Districts
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Venice’s Districts (Michelin) |
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| The Historic Center of Venice is divided into six sesteri or districts, three on each side of the Canal Grande: Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, San Polo on the East Bank and Cannaregio, Castello, and San Marco on the West. These districts fulfill mainly residential and commercial functions. The population of the Island City is primarily comprised of university students and older citizens. Most of the residential districts are found in the Eastern section of Venice. Wealthy and poor zones are scattered throughout these neighborhoods. Each district has its own campi or square, which serves as the local center of each sesteri. The biggest campis are piazzas like the Piazza San Marco. San Marco itself is the focal point of the city and therefore the most crowded and successful. Traveling away from San Marco, the sesteri become quieter, more residential, and poorer. Mestre and the islands that make up Greater Venice each have different functions: some tourist, others purely residential, and industrial. |
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Throughout the sesteri, several trends can be observed: the campi as previously mentioned, but also the role of sacred space, the various historical institutions that defined early Venetian Civilization, and architecture. The landscape is littered with churches, though burial is reserved to the island of San Michelle. The Scuole Grandis are the guilds of the Venetian Imperial Age. Treated as unions or clubs, the buildings have been converted to schools and hospitals. The school of architecture predominant in Venice cannot be pinpointed. The buildings reflect a wide variety of influence, including Byzantine, Roman, and Gothic. |
Scuola di Giorgio (Michelin)
Zitelle Church, La Guidecca (Michelin)
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