Because of its size, I've divided Castello into six smaller sections, each one encompassing several attractive areas. San Zaccaria is the section closest to Piazza San Marco. The church of San Zaccaria houses what I consider the most beautiful painting by Giovanni Bellini. San Giovanni in Bragora is the parish church where Vivaldi was baptized, close to the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, where some of the best Carpaccios can be admired. In the area of Santa Maria Formosa  I have also included the church of San Lio and vicinity. Santi Giovanni e Paolo (San Zanipolo) is at the northern edge of Castello, not too far from Santa Maria Formosa.  The Arsenale is close to the Naval Museum and the church of San Martino. The Giardini Pubblici, where the pavilions of the Venice Biennale are located is the easternmost end of Castello. I included in this area the church of San Pietro, the former cathedral of Venice, and the modern and lovely district of Sant' Elena.

Riva degli Schiavoni (Schiavoni is the term used by Venetians to refer to people from Slavonia or Schiavonia or Dalmatia) offers a magnificent view of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore with its monumental church, the work of Andrea Palladio. An even better view can be admired from the windows of the hotel Savoia e Jolanda, just behind you. The hotel was remodeled not too long ago and offers spectacular accommodations with the same view as that of its more glorious cousin, the Danieli just across the bridge, at a fraction of the cost. The San Zaccaria vaporetto stop (fermata) is right in front of you, which makes this a very busy and often congested area. One might be tempted to say that the best times to explore the Riva are either very early in the morning or late at night when most of the tourists and peddlers are gone and only the most determined visitors are out; however a walk during the busiest times has its own charm. One never knows what is to be found. 

We cross Ponte del Vin to take a closer look at the Danieli; we may even go to the bar on its top floor for a mid-afternoon snack or a drink and enjoy the sweeping view from La Salute to the Lido. We cross Ponte del Vin one more time and take Calle del Vin all the way to its end in Campo San Provolo. We exit the campo through the east corner and will soon be on Fondamenta de l'Osmarin (osmarin means rosemary). Palazzo Priuli is on your left. A cozy and secluded hotel, Hotel Palazzo Priuli, operates on the first and second floors of the palazzo. There are no signs or open doors to lure you in, but the entrance to this magnificent 14th-century palazzo is on Calle Diavolo, at number 4979. Beautifully appointed, with a friendly staff and excellent buffet breakfast in a true Venetian piano nobile, this hotel is a gem. I particularly enjoyed waking up to the voice of children on their way to school on Fondamenta de l'Osmarin and the sound of the boats moored by my window bumping against the canal walls.

I arrived at Palazzo Priuli in the wee hours of a freezing morning precariously stepping on new snow after a trip of more than 30 hours. Fifteen minutes before our arrival at the Marco Polo airport, I'd started to savor my imminent re-encounter with Venice after thirteen years of absence - I'd be there just in time for a walk along the Riva degli Schiavoni at sundown- when our captain informed us that because of bad weather our plane would instead land in Bologna. I checked my travel guide: three hours top to travel by bus or train from Bologna to Venice. I'd be there for dinner. Well...I didn't factor in the snow. When the bus pulled into the old Marco Polo terminal it was past 1:00 am. From there another bus took us to Piazzale Roma. On board a solitary night vaporetto, thirteen years and 10 hours later, I was again on the Grand Canal and Venice couldn't have been more magical. Covered in snow and silent she embraced me.

We cross Ponte del Diavolo, walk by the entrance to the hotel and turn left at the end; we are now in Campo San Severo. We walk along Fondamenta San Severo at the end which is an interesting building with a three-light Gothic window walled up and the remaining arches cut by two new, rectangular windows. One cannot avoid thinking what could motivate people to commit such architectural assassinations in the first place and then leave behind a trail of evidence. Are the breadcrumbs left behind a scream for help to the future?

