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Aptly named after the Arab word darsina’a (house of industry), Venice’s formidable Arsenale shipyards at one time employed an army of 16,000 to produce the fleets that sailed the Mediterranean, spreading the influence of the Republic through trade deals and naval superiority. Justifiably proud of its innovative assembly-line system, the Arsenale could construct a galley in a matter of hours, notably in 1574 while the French king Henry III was enjoying a banquet. Ringed by walls and towers bearing the winged lion, some of its ancient docks and workshops are now being adapted as exhibition and performance venues (see Arsenale). The row of stone lions which are guarding the entrance hail from various Greek islands looted by Venetian commanders.

A lovely rounded church on this sun-blessed square appears to spread in all directions, the result of a 7th-century bishop’s vision of the “shapely” (formosa ) Virgin Mary’s request it be built where “a white cloud came to rest”. Artworks are by Vivarini and Palma il Vecchio. The square is a good place for a picnic or a game of football, in lieu of the bullfights and re-enactments of Venice’s conquests held here in olden days.

Dominated by the brick façade of the Gothic church SS Giovanni e Paolo, this breezy square welcomes visitors with a flotilla of outdoor cafés. Worthy of contemplation is one of the world’s most magnificent equestrian statues, a stylized 15th-century portrait of the great condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni. He left a legacy to the city on the condition that his statue be erected in front of San Marco, craftily “interpreted” by the governors as the Scuola Grande di San Marco close at hand. Gracefully decorated with arches and trompe l’oeil panels by the Lombard masters, the former confraternity serves as the public hospital.

In the back alleys of Castello, this Franciscan church sports a combination of architectural styles courtesy of both Sansovino and Palladio (see Andrea Palladio), who designed the façade. The colonnaded cloister can be seen while you’re appreciating Giovanni Bellini’s Madonna and Child (1507). Playgrounds have replaced the 13th-century vineyards (vigna ).

An enchanting 15th-century palace with a pink Gothic façade set on the magnificent water-front near Piazza San Marco. After a string of aristocratic proprietors, it was taken over in 1822 by Joseph da Niel, who turned it into a hotel with an illustrious guest list, including Dickens, Wagner and Ruskin. In the 1940s an annexe was added amid great controversy – since 1102 no dwelling over one floor had been allowed on the site. The redeeming feature of the new wing is the roof restaurant (see Hotel Danieli).

Thronging with tour groups and packed with souvenir stalls, this quayside affords a lovely promenade past majestic palaces (now mostly hotels) and a much photographed 1887 monument to the first king of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele. It is linked to Piazza San Marco by the elegant Istrian stone bridge Ponte della Paglia, named after the straw (paglia ) once unloaded from barges here. This is also the best place for taking pictures of the Bridge of Sighs. At the eastern end is the Ca’ di Dio (“house of God”), a 13th-century hospice for pilgrims en route to the Holy Land.

A sleepy island of grassy squares and boatyards, it is hard to imagine that Venice’s religious headquarters were centred here right up until 1807, when the Basilica San Marco became the city’s cathedral. Linked to the rest of Castello by two broad bridges, San Pietro attracts artists for its evocative forlorn air and fun-lovers for the animated late-June neighbourhood fair. Art lovers also come for the church with work by Veronese and Coducci, flanked by the patriarchal palace-cum-army barracks.

Inextricably linked with the composer and musician Antonio Vivaldi, this Classical-fronted church belonged to the adjoining home for foundlings where he taught. Come to an evening concert to appreciate Tiepolo’s uplifting ceiling fresco exalting music and the young orphan choristers, identifiable by their sprigs of pomegranate blossom. The interior has choir stalls to accommodate both the singers and nobility who were not expected to mingle with the commoners.