Saint Mark and Rialto Self-Guided Tour

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Piazza San Marco, 31024 Venice Italy

The true heart of Venice, which Napoleon called “the most elegant drawing-room in Europe”. The main attracion are the imposing Palazzo Ducale, the Golden Basilica and the Bell-tower!

Duration: 1 hour

Pass By: Doge's Palace, Piazza San Marco, 1, 30124 Venice Italy

The Palazzo Ducale, the centre of Venetian power, residence of the doge and home to the judiciary, this is where the governance of the city took place. Visually, it is the perfect example of Venetian gothic architecture, as Ruskin put it: the perfect fusion of East and West.

Pass By: Basilica di San Marco, San Marco 328, 30124 Venice Italy

The Basilica of San Marco is Venice’s jewel in the crown. The cathedral evokes the blending of East and West that is at the heart of Venetian character. More oriental than European, the architecture, the decoration and the atmosphere of ancient sanctity span both the centuries and the styles of Mediterranean civilisation

Pass By: Ponte dei Sospiri, Piazza San Marco, 1, 31024 Venice Italy

In 1600, therefore, a bridge had to be built to connect the Doge’s Palace and the Prisons: the Ponte dei Sospiri, the Bridge of Sighs. Allegedly, the newly-judged convicts walking to their darkened cell, would look out from the window-gaps to the lagoon for one last time and sigh.

Pass By: Ponte di Rialto, Ruga degli Orefici (Rialto) San Polo, 30125 Venice Italy

The Rialto Bridge, the first urban centre of Venice. It comes from the latin “rivus altus”, deep canal, referring to the Grand Canal. By unifying the two parts of the city on either side of the Grand Canal in a single arch movement, the Rialto Bridge has become the symbol of Venice’s unity and uniqueness

Pass By: Gallerie dell'Accademia, Campo della Carita Dorsoduro 1050, 30123 Venice Italy

Founded in 1750, the Academy of Fine Arts was once the place where young aspiring artists learned painting, sculture and architecture. the Accademia art gallery became a true stronghold for the preservation of many paintings in the city. Moreover, a decision was taken to privilege those works by Venetian painters from 1300 to 1700