We walk down Fondamenta San Lorenzo to the double bridge, Ponte de l'Osmarin and Ponte dei Greci, from where we have a close view of the leaning bell tower of San Giorgio dei Greci, a Greek Orthodox church. The Museum of Icons of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies is on the second floor. Both church and museum are worth a visit.

We exit by Calle della Madonna next to Ponte dei Greci to Salizada dei Greci that will take us to Ponte Sant'Antonin. We turn left on the fondamenta and walk towards its the end at the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni. Vittorio Carpaccio was commissioned to paint a cycle depicting moments in the lives of the scuola's tutelary saints: George, Jerome and Tryphon. The paintings were originally on the upper floor of the scuola but were later moved to their current location on the lower floor. My three favorite paintings in the scuola are Saint George and the Dragon, Saint Jerome and the Lion and Saint Augustine in His Study.

Vittore Carpaccio is not only a master of color; his paintings, among the most inventive of the early Renaissance, are full of whimsical and humorous details. Take for example the friars in Saint Jerome and the Lion running away in panic from a lion that seems rather tame, notice that the friar in the forefront seems to have a wooden leg. Or take the body parts scattered on the ground in the dragon's lair in Saint George and the Dragon, far from gruesome the scene invites the viewer in. Or take the small Maltese dog next to Saint Augustine; he also seems to participate in his master's trance. Drawings in the British Museum show that Carpaccio first intended to paint a cat instead of a dog. The change couldn't have been more appropriate.
As we exit the scuola we turn left and we will see at the end of the corte the church and convent of San Giovanni de Malta. It belonged to the Templars and after the order was suppressed in the early 1300's, it passed to the Knights of Malta.  I find the sign on the church's door, which I saw on one of my trips to Venice, very revealing of the Venetian sense of place.

We retrace our steps to the church of Sant'Antonin and take the salizada on the side of the church. This will lead us to Campo Bandiera e Moro o de la Bragora (the term bragora has an unclear origin, but probably means market) where the church of San Giovanni Battista in Bragora is located (the church has its own web site). The church houses a remarkable collection of paintings by Vivarini, Jacobello del Fiore and Cima da Conegliano. Antonio Vivaldi was born near this church on March 4, 1678. That day an earthquake shook Venice, literally. Or should I say musically?

We exit the campo via Calle del Dose which takes us again to Riva degli Schiavoni, to the left, at number 4134, is the house where the Austrian mathematician and physicist Christian Doppler, today known for the Doppler effect and the Doppler radar, died in 1853. In 1852, he had moved to Venice, then part of the Austrian Empire, in search of a better climate that would improve his health. He is buried on Venice's cemetery island of San Michele, between Venice and Murano. We now walk in the opposite direction towards the Ponte del Sepolcro. Across the bridge is the church Santa Maria de la Visitazione, better know as La Pietà or Vivaldi's church, as you may see advertised everywhere in Venice. Curiously, the church that we see today was built after Vivaldi's death but at the Ospedale della Pietà, adjacent to the church is where Vivaldi's professional career began and for which he produced most of his work.

Ospedale della Pietà was one of Venice's orphanages for girls. For many years, Vivaldi was the maestro de' concerto of its renowned girls orchestra. After his death Vivaldi was forgotten for almost 200 years until the rediscovery of his works in the 20th century -a process in which the violinist Olga Rudge, Ezra Pound's companion and long-time Venice resident, was very instrumental. Vivaldi's work is played almost every night at La Pietà. To my surprise and delight, the night I was there they played not just Vivaldi's Four Seasons concertos but the 'Five Seasons'. At the end the maestro added one of Piazzolla's Four Seasons in Buenos Aires. An unexpected gift for somebody like me, born in Argentina.

On the side wall of the church of La Pietà is a tablet from the 16th century written in no kind terms. It asks God to send a bolt of malediction and excommunication against those who abandoned their children at the Ospedale della Pietà.

