Campo San Zaccaria

Campo San Zaccaria is one of Venice's most historically charged squares, tucked behind the Riva degli Schiavoni in the Castello sestiere. It takes its name from the church of San Zaccaria that dominates its northern edge, a building whose facade represents one of the finest examples of Venetian Gothic merging into early Renaissance architecture. The church was designed in part by Mauro Codussi in the late fifteenth century and contains Giovanni Bellini's celebrated altarpiece of the Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints, widely regarded as one of the great works of Venetian painting.

The square itself carries a layered past: the convent attached to San Zaccaria was among the most prestigious in the Republic, and the Doge would visit annually in a ceremony that underlined the church's civic importance. Today the campo serves as a calm departure point for exploring the wider lagoon. From here, visitors can join a guided tour to Murano, the island long renowned for its centuries-old tradition of glassblowing, including a visit to a working glass factory where the craft is demonstrated firsthand.