Dorsoduro: from Santa Margherita to the Zattere

At the northern end of the campo, the former church of Santa Margherita now houses an auditorium of Ca’ Foscari University. The building’s uses have changed repeatedly since it ceased to function as a church; the university is its latest custodian.

It is a useful place to begin because the square gives you room to get your bearings before the streets narrow. Find the way towards Ponte dei Pugni on the map, then put the phone away until you reach the bridge.

Look down at the stone footprints. They mark positions associated with the contests between the Castellani and Nicolotti, rival Venetian factions. On a bridge that once lacked railings, the object was to send opponents into the canal.

The fights were banned in the early eighteenth century. The marks make an otherwise ordinary crossing a record of a much rougher form of neighbourhood allegiance.

Beyond Ponte dei Pugni, Campo San Barnaba opens beside the canal. The church gives the square its name and its imposing front; its bell tower stands separately behind. The wellhead provides a convenient point from which to take in the buildings without standing in the path across the bridge.

This route looks at San Barnaba from outside. Continue towards the Accademia when you are ready; an interior visit is not needed to follow the walk.

The timber appearance of the Accademia Bridge makes it an unusual crossing of the Grand Canal. Eugenio Miozzi’s wooden bridge opened in 1933 as a temporary solution; later rebuilding retained the familiar form, with steel incorporated into the structure.

From this end of the canal, the dome of Santa Maria della Salute is the landmark to look for. The mapped route reaches the Dorsoduro approach. If you climb onto the bridge for the view, come back to this side before continuing to the Zattere.

The Zattere face the broad Giudecca Canal. After the narrow streets around San Barnaba, this waterfront offers a long view and room to orient yourself. Giudecca is the island opposite.

During the Festa del Redentore, a temporary votive bridge links this shore with Giudecca. At other times there is no ordinary pedestrian crossing here: a route that appears to continue straight across the water needs a boat connection.