Castello, the largest district in Venice, is considered a very popular, lively and authentic area of the city. Here you can breathe the atmosphere of a daily Venice but there are masterpieces and treasures to discover: as the sixteenth-century Palace where lived the Querini family Stampalia, today a museum where to learn about the life and tastes of the Venetian aristocracy; Palazzo Grimani, which already in the sixteenth century was a house-museum famous throughout Europe for its marbles, stuccos and frescoes but especially for the rich collection of antiquities (explore it with a virtual tour). Or the church where Antonio Vivaldi was baptized, San Giovanni in Bragora, which preserves a masterpiece altarpiece by Giambattista Cima Da Conegliano, and also the Hellenic Museum of Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons, unique in Europe.

The oldest heart of Castello corresponds to the current island of San Pietro di Castello, one of the first inhabited centers of Venice and the first religious, political and commercial center of the city. The Basilica of San Pietro di Castello was patriarchal headquarters until 1807, then moved by Napoleon to San Marco. The field in front of the basilica gives us an idea of what the fields of the old Venice could be: it is one of the last to still be covered with grass, without paving.

A good starting point for a walk to discover Castello is certainly the Arsenale of Venice (discover its history), which was for centuries the largest ship factory in the world. A few steps from the Arsenale is the Naval Historical Museum (explore it with a virtual tour), where ancient models of Venetian ships are preserved, including the last Bucintoro, the ceremonial ship of the Doge.

Castello is also one of the greenest areas in Venice, with the Napoleonic Gardens, the largest green area in the historic centre, occupied for about two thirds by the Biennale, and the Sant'Elena pinewood.

At Castello you can also walk on one of the most scenic monumental banks of Venice, Riva degli Schiavoni, overlooking the San Marco basin.

Church of Santa Maria Formosa