The San Polo walk is one of the shorter walks but has plenty of points of interest, making it a ‘high payoff’ walk.  It may be helpful to combine it with other adjacent walks such as Titian (Walk #5) or Barnabotti (Walk #13).

This walk starts from the San Toma vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal.  A short walk and a couple of turns later you will pass by Palazzo Corner della Frescada (also referred to as Ca’Bottacin by the University Ca’ Foscari) a 15^th century Gothic palazzo built by the Corner family.  Doge Pietro Loredan (1567-1570) was born here.  The restaurant just before the corner where you will turn (Wisteria) offers fine dining.

The next leg centres around Campo San Toma and we arrive there along the side of the Scuola dei Calegheri, the shoemakers guild.  The guild purchased the building in 1446 and restored it in 1479.  Note the three reliefs of shoes on the lintel above the entrance doorway.  The lunette above the doorway is by Pietro Lombardo (late 15^th century, note the traces of colour) and depicts St Mark Healing the Cobbler Ananius (the patron saint of shoemakers).  Above on the façade also is a mid-14^th century relief of the Our Lady of Mercy receiving praying friars under her mantle which was brought from the demolished church of Santa Maria dei Servi.

Moving on to the church of San Toma, which was founded in the 10^th century, renovated in the 14^th century, enlarged in 1508, and rebuilt in 1742.  The church is less well-endowed with artworks than some of the others in the city but is well worth a look for the various ornamental effects on the façade and sides of the building (it is closed for restoration).  Proceed from the right side of the church to the front and then to the left as you will traverse Campiello San Toma towards your next points of interest.

Over the side door on the right side of the church (in Campiello del Piovan) is the sarcophagus of Giovanni Priuli (d. 1375) a former senator of the republic.  It was moved there from inside the church when the façade was rebuilt.  The dog at his feet symbolises faithfulness.  The façade of the church has sculptures in niches of St Theodore and St Mark by Francesco Bognolo (1742-1755).  The sculptural group at the top of the façade is said to represent Thomas’s incredulity.  On the left side of the church which faces Campiello San Toma is a relief of Our Lady of Mercy (c.1345) enthroned.  She embraces and protects the confreres who are kneeling and praying before her.

A little further on, we encounter POI #7 – Casa Goldoni.  Born in Venice in 1707 in this palazzo, Goldoni’s works were said to have extended upon the traditional Commedia dell’arte (the improvised theatrical characters played behind masks) by introducing more topical and realistic characters into his plays.  There is a commemorative statue of Goldoni that can be seen on Walk #1.

The next transition takes us to San Polo and the midpoint and (eventual) finishing point of the walk.  On the way through, as you pass over Ponte San Polo, look to the left where there is a handsome palazzo: Palazzo Moro-Lin which was built at the beginning of the 17^th century.  It was built for the Venetian painter Pietro Liberi (whose works are found around the city) and said to have been decorated with frescoes and paintings by Gregorio Lazzarini, another prominent artist who worked in the city.

The south-western entry to Campo San Polo has two dramatic points of interest, both violent in nature.  The first involves an assassination in the area between the southern wall of the church and the residences across from it that form Salizzada San Polo.  Lorenzino de Medici and his friend Alessandro Soderini were assassinated here in 1548. The assassin, a mercenary named Bibbioni, had been hired by Lorenzino’s cousin, Cosimo de Medici, Duke of Florence.  The second episode concerns the two statues of the lions at the base of the bell tower.  One is wrestling a serpent, the other has a human head between its paws.  This head is said to have been a representation of the mercenary Francesco Bussone, Count of Carmagnola who fell foul of the city’s rulers and was considered a traitor for not pursuing their enemies (the Milanese) with sufficient vigour in battle near Cremona.  He was executed in 1432.  At No. 2021 note the statue of a bishop in a niche on the wall.  This was also the home of prominent Venetian sculptor Alessandro Vittoria.  We continue on past the main part of the Campo as there is time to explore this on our return and finish.

After a few twists and turns, you will reach Palazzo Molin Capello.  The famous Bianca Cappello was born here in 1548, and it was from one of the canal-side windows of the palace that she first saw Pietro Bonaventuri, a young clerk who was then working at the Salviati bank across the way.  Bianca was only fifteen at the time, but in 1563 she eloped with Pietro and married him in Florence, causing her family to disown her and the Republic to forbid her ever to return to Venice.  Some years later, after Pietro was killed in a duel, Bianca became the wife of Francesco de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, having been his mistress since the beginning of her stay in Florence.  As soon as she was married to the Duke the Cappello family welcomed Bianca back into the fold and the Venetian government cancelled her exile, declaring her a ‘true and noble daughter of the Republic’.  Bianca died in Florence on 20 October 1587 – the day after her husband – the general suspicion being that they had both been poisoned by Francesco’s brother, Cardinal Ferdinando de’ Medici, who thereupon succeeded to the dukedom (John Freely, 1994).

