Second only to St Mark’s Basilica and the Ducal Palace in architectural importance are the patrician palaces that line Venice’s main artery: the Grand Canal, known to Venetians as the Canalazzo. Nowhere in Europe can one experience a more sumptuous artistic spectacle than drifting slowly along this waterway in a gondola, contemplating the façades that once filled Philippe de Comines with admiration.

From the Piazzetta to Santa Maria della Salute

Our journey begins on the left bank, opposite the Piazzetta. The Dogana (Custom House), a restrained late seventeenth-century structure, was deliberately designed with a low profile so as not to obstruct the majestic view of Santa Maria della Salute, Longhena’s celebrated church.

Rising from one of the most magnificent sites in Venice, the Salute is imposing in its overall composition despite the uneven quality of some details. Its noble staircase and the harmonious balance of its domes remain among the city’s most admired architectural features. Each year, on November 21st, the anniversary of its consecration in 1687 is celebrated with a popular festival, during which a temporary bridge of boats is laid across the canal.

Beyond the rio della Salute stands the apse of the Gothic abbey church of San Gregorio. A small landing near its square portal leads into one of Venice’s most picturesque spaces: the fourteenth-century monastic cloister.

Gothic and Renaissance Palaces of the Left Bank

Continuing along the canal, we encounter the Palazzo Dario, a fifteenth-century jewel richly ornamented with porphyry and serpentine disks in the Lombard style. Nearby rises the unfinished Palazzo Venier, begun in the eighteenth century.

Further on, the early Gothic Palazzo Da Mula stands beside the mosaic-adorned Palazzo Barbarigo, now associated with the Murano glass tradition. The Palazzo Manzoni, designed by Tullio Lombardi in 1465, follows, displaying a more advanced Renaissance character.

Past the Accademia lie the twin Palazzi Contarini degli Scrigni, one Renaissance and one Gothic, reminders of a family that produced eight Doges and forty-four Procurators. The route continues past the Palazzo Durazzo, once the German Embassy, and onward to the monumental Palazzo Rezzonico, built by Longhena and later completed by Massari — the residence where Robert Browning died.

Toward the Rialto

A striking group of Gothic palaces once belonging to the Giustiniani family leads the eye to Ca’ Foscari, later expanded by Doge Francesco Foscari. Across the water stands Palazzo Balbi, now associated with the Guggenheim legacy.

As the canal bends, a dense succession of Gothic, Renaissance, and Byzantine façades unfolds: Palazzo Tiepolo, Palazzo Pisani, Palazzo Grimani, and the twelfth-century Palazzi Donà and Saibante, adorned with exquisite Byzantine details.

The approach to the Rialto Bridge marks a turning point. The present stone bridge, constructed between 1588 and 1592 by Antonio da Ponte, replaced an earlier wooden structure. Though designs were submitted by masters including Michelangelo, they were rejected as too costly. The bridge remains one of Venice’s defining landmarks.

From Rialto to Ca’ d’Oro

Beyond the bridge stands the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, once the seat of the treasury magistrates. The nearby markets — vegetable and fish — preserve the mercantile spirit of the Republic.

Further along rises the assertive Palazzo Pesaro, another Longhena creation, followed by the baroque façade of San Stae (San Eustachio). Soon after, the canal reveals one of its most precious treasures: Ca’ d’Oro.

Built between 1424 and 1430 for the Contarini family, this delicate Gothic palace was once richly gilded, giving rise to its name, the “Golden House.” Despite later alterations and periods of neglect, its restoration by Baron Franchetti recovered much of its original elegance. Today, it remains one of the most refined expressions of Venetian Gothic.

Byzantine Origins and Renaissance Grandeur

Beyond Ca’ d’Oro lie palaces reflecting Venice’s Byzantine heritage and its gradual transition to Gothic: Palazzo Sagredo, Ca’ Da Mosto, and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, now the Central Post Office. Traces of Giorgione’s frescoes still linger high on its walls.

On the opposite bank, Palazzo Manin, designed by Sansovino and later home to the last Doge, stands as a symbol of the Republic’s final chapter. Nearby, Palazzo Loredan, admired by Ruskin as the most beautiful palace on the Grand Canal, combines Byzantine foundations with later Gothic and Renaissance interventions.

The Final Bend and the Return to the Piazzetta

The canal’s final stretch features Renaissance masterpieces such as Palazzo Grimani by Sanmicheli, the Palazzi Mocenigo, once home to Byron and Giordano Bruno, and the imposing Palazzo Grassi by Massari.

Passing luxury hotels housed in restored palaces — Gritti, Fini, Ferro, and Giustiniani — we return to the Piazzetta, where the journey began. On special occasions, when gondolas replace steam traffic and palaces are draped in festive colors, the Grand Canal briefly reveals the splendor of Venice at the height of her power.

San Giorgio Maggiore: A Perfect Finale

No visit is more fitting to conclude the day than a crossing to San Giorgio Maggiore, the ancient Isle of the Cypresses. Palladio’s church preserves its serene interior almost untouched. Tintoretto’s Last Supper and Fall of Manna enrich the choir, while the wooden stalls by Albert of Brussels rank among Italy’s finest examples of Flemish carving.

Ascending the campanile rewards the visitor with one of Venice’s most beautiful panoramas: the mainland to the north, the lagoon scattered with islands, the Adriatic stretching southward. At sunset, the entire scene dissolves into a symphony of color — a final, unforgettable vision of Venice.