guide to santa croce district, highlights, sightseen in santa croce venice, night life in santa croce

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Guide to the Santa Croce district

Nearby and also facing onto the Grand Canal is the Fondaco dei Turchi with its intriguing battlements–once the property of the Turkish community; now this building houses the Museum of Natural History.

The district of Santa Croce, extending from Piazzale Roma to the Railway Station and facing onto the grand canal, is not much visited by tourists. It is a quiet part of the city with many hidden squares where Venetian couples wander.

The main daytime attractions of this area are the palace Cà Pesaro, a building which faces onto the Grand Canal. This building houses the Venice Museum of Modern Art, one of the most important in Italy with many works by internationally famous painters and sculptors.

In the back part is the square of San Giacomo dell’ Orio- the name "dell'Orio" may derive from a laurel tree (alloro) that once stood near the church of the same name. This church probably dates as far back as the 9th century although it was rebuilt in 1225. The clock face dates from 1410 but has sadly been a poor time-keeper over the years.

Near by the Piazzale Roma car park is the Tolentini church, designed from Scamozzi, which is an example of the late-neoclassical architectural style. Interesting is the Eighteenth-century-facade by Andrea Tirali and the interior, richly decorated with precious works from the Venetian Renaissance by Jacopo Palma il Giovane, Sante Peranda, Leandro Bassano and Pietro Damini.

The many restaurants and bars in some parts of the district also make it a good destination for night life. Baffo’s bar in Campo Sant Agostin, is currently a hot meeting point for young people.