We begin our walk near the Rialto Bridge at Campo San Bartolomeo behind Goldoni's back, still in the sestiere of San Marco. We take Sotoportego de la Bissa, which soon becomes Calle de la Bissa. A few yards before the bridge, to your right is Bar Nuovo, a bar, cafe and restaurant with a warm atmosphere, good food and friendly service. Across the street is Cartoria Tassotti, originally from Bassano dal Grappa (at the foot of the Alps) this is a wonderful shop that specializes in old prints, origami paper and high quality stationery. Next to the bridge and to the right, is another Il Papiro store also specializing in fine stationery (our first encounter with Il Papiro was in San Marco). As we cross the bridge, Ponte Sant'Antonio, we stop and take a look at the building to our right across the canal: Palazzo Gussoni with its richly carved marble façade, attributed to the Lombardo workshop. Once we cross the bridge we are in the sestiere of Castello. We continue on Calle al Ponte Sant'Antonio. It will take us to Campo San Lio. The church of San Lio (San Leone) will be in front of you. It is worth a visit since it contains an exquisitely designed chapel dedicated to the Madonna Addolorata by Pietro Lombardo and assistants. Canaletto's tomb is not too far away.

Campo an San Lio, at the crossroads between San Marco, Castello and Cannaregio,  is always bustling with activity but hasn't changed much over the centuries: the building where the pub L'Olandese Volante is located looks almost the same as in the painting by Giovanni Mansueti from 1494 (Miracle of the Relic of the Holy Cross at Campo San Lio displayed at the Accademia Galleries). Across from the church is a pharmacy with an impressive glass mural depicting an old chemical laboratory. Next to the pharmacy a mask and costume shop. In front of the church a tempting frutariol (fruitseller).

We leave Campo San Lio by Salizada San Lio, a shopping artery that caters more to locals than tourists. This area has some of the oldest houses in Venice dating from the 13th century, such as those right next to the church and the adjacent sotoportego, Castello 5662-5672. We continue to the end of the salizada where Calle al Ponte de la Guerra becomes Calle de le Bande. At that intersection there is another Il Papiro store. If your espresso machine doesn't brew the perfect cappuccino, the corner store is your place to buy an authentic Italian coffee maker.

We make a right turn on Calle al Ponte de la Guerra and after a few yards turn left on Calle de la Casseleria. At the next intersection make a right turn followed by a left turn on Calle al Ponte de l'Anzolo. This will take us exactly to Ponte de l'Anzolo (Bridge of the Angel) so called because of the sculpture on the façade of Palazzo Soranzo (also called the Angel's House, Castello 4419). According to legend a pet monkey kept at the palazzo was possessed by the devil. During an exorcism the monkey flew through the wall of the building leaving behind a big hole that the owner promptly got covered with the shrine of the angel to prevent the devil from coming back.

We cross the bridge and return momentarily to the sestiere of San Marco. We make a left turn on Ramo de l'Anzolo that takes to Ponte del Remedio. From this bridge we have a different panorama of Ponte and Fondamenta de l'Anzolo and an unexpected view of the Bridge of Sighs separated from us by three other bridges. We continue on Calle del Remedio to Ramo del Remedio, a charming street with three little bridges that lead to private residences; at the end is Campielo Querini Stampalia. The Museum and Foundation Querini Stampalia will be to your right. Mario Botta, the same architect that designed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, was in charge of the latest ground floor renovation of the museum. The beautiful and modernistic gardens were designed by Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa. The building itself, marrying 18th-century architecture with modern style elements, is worth the visit. But if this is not enough to tempt you, let's add that the museum houses a large collection of Venetian paintings including the enigmatic Presentation of Jesus in the Temple by Giovanni Bellini, and many by Pietro Longhi and Gabriel Bella depicting Venetian customs and activities in the 18th century.

de' Barbari's view of campi San Lio, Santa Maria Formosa, Santa Marina and Santi Giovanni e Paolo

We exit Campo Santa Marina by Calle del Frutariol and make a right turn at Calle de la Malvasia where at number 5987 we will find another Didovich store to tempt us one more time.  We continue on Calle del Pistor where just before crossing the bridge, Ponte del Pistor, the excellent bakery Ponte delle Paste is located. After crossing the bridge the street will take us back to Campo San Lio.

