Blog Layout

In the heart of Venice: from Santa Maria Formosa to San Marco Square

Is it your first time in Venice, and you can stay just few hours? The city is a real open-air museum that can surprise you every time you look at it, but if you have a limited amount of time you should have an idea of the places you can't miss.


So, for our guests we thought of a little itinerary in the beating heart of Venice: it starts from our hotel and it ends in San Marco square, so you can admire it in all its timeless glory.


This tour is one of the private walking tour made available for our guests, ask the reception to book this experience for you.



Our campo


Venice is divided in six districts (sestieri): San Marco, San Polo, Cannaregio, Santa Croce, Dorsoduro and Castello, where we are located. They are all easily reachable from Campo Santa Maria Formosa, the most beautiful campo (little square) where our palace stands. Once you get there, you will notice that the building seems slightly crooked in perspective of the square. That's because it was built by the Doge to have a direct view towards the San Marco and San Giorgio basin.


The square is surrounded by noble palaces that testify its ancient prestige, such as the house of Sebastiano Venier, general of the Venetian fleet, and hero of the Battle of Lepanto. Later, he became Doge.


Discover San Marco, the heart of Venice


Of course one of the main places to visit is the sestiere of San Marco, that includes the heart of the city. In particular San Marco Square, famous and visited by tourist from all over the world, that's just a few minutes away from our palace, because it includes in few meters all the main highlights of the city.


  • Basilica of San Marco: undisputed symbol of the city and its openness to other cultures: we can find there many examples of bizantine art. On the outside there are decorations and mosaics made of gold imported from the east, in particular from Costantinople. You can also admire the famous bell tower of San Marco, symbol of the city and one of the highest bell towers in Italy, where you can climb to see Venice from height of its almost 100 meters, to see the beautiful landscape of all the city on the water.

  • Palazzo Ducale: situated right in the center of the square and built in Gothic style, it's the ancient house of the Doge and seat of the govern of the Serenissima Republic. Outside you can admire the famous capitelli from XIV century that are the frame of the building, while inside you can't miss the Sala del Maggior Consiglio, ancient seat of the Highest Court of the Lagoon, decorated by the most famous painters of Venice, like Tintoretto, who painted the back wall with its canvas “Paradise”, the biggest canvas in the world.

  • Museum Correr: part of the Civic Museums Foundation of Venice, and in its sections include a lot of collection with the art, the culture and the history of Venice.



La Fenice, the most beautiful Opera Theatre in the world


Still in the district of San Marco, it's worth visiting the Great Theatre La Fenice. Situated in campo San Fantin, it's the main Opera theatre of Venice, and one of the most prestigious theatres in the world. It survived two fires and resurrected from its own ashes like the mytological creature of which bears the name. Here, a lot of first shows of spectacles that now are renowned all over the world have staged, like La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.


Essential in its history is Maria Callas, the most famous dramatic soprano in the world, because it's where she cemented her art to the Italian melodrama.


Share by: