Venice Sights

  1. Antico Cimitero Israelitico

    A few hundred metres south of the Chiesa di San Nicolò is what remains of the Antico Cimitero Israelitico (Old Jewish Cemetery). In 1386, Venice's Jews acquired the right to bury their dead on a strip of the Lido that started near the Chiesa di San Nicolò and extended down here. It fell into disuse in the 18th century (when the Nuovo Cimitero Israelitico opened nearby). The bulk of the tombstones were discovered by construction workers in the late 19th century.

    Read more about Antico Cimitero Israelitico

  2. Cimitero

    The city's cemetery was established on San Michele under Napoleon and is maintained by the Franciscans. The Chiesa di San Michele in Isola, begun by Codussi in 1469, was among the city's first Renaissance buildings, built in sober style of white Istrian stone. Inspired by local and Tuscan ideas in the body of the church, Codussi dedicated most effort to the façade, crowned by a semicircle that mixes the classical with an Eastern touch.

    Read more about Cimitero

  3. Palazzo Dario

    You can get some impression of this late-Gothic mansion (aka Ca' Dario) from the rear, but to really appreciate it you need to see the façade - a unique Renaissance marble facing that was taken down and reattached in the 19th century - from the Grand Canal. It was one of the first of Venice's Renaissance buildings to be faced entirely in marble.

    Read more about Palazzo Dario

  4. Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi

    Behind the restrained Renaissance canalside of this mansion lurk the gambling rooms of the city's casino. The composer Richard Wagner expired here in 1883. You can wander into the ground-floor area during casino hours but you'll have to fork out to see the gaming rooms, where formal dress is obligatory. To tour the rooms Wagner took while in Venice, book a place on Friday between and noon for the tour that takes place at on Saturday.

    Read more about Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi

  5. The Zattere

    The Fondamenta delle Zattere runs the length of the south side of Dorsoduro along the Canale della Giudecca and unsurprisingly is a popular spot for a passeggiata (evening or Sunday stroll). There are many fascinating buildings along the length of the Zattare. The Ospedale degli Incurabili was put up in the 16th century, this was where incurable syphilus sufferers, who had a tendancy to end up quite potty, used to be parked.

    Read more about The Zattere