itinerario: Ca' d'Oro - Church of Santa Sofia - Church of Santi Apostoli - Ponte Chiodo -

This itinerary goes along the road formerly known as Via Vittorio Emanuele II, then renamed Via XXVIII Aprile, but which all Venetians call "Strada Nova"; a broad road running parallel to the Canal Grande and linking Rialto to the railway station, it is lined with churches, palazzi and
monuments of historical and artistic interest.

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Take the No. 1 vaporetto from the Piazzale Roma (bus terminus) or Ferrovia (railway station) stops to go down the Canal Grande and get off at Ca' d'Oro.
A few yards down the eponymous calle you will find Ca' d'Oro, which takes its name from the gold leaf originally decorating parts of the façade. The palace, one of the most splendid examples of 15th century oriental style Venetian Gothic, was built on the site of a Veneto-Byzantine building for Marino Contarini. It now houses the Galleria Franchetti, a rich art collection with
paintings from the Veneto school (including Mantegna's celebrated Saint Sebastian and Titian's Venus with a Mirror), works from the Tuscan and Flemish schools, and splendid Renaissance bronzes and sculptures.
There is a step at the entrance of the Gallery which is on two floors. An elevator takes you up to the exhibition floors. The restrooms, situated between the first and second floors, are not wheelchair accessible.

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After leaving the Gallery turn right down the Strada Nova and head for Campo Santa Sofia, which is overlooked on one side by the Gothic Palazzo Foscari with its original 15th century façade and on the other by Palazzo Sagredo, a late 14th century Gothic building with a richly
decorated arcade of windows and traces of the antique Venetian-Byzantine façade, both now transformed into hotels.
Opposite the campo, concealed by the houses, is the Church of Santa Sofia; you can just make out the top of the gable and the upper section of the Romanesque campanile.
The church was built around AD 1000 and remodelled in the 17th century.
Inside are works by the Bassano workshop, Heinz and Palma il Giovane. There are two entrances: the main entrance on the Strada Nova has a step while the side entrance in Calle del Cristo, reached via Ramo dell'Oca, has no steps.
Open daily from 9 am to 12 am.
 

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Further down the Strada Nova, on the right, is the entrance to the garden of Further down the Strada Nova, on the right, is the entrance to the garden of Palazzo Mangilli- Valmarana, a classical style palace built in 1751 by Antonio Vicentini. It now houses the Fondazione
Claudio Buziol which supports and promotes initiatives and projects by young artists.
At the end of the road is Campo dei SS. Apostoli, originally the site of the first settlement in
the Venetian islands. The campo is overlooked on one side by the eponymous church and on the
other by the Scuola dell'Angelo Custode.

The Church of SS. Apostoli, which has undergone several restorations (the last one in the mid- 18th century), preserves the original 16th-century single nave floor plan. Of particular interest is the Corner Chapel attributed to Mauro Codussi, the only 15th-century part of the church to survive. To enter the chapel you will need to negotiate two steps; above the chapel altar is the
Martyrdom of St Lucy by Giambattista Tiepolo. The church also contains works from the School of Paolo Veronese, Francesco Maffei and Gaspare Dizioni.
Open daily from 9 am to 12 am and from 14.45 pm to 7.30 pm.

The Scuola dell'Angelo Custode, built from 1713 to a design by Andrea Tirali, was purchased by the merchants of the Fontego dei Tedeschi, the German trading centre in Venice. It currently
houses the Evangelical Lutheran church. Above the doorway stands a lovely marble Guardian Angel by Heinrich Meyring.
Close to Campo dei SS. Apostoli is the Cinema Giorgione, Venice's last surviving multiscreen cinema.
 

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Continuing along the Strada Nova you cross Ponte San Felice (stepped ramp) which takes you to Campo San Felice with the eponymous church.
The 10th century Church of San Felice was completely rebuilt in 1531; it houses many works including an early Tintoretto Saint Demetrius and a Donor of the Ghisi family. Both entrances have 5 steps.
Continuing along the Fondamenta della Chiesa, you can admire the Ponte Chiodo, a private bridge spanning the Rio di San Felice which is Venice's last remaining arched bridge without parapets.