Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore

Sunglasses become essential as you approach San Giorgio in a vaporetto, because Palladio’s 1565–80 masterpiece is set to dazzle. The white Istrian marble facade is almost blinding head-on, but close up you’ll notice the depth of the massive columns that support the triangular tympanum, with echoing triangles to represent the Holy Trinity. These strict, elegant classical proportions immediately evoke ancient Roman temples, rather than the bombastic baroque trendy in Palladio’s day. Inside, this is the only Venetian church where you’ll have to remind yourself to look at the paintings. Ceilings billow over the generous nave, with high windows distributing filtered sunshine and easy grace. The black, white and red inlaid stone floor draws the eye toward an altar flanked by Tintoretto’s Collecting the Manna and Last Supper, with his Deposition nearby in the Cappella dei Morti. Take the lift (€3) to the top of the 60m-high bell tower for a stirring panorama that takes in Giudecca, San Marco, and the lagoon beyond.