesaro.

Ca’ da Mosto

Let's Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice - Ca' da Mosto
Let’s Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice – Ca’ da Mosto

Ca’ da Mosto, overlooking the Grand Canal, is both the oldest and the most architecturally important of the Palazzi, not to mention one of the most magnificent. Dating from the 13th century, this building used to be a fondaco, the Venetian merchant’s house, and workshop.

Its water-level storey has a single, larger, asymmetrical archway (different from the smaller ones on the opposite side) and a single entrance. Above the piano nobile windows – the main level above – the tall, thin arches are the precursor of the Venetian vernacular of pointed arches. The 13th-century residence remains the city’s most significant example of a 13th-century palace, since other residences of its era have been entirely rebuilt.

The Portuguese navigator Alvise do Mosto was born here, and he became the first European to see the Cape Verde Islands. Even though the home is falling apart, it has been suggested that it be rebuilt as a luxury hotel.

Ca’ d’Oro

Let's Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice - Ca' d'Oro
Let’s Visit Must-See Destinations Along The Grand Canal In Venice – Ca’ d’Oro

Ca’ d’Oro, the most spectacular building on the right bank, is a pure Venetian Gothic architectural gem. Even without its original elaborate paint and gold, the work of Bartolomeo Bon, who also constructed the Porta della Carta in the Doge’s palace, nevertheless makes the marble filigree of the House of Gold shine even brighter.

Now that the home has been turned into a museum, it clearly shows how Venetian nobility lived in the late Middle Ages. The bottom floor mosaic duplicates one in St. Mark’s Basilica, and the courtyard has a breathtaking red marble well. Galleria Franchetti’s artworks provide the Galleria Franchetti gallery with historical life.

You will witness additional marble sculptures, bronzes, and terracottas, such as those by Bernini, Giambologna, Tullio Lombardo, Ricci, and many others, as well as parts of the paintings by Giorgione and Titian that graced the Fondaco dei Tedeschi façade. A station for this attraction is located on the vaporetto for easy access.

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