Venice Audio Guided Walking Tour 3h30 and 26 Audio Commentaries

You are standing in front of the mamma of all the religious buildings in Venice. Historically in search of prestige, the city of Doges wanted to be able to host a relic that would live up to its claims.

We grant you, from one bridge to another in Venice, the differences are not frankly striking. Except maybe with this one! Spanning the Grand Canal, like three other companions, the Accademia Bridge owes its existence to the Austrians.

What would Venice be without its bridges? This is a question that more than one person has already asked. The thing is, to know that, we would have to make a damn good step back in history. Venice, as we know it today, is quite different from that of the past.

Now that you’ve arrived by the canal, look at the dock opposite and more specifically at the first 3-level building, to the left of the church steeple. Built between 1748 and 1772 on behalf of a wealthy Venetian family, which gave it its name, the Grassi Palace has been a cultural address in Venice since 2005.

Once the home of Francesco Foscari, 65th Doge of Venice, the old palace on your right has always been connected to the world of education. In 1866, a Venetian Jew founded the city’s Royal Higher School of Commerce, whose ultimate objective was to improve merchants and prepare commercial science teachers for secondary schools.

The second largest building in Venice, the Basilica dei Frari, as we see it today, took more than 100 years to be built. In addition to its tall 70-metre campanile, dating from the 14th century, the monument returns a simple exterior façade, made of brick and some white and pink stone elements.

In all, the beautiful Venice has no less than six districts. And, without really knowing it, you are currently in one of the oldest, but especially the smallest of them: San Polo.

All in color, and charged with good smell, here is another typically Venetian stop that takes place right in front of you. In a sector where the trade in fabrics, spices and other commodities was once concentrated, the Rialto Point of Sale has been part of Venice’s identity since the 13th century.

The Rialto Bridge is a big Rising Star in Venice’s tourist advertisements and one of the most famous symbols of the Doge City. Except that before reaching this success, the monument went through a rather long and complicated history.

From a narrow alley to a curved bridge, it is common to cross squares in Venice. But be careful, in order not to risk irritating the locals, you should know that there is only one real place in the city. Naturally, it’s St. Mark’s Square.

Venice is one of those destinations where you like to stay more than once. We can’t tell if it’s its romantic atmosphere or the peaceful waters of its lagoon that rock us the most. But deep down, do you really know Venice?

It is positioned facing the canal that normally you should see the silhouette of a tower that soars into the sky. Located on the island of the same name, the San Giorgio Campanile is the third largest in its category in the whole city.

Anyone who has ever been able to approach him will tell you that this Venetian figure fascinates as much by its beauty, its history and all the legends that surround it. Built at the beginning of the 17th century, the Bridge of Sighs once served as a link between the Doge’s Palace and the new prison on the other side.

If there is one palace that surpasses all others in Venice, it is by far the one on your right. Due to its prestigious past and sublime architecture, the Doge’s Palace remains one of the city’s strongest symbols.

Affectionately called the “Boss of the House” by the Venetians, the Campanile San Marco is an ancient symbol of the city. Its very first construction, ordered in 888 by the 17th Doge of Venice, could never be completed following a collapse of the ground, while the tower was being built.

Located on the left side of St. Mark’s Square, the Clock Tower is a real gem of art and mechanics. It was built in the 15th century, by order of the Senate of the Republic of Venice, to mark the passage from the largest square of the city of Doges to the small shopping streets, on the other side, called the Merceries.

The only “great” square in Venice, St. Mark’s Square is in a way the heart of the city. Its construction began in the 9th century and its definitive general physiognomy was not completed until 1177.

Lost in a maze of cul-de-sac alleys, the Contarini del Bovolo Palace is a small hidden treasure. Probably built in the 14th century, the building gained notoriety when a branch of the Venetian Contarini family made it their home.

Who has never heard in the mouth of a relative, friend, or acquaintance, that appearances should never be trusted. Incredible, but true, behind this discreet neo-classical facade lies one of the most beautiful operatic scenes in the world.

In the large family of bell towers of Venice, you will find the one of Santo Stefano and its 61 meters high. Although its origins were assessed in the 12th century, its present appearance is much more recent.

Similar to one of the most beautiful avenues in the world with its splendid churches and palaces, spread like trees by the side of a road, the Grand Canal is often the first thing to be discovered in Venice.

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is one of Venice’s most important cultural addresses, off the beaten track and busy. In the 18th century, the site belonged to the powerful Venier dei Leoni family, which, committed to building the most beautiful palace on the Grand Canal, did not see its wish come true.

In Venice, you don’t have to be in St. Mark’s Square to be an iconic monument. Located in the Dorsoduro district, and almost at the southern end of the Grand Canal, the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute is a spatial and symbolic landmark for Venetians.

In addition to reaching the far end of the Dorsoduro district, you also arrived at the place called here the Punta della Dogana. In the 15th century, ships had to moor there in order to be inspected by the customs office.

A charming and little-known corner, the Zatteres were the place where boats once docked to lay their wooden cargoes. And yes, we must not forget that at that time everything was built from this natural material.

Located on the south-west part of the city, the Dorsoduro district, which is translated as “Hard Back”, takes its name from the firmer strength of the land that composes it. If art galleries and universities make it artistic and cultural, Dorsoduro is rather known for being the “chic” area of Venice.