Taking a water bus from Piazza San Marco to Piazzale Roma. The banks of the Grand Canal are lined with more than 170 buildings, most of which date from the 13th to the 18th century, and demonstrate the welfare and art created by the Republic of Venice. The noble Venetian families faced huge expenses to show off their richness in suitable palazzos. The Grand Canal (Italian: Canal Grande) forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses (Italian: vaporetti) and private water taxis, and many tourists explore the canal by gondola. It is 3,800 m long, 30--90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters (16.5 ft). ----------------------------------------- The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Saint Mary of Health) is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica. The Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal. It is the oldest bridge across the canal. The Church of San Stae, an abbreviation for Saint Eustachius, was founded at the beginning of 11th century and reconstructed in 17th century, has a main facade (1709) on the Grand Canal. The Church of San Simeone Piccolo, from across the Grand Canal, faces the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. This was one of the last churches built in Venice. May 21, 2013

• published: 22 Jul 2013
• views: 1948