Campo Santa Marina	Campo Santa Marina

Real canoce	Marzipan canoce at "Didovich"

Santi Giovanni e Paolo

We begin our walk in Campo Santa Marina which we exit by Calle and Ponte del Cristo.  From Ponte del Cristo there is a view that may succeed in capturing the essence of Venice if that's possible. As we cross the bridge we enter Cannaregio. We turn right on Ponte de le Erbe. The next bridge is Ponte Rosso from where we have a great view of Rio dei Mendicanti and the Scuola di San Marco. Hidden from view to the right is the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (San Zanipolo.)

	Scuola Grande di San Marco and church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Rio dei Mendicanti from Ponte Rosso

Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo is the perfect spot to sit down for a drink or a cup of coffee. Rosa Salva, a Venetian institution that offers delicious pastries and savory treats, is conveniently located just across the side entrance of the church. Impressive stained-glass windows, a rarity in Venice, grace the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo considered the Venetian Pantheon because many doges are entombed here. The Scuola di San Marco houses the Civic Hospital. Its façade, a work of Pietro Lombardo and Mauro Codussi was recently restored. Get close to the main door and admire the amazing tromp d'oeil. The beautifully sculpted wellhead in the middle of the campo was moved here in 1825 from its original location in the sestiere of San Marco. The equestrian statue, a design by Andrea Verrocchio, shows the mercenary captain, condottiere, Bartolomeo Colleoni who victoriously commanded the Venetian land forces for many years. In his will he left most of his fortune to the Venetian state on condition that a monument be erected in his honor in front of San Marco. His wish was granted, almost. The statue was erected in front of San Marco, the Scuola not the Basilica as he had intended. It should be noted that the Venetian abhorred the cult of personality. In the ten centuries of the Venetian Republic no public figure had a statue erected anywhere in the city, much less in Piazza San Marco.

Gentile (left) and Giovanni Bellini (right) and between them a white-haired man. Detail from Gentile Bellini's Procession in the Piazza San Marco. The church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo is the home of many works by Pietro, Antonio and Tullio Lombardo and a rare nine-panel painting by Giovanni Bellini, Saint Vincent Ferrer that contains a poignant Saint Sebastian. The former Scuola di Sant'Orsola, for which Carpaccio's Saint Ursula cycle was originally painted (now at the Accademia) stood next to the apse of the church. The Bellini brothers, Gentile and Giovanni were buried in this small scuola.

I visited the church on a Sunday morning in the middle of Communion, at the end of the 10 o'clock Mass. The church was packed like the end of the world was imminent. Respectfully, I left and sat outside in the beautiful campo, under the trees. After several days of carrying my photographic equipment around town for hours on end, my back had reacted with unbearable pain; the hard wooden benches on Campo San Piero were not helping. Fifteen minutes passed and hearing intense clapping inside but seeing no one coming out of the church I decided to go in again. A priest was speaking in terms that I didn't fully understand. I must have taken ten steps inside the church when several folks gave me a look that paralyzed me in my tracks. Trying to find a surface to lean on to alleviate my backache, I gave two more steps to position myself next to a column and got the same look again this time accompanied by a loud shush. I felt that I had violated some ancient and mysterious rule. I couldn't deny after all that I was a tourist like a million others. I was embarrassed and a little perplexed by such unexpected reaction; I have always found Venetians to be a very polite and tolerant people. I later learned, through fliers posted all around this area of Castello, that the parishioners were honoring and giving thanks to Don Gabriele for seven and a half years of ministry and I couldn't help but think how typical Venetian the whole affair was. The parishioners didn't stop me when I walked in in the middle of Communion but they objected when I dared to walk during the priest's farewell... Veneziani, poi cristiani. During my wait outside the church I got my reward. A Maltese dog like the one in San Augustine in His Study was lying next to me and I felt Carpaccio's ghost sitting on my shoulder.