Just past the next point of interest (Trattoria Antiche Carampagne), there is a bridge that gives a clue to the history of this area, well known for its bordellos – Ponte de le Tette (Bridge of the breasts).  From the windows in the area around this bridge, courtesans would advertise their ‘wares’.

As we turn back towards Campo San Polo, we pass another fine dining destination in the city POI #17 Ristorante Osteria da Fiore.  On the way through to Campo San Polo, there is a lovely palazzo – Ca’Bernardo (POI #18).  It is worth pausing to have a look at this edifice as you go over Ponte Bernardo.  The building dates from the 15^th century.  A few more twists and turns and you will be in Campo San Polo.

In the gothic maze that is the city of Venice, Campo San Polo is a welcome, wide-open civic space.  It is ideally placed to visit the various parts of San Polo.  It is adjacent to Dorsoduro and Santa Croce, and just a Traghetto ride away from San Marco.  It also lacks the visitors and pigeons of its larger sibling, Piazza San Marco.  The campo was used in early times as grazing land, for drying woollen cloths and other fabrics, and as a venue for markets and festivities.  The campo hosts several significant palazzos, the largest vera da pozzo in Venice (3.2 metres in diameter and dated 1838), and the church of San Polo.  It has interesting examples of architectural styles from various eras. 

Three palazzi are noteworthy.  Palazzo Dona at No. 2177 (POI #19) is a Renaissance-era building built on the site of a 14^th century gothic palazzo – the pointed and decorated arch doorway of the original palazzo still stands.  At 2169-71 is Palazzo Soranzo is an example of a double palazzo (POI #20).  The palazzo on the left is the older of the two, built in the mid-14^th century, the lintels of its twin entrances carved with designs in the Byzantine-style, as are the paterae on the floor above.  The right-hand palace dates from the mid-15^th century, its design an imitation of that of the earlier building, with the Gothic string course extending along the-full length of both facades. Both palaces were acquired in the mid-15^th century by the Soranzo, probably soon after the second palazzo was completed (John Freely, 2004).  At No. 1957 is Palazzo Tiepolo-Maffetti, attributed to Domenico Rossi (c.1690-1699, POI #21).  Of note is the keystone of the main entry with the head of Hercules covered with a lion’s pelt.

The Church of San Polo is one of the oldest in Venice and was founded during the reign of Doge Pietro Tradonico (836-864).  The church was rebuilt twice, resulting in the present structure which was completed in the 15^th century.  In 1804 a further renovation took place under architect David Rossi.  The impressive gothic arch over the doorway on the southern entrance to the church was retained and is the work of Bartolomeo Bon’s workshop (you would have noticed this after coming from Casa Goldoni on the early leg of the journey).  The eastern side of the building is the outside of the apse of the church.  It has a number of impressive reliefs from various eras, including a 16th century relief of the Madonna enthroned with St Peter and St Paul on the left.  Beneath the relief, there is a plaque indicating: ‘All games whatsoever are prohibited: as also the sale of goods, or the erection of shops, around this church … with the penalty of prison, the galleys, exile and also 300 lire de’ picoli, to be divided between the accuser and captors’.

Next, there is a sculpture of St Paul in a classical-styled niche (restored in 1988 by ‘Save Venice’).  It was placed there during the 1804 renovation – having been originally over the southern entrance door.  The torso is thought to be an ancient Greek sculpture that dates to the fourth century BC.  An unidentified Italian sculptor added a head and feet to the fragment in the middle of the 15^th century, creating what we see today for the church of San Polo.  The sculpture’s damaged right hand once held a sword, the instrument of Saint Paul’s martyrdom.  The pattern at the base of the plinth seems to be a nod to the Greek origins.  Note also on the peak of the roof of the building a 13^th century angel holding an incense burner (thurible).  Further around to the right, there are two interesting and somewhat ancient reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Christ.

The paintings inside include works by Tintoretto, Palma il Giovane, Veronese, and Tiepolo (both father and son).  There is a map of the church at the Chorus Venezia site.

This ends Walk #6, leaving you with plenty of options in this central and pretty part of the city.