The Sestiere di San Marco is an area of the city that runs from the Rialto Bridge to the Accademia Bridge on one side and the Ponte della Paglia on the other.

It can be considered, with good reason, the most important one in Venice, because in its area there are many of the city's most remarkable palaces as well as the most beautiful stores.

San Marco also follows the usual anagrammatic naming of Venice's house numbers, which in this case arrive at number 5562, near the Rialto Bridge.

The number one, however, rightfully belongs to the pricipal entrance to the Doge's Palace, the so-called Porta della Carta, which is the counterpart to the other entrance to St. Mark's Basin, the Porta del Frumento.

The numbers then follow on from the Palazzo della Zecca along the Procuratie Nuove first and the Procuratie Vecchie later, going all around St. Mark's Square, passing under the Torre dell'Orologio to slip into the Mercerie continuing to Campo San Zulian first and then continuing along Calle Fiubera leading into Calle dei Fabbri.

Do not think that there is a forgetfulness towards the Basilica of San Marco! The Basilica, as with all churches in Venice, is exempt from the numbering of the civic numbers, but these are included one after the other with the name of the saint to whom they are dedicated.

There are cities that you would never get tired of visiting, Venice for me is one of them. A few months later I found myself here to spend a couple of romantic days with my girlfriend, who unlike me had never before been to what I consider the most beautiful city in Italy. So I found myself organizing an itinerary that would allow her to get to know in a short time (eh yes, two days here for me are too few) some of the best-known monuments of the lagoon capital. I focused mainly on the sestiere of San Marco, the most central considering the six zones into which Venice is divided. The sestiere is named after the basilica of the same name and is an irresistible draw for visitors from all over the world along with other buildings and monuments of inestimable historical and artistic value that overlook St. Mark's Square. But I will tell you about these in a moment.

During our stay we stayed at the Hotel Domus Cavanis, in the Dorsoduro sestiere, a short distance from the Accademia Bridge. That's why the walking itinerary I will outline will start from here. Not a bad starting point I might add, as the bridge offers one of the most characteristic views of Venice, with the Grand Canal and the Church of Madonna della Salute in the background. My advice is to also come here at nightfall when the illuminated Grand Canal offers its best.

The itinerary

From the Accademia Bridge to St. Mark's Square is relatively easy and would only take about twenty minutes of walking following the normal directions. I preferred to enliven the route by immersing myself in the little-visited back alleys in search of characteristic glimpses to immortalize. Thus, from Campo San Vidal, in the vicinity of the Bridge I headed toward Campo Santo Stefano after passing the church of San Vidal and the Franchetti Palace. At Campo S. Stefano is the entrance to the church of the same name with its leaning bell tower, visible immediately to the north from Campiello Drio. From here I preferred to turn left in the opposite direction from Piazza San Marco. Passing through a series of narrow canals I reached Ca' del Duca, a palace overlooking the Grand Canal so named because it was purchased by the Duke of Milan Francesco Sforza in 1461. It took only a short time to get away from the crowds of tourists that almost year-round invade Venice. The alleys and canals that lead from Campo S. Samuele to the Corte dell'Albero are in fact an oasis of peace in which to wander and get lost.

Heading southeast along Calle degli Avvocati I arrived at Campo Sant'Anzolo, whose northern corner is dominated by the 15th-century Palazzo Gritti. A curiosity: according to the city chronicles, Campo Sant'Anzolo was once the scene of some crimes. In 1476 a certain Bernardino degli Orsi was assaulted by the owner of a laundry under the portico of the now no longer existing church of Sant'Anzolo Michiel. In 1716 a woman was murdered and thrown into a well by a Florentine for the purpose of robbery.

Continuing on I reached Calle della Fenice, on the north side of La Fenice theater, and then arrived in Campo San Fantin with the church of the same name. A few minutes' walk separated this area from Piazza San Marco. As you approach Campo San Moisè, you can also sense it from the hordes of people walking through this part of the sestiere. To the left, the Frezzaria, is a bustling shopping street. It was enough to continue for a few hundred meters to reach the crowded Piazza San Marco, flanked by elegant porticoes along the north and south sides. Here on two granite columns rise the patron saints of Venice: the Winged Lion and the statue of St. Theodore. I have already mentioned the basilica, the heart and symbol of the city. It is an extraordinary building, a combination of architectural and decorative styles, in which Byzantine forms dominate side by side with Roman, Gothic and Renaissance elements. In front of it stands the Bell Tower, an impressive 99 meters high.

Next to the basilica, in the direction of the Rialto Bridge, the 15th-century Clock Tower, on the other hand, makes a fine display. Several exclusive establishments, such as Caffè Quadri, the Florian and Lavena, overlook the square under the arcades. Connected to St. Mark's Square is Piazzetta San Marco, bounded on one side by the Doge's Palace, the Doge's Palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and on the other by the 16th-century Marciana National Library. A short distance away, the Ponte della Paglia offers a view of the famous Bridge of Sighs, which connected the Doge's Palace to the New Prisons and served as a passageway for inmates in order to be tried.

Given the queue that developed at the entrance to the basilica, I preferred not to enter and to continue my visit by heading toward the Rialto Bridge. This maze of narrow streets is called the Mercerie and is home to a number of stores and small cafes. There are also some noteworthy churches and stately palaces here, such as the church of San Salvador, one of the oldest in Venice. The Rialto Bridge was the last stop on the itinerary. The first bridge to be built over the Grand Canal was finished in 1591. During the day it is a very crowded place from which it is difficult to even take a picture of the canal below, so I recommend you come here at another time. I was lucky enough to cross it with a vaporetto at dawn at the time of departure and I must say that the atmosphere with the first light of day is almost magical.

On a gondola in the sestiere San Marco

A visit to the city cannot be concluded without its quintessential experience, the gondola ride. Although I had been here several times never had the opportunity and so I organized myself in time while also surprising my girlfriend. I booked my gondola tour in Venice online also to save on possible queues. We left from the gondola station in Santa Maria del Giglio, not far from St. Mark's Square. The tour, accompanied by two musicians, lasted just over half an hour. We first crossed the Grand Canal (splendid seen from this other perspective), then we entered some of the smaller canals near Campo San Moisè.