DK Travel : Venice : History & Culture

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Ospedaletto

For John Ruskin the sculptures on the façade of this almshouse church represented “masses of diseased figures and swollen fruit”. Judge Longhena’s controversial work was added in 1674. Pass through the less provocative interior of the church to the Sala della Musica. Female wards of the orphanage once gave concerts in this pretty room decorated with 18th-century frescoes.
Palazzo Grassi

In 1985, the splendid salons of Palazzo Grassi were superbly restored under the supervision of leading architect Gae Aulenti. Set on the Grand Canal, the palace dates back to 1740 when a wealthy merchant family commissioned Giorgio Massari to design the building. It is located alongside the picturesque tree-shaded Campo San Samuele, which features a graceful Veneto-Byzantine bell tower.
Palazzo Labia

The fames and fortunes of this 17th-century palace overlooking the Canal di Cannaregio could fill a book. Abandoned when its wealthy merchant owners fled to Vienna at the fall of the Republic, it acted as a silk factory, saw-mill and primary school, but the worst damage was inflicted in 1945 when a boat loaded with munitions blew up right in front of it. Luckily the wonderful ballroom frescoed by Tiepolo has been restored. The palace now belongs to RAI, the Italian state broadcasting service.
Palazzo Leoni Montanari

On the entrance portal of this lavishly decorated Baroque palace are carvings of writhing serpents, and Hercules is shown in the act of slaying the Hydra on the loggia. The masterpieces include 120 awe-inspiring Russian icons and 14 fascinating paintings by Pietro Longhi depicting scenes from 18th-century Venetian life and hanging in the frescoed “Room of the Four Continents”.
Palazzo Mocenigo

An 18th-century patrician palace whose richly furnished and frescoed rooms also have showcases of historic fabrics and costumes including lavishly embroidered waistcoats, fans, bodices and corsets. The Mocenigo family portrait gallery boasts a total of seven doges, topped in fame by Alvise I, the victor at the 1571 Battle of Lepanto against the Turks, which was crucial for the Republic.
Paolo Sarpi

When the pope excommunicated Venice for insubordination, involving restrictions on church construction and the refusal to hand over two priests on criminal charges, Sarpi (1552–1623) resolved the rupture. A patriot and theologian, he was an advocate of division between State and Church.
Paolo Veronese

Foremost painter of the Venetian School, Veronese’s (1528–88) huge canvases, teeming with people, are on display in the Doge’s Palace (see Doge’s Palace).
Piazza dei Signori

In addition to the cafés in Vicenza’s main square, come to admire the buildings by Palladio, whose 16th-century designs shaped both his home town and architecture worldwide (see Andrea Palladio). The basilica boasts twin levels of colonnaded arches, opposite his Loggia del Capitaniato. A statue of the architect stands at the western end of the basilica.
Piazza delle Erbe

Originally Verona’s Roman forum, this picturesque square is still a great place for discussing business over a coffee. Parasols shade souvenirs at the animated market, watched over by a winged lion atop a column, vestige of Venetian domination. The 84-m (275-ft) Torre Lamberti offers great city views.
Piazza San Marco

(see Piazza San Marco).