Hunkering modestly behind T-shirt kiosks is this soaring brick church, built by Scarpagnino after a disastrous fire in 1514 destroyed much of the Rialto area. Cross the threshold to witness flashes of Renaissance genius: Titian's tender St John the Almsgiver (1545) altarpiece and gloriously restored dome frescoes of frolicking angels by Pordenone.
Chiesa di San Giovanni Elemosinario
San Polo & Santa Croce
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.39 MILES
With a profusion of domes and more than 8000 sq metres of luminous mosaics, Venice's cathedral is unforgettable. It was founded in the 9th century to…
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Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
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After losing her father on the Titanic, heiress Peggy Guggenheim became one of the great collectors of the 20th century. Her palatial canalside home,…
Nearby San Polo & Santa Croce attractions
0.03 MILES
Rubbed for luck for centuries, this 1541 statue is now protected by an iron railing. Il Gobbo (The Hunchback) served as a podium for official…
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Flanking the Grand Canal, this porticoed complex was designed by Jacopo Sansovino in the mid-16th century.
3. Chiesa di San Giacomo di Rialto
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Steps away from the Rialto Bridge, the most distinctive feature of 12th-century St James' Church is the 15th-century clock set into the facade facing the…
0.07 MILES
Venice’s main market has been whetting appetites for seven centuries, with fruit and vegetable stands abutting the rather more pungent Pescaria. To see it…
0.08 MILES
Slinging fresh fish daily for 700 years and still going strong, Venetian fishmongers are more vital to local cuisine than any single chef. Glistening fish…
0.08 MILES
A superb feat of engineering, Antonio da Ponte’s 1592 Istrian stone span took three years and 250,000 gold ducats to construct. Adorned with stone reliefs…
0.13 MILES
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8. Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro
0.15 MILES
One of the most beautiful buildings on the Grand Canal, with a lacy Gothic facade, 15th-century Ca’ d’Oro is resplendent even without the original gold…