Cannaregio - Lista di Spagna - Strada Nova

Image: Chiesa degli Scalzi

Cannaregio is located north of the Grand Canal and borders the sestieri of San Marco, Santa Croce and Castello. It is the most populous sestiere in Venice, with about 15,000 inhabitants. It is easily reached on foot from the train station in a few minutes.

From the train station you can also reach St. Mark’s on foot by walking along the “Strada Nova” that is the main pedestrian artery of the cities. This is a beautiful walk that allows you to immerse yourself in one of the most lively and interesting areas of the city. This the only “Strada” in Venice. The street is composed of several parts that have different names, but in the daily use of Venetians they are all included in the concept of Strada Nova.

The first part goes from the train station to the Ponte delle Guglie and is called Lista di Spagna. This was where the seat of the Spanish Ambassador to the Serenissima Republic was located. The term lista derives from the fact that the Republic “listed” with lines made of Istrian stone the residences of foreign ambassadors, demarcating the stretch within which certain immunities could be enjoyed.

Some of the points of interest in the Lista di Spagnat are these:

Church of the Scalzi or Santa Maria of Nazareth. Adjacent to the train station, Cannaregio, 54. Recently restored, it is a sumptuous Baroque church with fine frescoes by Gianbattista Tiepolo. Also of notable interest is the presence of the Mystic Garden, with its medicinal plants, including Melissa. Here you can of purchased Melissa Water, the miraculous remedy that cures all ills, the manufacture of which was exclusively assigned by the Serenissima government from 1754 to the Discalced Carmelite monks and continues to this day. Visits to the garden should be booked here: info@giardinomistico.it

The Church of St. Jeremiah the Prophet. Cannaregio, Campo San Geremia, 334. As of 2018 it also holds the title of the Shrine of St. Lucy, much visited by those with poor eyesight, because St. Lucy was martyred under Emperor Diocletian, not 303 AD, who had her eyes plucked out.

Palazzo Labia, Cannaregio, campo S. Geremia. Maestoso esempio di architettura barocca, custodisce un notevole ciclo di dipinti di Gianbattista Tiepolo. Tuttavia non è normalmente aperto al pubblico in quanto non è un museo, ma sede operativa veneta della RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana

Ponte delle Guglie e ingresso in Strada Nova. Se dal Ponte delle Guglie andate dritti invece di girare luogo il Canale di Cannaregio entrate nella Strada Nova vera e propria. Questa la frequentatissima via di comunicazione principale tra la Stazione e Rialto. Per la sua costruzione fu sventrata mezza città in una serie di interventi successivi. Vi si trovano ogni sorta di negozi e bancarelle. Una curiosità: circa a metà percorso, nel Campiello de L’ Anconeta c’era un grande cinema riccamente affrescato. Dopo molti anni di abbandono ora è diventato un supermercato, ma il restauro ha mantenuto visibili i pregevoli decori, divetando così il più bel supermercato d’Italia.