We leave the campo by Calle drio el Campanile that takes us to Calle and Ponte de Quintavale. After crossing the bridge we will be on Rio de Sant'Anna one more time. We continue on the fondamenta to the entrance to the Giardini Publici with its monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi. From the Giardini we have one of the most beautiful panoramas of Venice's skyline. No photo can capture the view, especially at sunset when the black silhouettes of La Salute and San Marco contrast against a crimson sky. Perhaps this is one of those instances when a few words can say more than a thousand pictures; especially when they are George Sands': "The sun had already set behind the hills of Vicenza. Great purple clouds were passing over the Venetian sky. The tower of San Marco, the dome of Santa Maria and the nursery-garden of spires and steeples rising from every corner of the city stood out as black needles against the sparkling horizon. The sky turned by subtle gradations from cherry red to cobalt blue while the water, smooth and clear as a mirror, faithfully reproduced its infinite iridescence; it lay like a vast sheen of copper below the city. Never have I seen Venice more beautiful and enchanted. Its black silhouette, cast between the sky and the glowing waters as on to a sea of fire, seemed to be one of those sublime architectural aberrations the poet of the Apocalypse must have seen floating on the shores of Patmos as he dreamt of the New Jerusalem and likened it in its beauty to a newly wed bride." George Sand, 'Lettres d'un Voyageur.'

Inside the Giardini we take Viale Trento and then turn left on Paludo San Antonio. This will take us to the district of Sant'Elena. This is one of the newest areas of Venice. Contrary to what many people, some Venetians and travel books writers included, may say I think that this is an enchanting area of Venice. Granted that there are no impressive palazzi or works of art to admire but Sant'Elena is only a short vaporetto ride away from all of that while its residents have the luxury of enjoying a lush surrounding. As you walk on Viale Quattro Novembre on a sunny summer afternoon underneath a refreshing tree canopy you can enjoy the spectacular view of the Bacino di San Marco on one side framed by a backdrop of distant islands, and on the other, amid unpretentious but charming architecture, the many little gardens with rosebushes and oleanders in bloom. We make a left turn on Viale Piave. This takes us to Ponte Sant' Elena and finally to the austere church of Sant'Elena.

Many places around the world are named after Saint Helena, Constantine the Great's mother and the godmother of Christianity, but this tiny area of Venice is the real deal. Forget the Saint Helens of volcanic proportions or the Saint Helenas of Napoleonic and Napa-Valley fame, the unassuming church of Sant'Elena almost falling off the map of Venice, is the only place that deserves to be called such, as it houses the relics of the saint. Her remains are displayed in a glass sarcophagus in one of the side chapels to the right of the entrance. Dressed in a golden gown she wears a mask and slippers. As I sat all by myself in the deserted church in front of her relics, I felt 1500 years of history condensed in one indivisible moment as I pondered how one single woman could have so dramatically changed the faith, and in doing so the fate, of the Western world. The picture to the left is the right bottom corner of de' Barbari's map. Below the Subsolanus wind we can see only half of the façade of Sant'Elena, indicating the lack of importance of this peripheral area. The island was cut off from the rest of Venice.

After leaving the church, we go back to the Viale dei Giardini Publici. We cross Ponte San Domenego and take Riva dei Sette Martiri (named after seven Venetians shot by the Nazis) on our way back to San Marco. To our right are the twin entrances to La Marinarezza, a housing project first built in 1335. The building can be seen in de' Barbari's map.

From Ponte de San Domenego

Casa della Marinarezza

This ends our tour of the sestiere di Castello.