GRAND CANAL, First Part

Your voyage begins right by the station and Scalzi Bridge, which is the first of three bridges that cross the Grand Canal. It was designed by a British railway engineer and was originally made of cast iron, a material that was very innovative in the mid-1800s, but was not appreciated by the Venetians who found it cold and technical. So in 1932 it was replaced by the bridge you see now, made of Istrian stone.

The Scalzi Bridge gets its name from Santa Maria di Nazareth, which is a beautiful Baroque church called "Scalzi", or barefoot, because the church is of the Order of Carmelites, who always have sandals on their feet, no matter what the season. In addition to its rich façade completed in the late 1600s, the church has a sumptuous interior, but the fresco on its vault is recent because the original fresco by Giambattista Tiepolo was destroyed by a bomb in World War I!

After the bridge, to your right, simpler houses alternate with palaces from the 16th and 17th centuries, some of which were inhabited by the families of very energetic doges, such as Donà Palace. For the record, the Donà family gave the Republic four doges, which is a record shared only with the Dandolo family. If you don't know what a doge is, they were the heads of the Venetian Republic for over 1000 years until the end of the 1700s.

To your left, after a beautiful Baroque palace with a stone façade, you'll easily recognize the mass of the Church of San Geremia with its rounded dome flanked by a tall bell tower. It is one of the most beautiful churches of Venice, but is quite loved by the faithful because it holds the body of Saint Lucia.

Next to the church is the important Rio di Cannaregio, and almost at the mouth of the Grand Canal, at an angle, you can see the eighteenth-century Labia Palace: its great hall was painted by Giambattista Tiepolo and is one of the most sumptuous interiors of the city, which can be visited on appointment.

To your right you'll see Giovanelli Palace, which despite obvious restorations still has a delicate Gothic window with four arches and a balcony. You've reached the San Marcuola stop, which is a popular name for the Church of Saints Ermacora and Fortunato. It is a large building from the first half of the 1700s: its façade has remained unfinished and looks rough and raw amongst the noble scenery of the Canal.

FUN FACT: did you know that Donà Palace was bought by the movie star Johnny Depp? After his divorce from Vanessa Paradis, the alimony he had to pay his ex-wife was so high that he sold it for nearly 10 million euros!