Having arrived in Venice, some individuals of the religious family founded in Siena by the blessed Giovanni Colombini took up their abode first in a house in S. Giustina and then, in 1392, in the edifice we are talking about, the house called “Casa della Compagnia dei Poveri Gesuati”. In 1423, thanks to the alms of the faithful and with the gifts of Francesco Gonzaga, the first Marquess of Mantua, they built a cloister and an oratory dedicated to S. Girolamo. In 1493 they transformed the oratory into a church which, after 30 years of building, was consecrated in 1527 under the name of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin. The Gesuati were suppressed in 1668, and their place was taken the following year by the Dominican Fathers of the Observing Congregation of the blessed Giacomo Salomone, and in 1726 the first stone of a new and bigger church was laid a short distance away from the old one. This new church was dedicated to St. Mary of the Rosary, and was finished in 1743, the architect being Massari, and was also called “dei Gesuati”.

The Punta della Dogana, or Customs Point, is a promontory at the entrance to St Mark’s Basin, where the Grand Canal (to the right) meets the Giudecca Canal (to the left). The impressive buildings of the Dogana di Mare (Sea Customs Post) were built in the late 17th century by architect Giuseppe Benoni. The building’s tower is crowned by two statues of Atlas holding up a bronze globe; a statue of Fortune stands on top of the globe and acts as a weathervane.

The church of St. Barnabas was built in 809 by the Adorni (or Adami) family. It was destroyed by fire in 1105 and rebuilt on the alms of the faithful. It was consecrated in 1350 by two bishops; Francesco Mociense of the Minorite order, and Agnellino Sudense of the Predicatory order. Falling down from age, it was repaired, and then completely renovated in 1776 to a design by Lorenzo Boschetti. In 1810 the parish became a subsidiary. The “Campo di San Barnaba” presented a solemn spectacle on 29th January 1441, when there arrived from S. Samuele across a bridge of boats, the famous cavalcade coming to the wedding of Jacopo Foscari, the son of the doge Francesco, and Lucrezia Contarini. The prince appeared to welcome his daughter-in-law and went to the church to hear mass. After lunch on the same day, there docked at S. Barnaba a bucentaur carrying 150 women, accompanied by many palischermi and all the boats of the quarter to conduct the bride to the Ducal Palace where there was a great feast and celebration until late at night.

Though Venice has countless bridges over its many canals, the bridge of fists (Ponte dei Pugni) is one of the city's most well-known. The name refers to the traditional contests and fights that took place on it, during which the loser was thrown into the water. Today, tourists with a keen eye can find stone footprints on the bridge, which mark the starting points for these fights.

It was a law of the Republic that on the day of the Holy Redeemer (the third Saturday in July of each year) the temple sacred to Him should be visited by the Doge and the Signoria. Even today, on that day, Venice is joined to the Giudecca by a bridge of boats, and the eve of the festival is celebrated with illuminations, dinners and other festivities. Long ago, near where the church of S. Maria della Salute stands, there was a church and a monastery dedicated to the Holy Trinity, which in 1256 the Republic gave to the Teutonic Knights in return for their assistance against the Genoese. The Venetian priory of the Knights being suppressed in 1592 by Pope Clement VIII, the buildings were assigned to the Patriarchate of Venice for the foundation of a religious seminary which was already installed in the Cloister of St. Cyprian of Murano. The clerics remained in their new hospice until 1630, when another pestilence raged through the city and the Senate vowed to build a temple to S. Maria della Salute (health) to free her from the scourge. The sickness passed in 1631 and they fulfilled their promise by building a large wooden church. Then, demolishing the monastery and church of the Holy Trinity and moving the clerics back to Murano, the magnificent church we see today was built to a design by Longhena. While the work was going on, in 1656 the Senate decreed that it should be given to the regular clergy of the congregation of Somasca, who built a convent alongside the church to another design by Longhena. This was completed in 1672, at the same time as the church. The volutes, the large dome, the pillars, the tympani, the statues and the stairs make the outside of the the basilica a spectacular sight. The interior is octagonal with robust arches at the sides divided by columns, on which rest the frame and tambour of the dome. There is a profusion of notable works of painting and sculpture. La Salute is also a popular festival, celebrated each year on the 21st of November in homage to the Virgin who put an end to the pestilence.

Taking the vaporetto at San Marco landing stage, Accademia Bridge will be the first bridge on the Gran Canal.
During the nineteenth century, the bridge was different and made with iron.
In the first period of the twentieth century and the possibility to dispose of different technologies and materials, was announced a competition to build a new bridge in fron of Accademia Gallery.
Winner project by Torres and Briazza (1933) was never realized but as the bridge was essential in this part of the Gran Canal was built the actual bridge that should have been temporary.
Engineer Miozzi (who worked a lot in Venice during the first part of twentieth century) , realized a structure that first was maded with wood and later was reinforced with steel loosing its main peculiarity.

The city's most important and prestigious art gallery features an impressive collection of Venetian paintings and works by such artists as Bellini, Titian and Mantegna.
Mon 8.15 - 14.00, tue-sun: 8.15 - 19.15

The Ca’Rezzonico, dedicated to exploring and explaining 18th century Venice, is perhaps one of the lesser-known museums in the city. It’s also one of the most important and the most intriguing, offering a glimpse behind the scenes of life in Venice’s great days. The chequered history of the Ca’Rezzonico — passing from hand to hand as families grew wealthy then fell from power — is a micro-history of Venice itself.
Since 1935, the Ca’Rezzonico has been owned by the City Council of Venice, which uses it to display part of its vast collection of 18th century art, much of it overspill from the Museo Correr. The Ca’Rezzonico has become home to pieces (often entire rooms) salvaged from other distressed 18th century Venetian palazzos. Important pieces include much by Tiepolo, including a whole ceiling (‘the Allegory of Merit’) saved from the Palazzo Barbarigo, and now in the original Throne Room. Other items here, in memory of the Barbarigo family, are an ornate gilt picture frame allegorising the achievements of the Barbarigi. There is a sumptuous gilt chair by Antonio Corradini in the rococo style.
There is a Chinois-style salon saved from the Calbo-Crotta palazzo, and several other rooms rescued from rotting Venetian palazzos and now displayed in the perfect setting … in an 18th century Venetian palazzo. Complementing these rooms are collections of Murano glass of the 1700s, furniture of the period and, of course, numerous works by that great Venetian master of the period, Giambattista Tiepolo.
1 nov - 31 mar: 10-17
1 apr - 31 oct: 10-18

In 1949 Ca’ Venier (“Dei Leoni”), a 17th – century building by Lorenzo Boschetti, was bought by Peggy Guggenheim. The building was begun for the Venier family, but was never finished. The American collector restored it and its salons hold one of the world’s most important collections of modern art. Since 1976 these works form part of the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation of New York, which administrates the museums. All the avant-garde movement of the beginning of this century is present in Venice. There is an entrance fee which also covers temporary exhibitions.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Palazzo Venier dei Leoni
701 Dorsoduro
Phone: +39.041.2405.411
Fax. +39.041.5206.885
Daily 10-18
www.guggenheim-venice.it