Guide: all countries » Italy » Venice » Architecture

Excursion tour in Venice. Top architecture - monuments, castles, temples and palaces

«« BEGINNING - PART I

Video of flights over top monuments of Venice in HD format.
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Santa Maria della Salute, San Pietro di Castello, Santa Maria Formosa, Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Gesuati, and La Maddalena are the main candidates that compete for the title of the major architectural symbol of Venice. Just like in the first part of the guide, you can watch each monument by viewing its colorful 3D model in the Venice flyover video on the left. Don’t forget to access our photo gallery and an overview of interesting facts regarding every monument. The map of the most important architecture sights of Venice (located below this guide) will help you to create your own sightseeing tour through Venice.

Santa Maria della Salute, Venice

Location on the map:   Facts:
» Santa Maria della Salute is the cathedral built in honor of abolition of the plague in 1630-1631, when the disease has claimed more than a third of the city's population.
» The cathedral was built in the shape of an octahedron, with a dome hemisphere.
» The church entrance is designed as a triumphal arch.
» Facade is decorated with sculptures of the Archangel Michael, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary.
» The altar is decorated with marble statues dedicated to the miraculous abolition of the plague by Virgin Mary.

San Pietro di Castello, Venice

Location on the map:   Facts:
» San Pietro di Castello is the Roman Catholic basilica of the patriarch of Venice, located in the Castello Quarter on the same island.
» The current church building dates back to 16th century, but the first church on this site has been built in the 7th century.
» Next to the church there is the bell tower, which stands decimated similar to the Leaning tower of Pisa. In this regard, it’s considered one of the most dangerous in Venice.
» The basilica features several outstanding works of art. Among them, St. John the Evangelist, Peter and Paul, by Paolo Veronese, the altar painting by Giordano in the Vendramin Chapel and the Throne of St. Peter carved out of gravestone in the 13st century are notable.
» The church is decorated with a large dome showing importance of the basilica. The dome is mounted on the dome drum with numerous rectangular windows, so there is much light inside.

Santa Maria Formosa, Venice

Location on the map:   Facts:
» Santa Maria Formosa was built in 1492, designed by Mauro Koducci.
» One of the interesting architectural features of the church is cream building corbels called apses.
» Another amazing thing is one of the few baroque details of the temple, a grotesque mask at the foot of the bell tower.
» There are several masterpieces of Venetian painting school representatives in the church; Saint Barbara with the Saints by Palma il Vecchio is the main of them.
» Another masterpiece situated in the church is the triptych Madonna della Misericordia by Bartolomeo Vivarini.

Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice

Location on the map:   Facts:
» Santi Giovanni e Paolo is one of the biggest and most famous cathedrals of Venice.
» Twenty five Doges of the Venetian Republic and many other prominent personalities were buried there.
» The cathedral has a very large number of works of art.
» Santi Giovanni e Paolo has no bell tower.
» The cathedral has impressive dimensions; it’s 101.6 meters long, 45.8 meters wide and 32.2 m high. The walls are decorated with numerous monuments.

Gesuati, Venice

Location on the map:   Facts:
» The Baroque facade of Gesuati is decorated with columns, cornices, carved angels and saints.
» Interior of the temple is unusual for Venice. Gold and white stucco, as well as green and white marble were used for decoration.
» The Gesuati Church houses the famous painting by Titian, The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence.
» Once, Theophile Gautier, the famous French poet and critic, said that interior decoration makes the chapel of the Virgin to look like a boudoir of an operetta singer.

La Maddalena, Venice

Location on the map:   Facts:
» La Maddalena is located in Venice's Cannaregio.
» The church was built in the neoclassical style.
» The architect, Tommaso Temanzza, wanted to reproduce the Roman Pantheon in the construction.
» Today the church isn’t working and is only open on special occasions.
Venice - guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Plan your own tour over Venice on the monuments map

More to see in Venice
Of course, St. Mark’s Cathedral remains the most famous landmark of Venice. The beautiful same named square located near it is also an important tourist attraction. The cathedral impresses visitors with its luxurious furnishings. Here you will see gold mosaic, furniture and other elements of interior decorated with precious stones, and the altarpiece Pala D'Oro - a true masterpiece created by hands of professional jewelers. Golden House (Ca 'd'Oro) is another important object of excursions. This is a beautiful palace, the building of which was completed in 1434. Nowadays the visitors of the palace will find here a wonderful collection of old paintings, sculptures and tapestries - a part of the halls of the palace has been converted into a museum. Certainly, you should not forget to walk in the picturesque Rialto quarter, which is the location of numerous souvenir shops, markets and cafes. There are also some historical attractions in this area of the city. Among them is an old church Chiesa di San Giacomo di Rialto. The main channel of Venice is named Grande. Its length estimates 3.8 km. The majority of houses along the canal were constructed over three hundred years ago. The Venice lagoon is the location of picturesque islands, each of which is home to numerous sightseeing sites. Thus, in the 10th century the Murano Island was home to famous glass blowers. Nowadays the visitors of the island can purchase interesting crafts and home decorations made of this Venetian … Read further

Tours through neighbours of Venice

Florence
Santa Maria del Fiore means ‘the flower of St. Mary.’ The Cathedral is the most important in Florence and one of the largest churches in Italy. The Florence Cathedral is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. At least six architects were employed in the development of the project and construction. A number of famous painters and sculptors, including Michelangelo, worked hard to decorate the Florence Cathedral. One of the most ... Open »
Innsbruck
The church has unique religious objects preserved. There is a work by a German Renaissance painter – Madonna and Child. The icon is called Maria Hilf and is located in the centre of the altar. The carved frame is gilded. There’s a tomb of Maximilian III, an archduke from the Austrian dynasty (1620). There is an organ in the room. Its shining tubes stand out against a dark blue background. The organ is dressed in a wooden case. Columns ... Open »
Milan
The Milan Cathedral is one of the main attractions of Milan located in the historic center of the city. The Cathedral is built of white marble in the Flamboyant Gothic style. The Milan Cathedral is the fifth largest church in the world. The temple can accommodate up to 40,000 people. There are about 3,400 statues in the cathedral. The main attraction inside the cathedral is the golden statue of patron saint of Milan. The roof of the Milan ... Open »
Salzburg
The Hohensalzburg Castle is a medieval fortress located on a high mountain. It was built in 1077. Originally, the castle belonged to archbishop Gebhardt I. The foundation is all that remains of that building. The castle has been rebuilt and strengthened and finally become a mighty fortress. In 1500, the world’s first funicular was constructed. They delivered different goods to the fortress. Over the years of its existence, the ... Open »
Munich
The New Town Hall is the building in the northern part of Marienplatz designed for the city authorities, including Lord Mayor, City Council and city government. The building of the New Town Hall has been built in 1867-1908 years. It was repeatedly reinforced and expanded. Today the New Town Hall is a building in the neo-Gothic style constructed of brick and stone. Facade of the building is decorated with figures of the Bavarian dukes, kings of ... Open »
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