The Ca Doro walk takes in one of the city’s great architectural jewels (Ca Doro) and one of its hidden art treasure troves (the Oratory of Crociferi), which has recently been restored and revealed to the public.  It also includes a church that has one of the most sumptuous interiors of all the churches in the city (Gesuiti).  This walk matches well with the other two walks in Cannaregio.

This walk starts near where Walk #15 finishes, but you could commence at POI #1 just over the bridge at the southern end of Campo Santi Apostoli if that suits.  The campo has a cluster of seven points of interest close by, including the church itself.  Before visiting the church, admire Palazzo Falier, the School of the Guardian Angels, and the garden of Palazzo Mangilli-Valmarana (POI’s #1 – #3).

Palazzo Falier dates back to the 13^th century and was the home of Doge Marin Falier (1280-1355), the leader of a plot to overthrow the governing aristocrats and install himself as a dictator.  The plot failed and he was executed shortly after.  In the Great Council Chamber of the Doge’s Palace there is a row of portraits that honour the various Doges, but Martin Falier’s is covered over with a black cloth spelling out his fate.  The speed with which Falier was condemned and dispatched suggested a counter argument: that the Council of X invented the plot to allow them to remove him as Doge (further reading: Venipedia).

The Scuola dell’Angelo Custode is a salmon-coloured building in the south-western corner of the campo.  It was built by Andrea Tirali in 1713.  In 1813 – when most of the confraternities had been supressed – it was handed to the German Protestants for use as a place of worship, who had used the Fontego dei Tedeschi for this purpose since 1657.  The sculpture group of Tobias over the entrance is by Heinrich Meyring.  The chapel of the Scuola is across the campo in Santi Apostoli.

Just to the right of this building is the garden at the back of the former home of Joseph Smith (Palazzo Mangilli-Valmarana-Smith), who was George III of England’s consular representative to Venice (1744 – 1760).  Smith was an art collector and an artist’s agent, with Canaletto (amongst others) in his ‘stable’ of artists.  Financial pressure forced Smith to sell off his extensive collection of paintings and books.  The 6,000-book collection formed the nucleus of the King’s Library https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Library.

The church of Santi Apostoli sits at the northern edge of the campo.  The view that you have from the campo is actually the domed Corner Chapel and the bell tower, the angle at which Canaletto chose to paint this scene in around 1740.  The church was said to have been one of the original churches established in Venice founded by the bishop St. Magnus in the 7^th century.  There were rebuilds in subsequent centuries, resulting in the building you see today (and the very plain façade) which was consecrated in 1578.  The Corner Chapel is a remnant of the 1490 rebuild of the church and has been attributed to Mauro Codussi.  Look for the funerary monuments of Marco and Giorgio Corner.  Giorgio was the brother of Caterina, Queen of Cyprus, who was originally also buried here but was reinterred in the church of San Salvador (Walk #1, POI #10).  Tiepolo’s ‘Last Communion of St. Lucy’ (1745-46) also features in this chapel (the family were great patrons of Tiepolo).  There are other interesting works featuring both sculpture and painting in the church, such as the ‘Last Supper’ on the ceiling by Fumiani – who did the ceiling work in San Pantalon (Walk #5, POI #13) – and the sculpture in the Scuola dell’Angelo Custode’s chapel, ‘Madonna degli Alberetti’ by Lamberti (mid-15^th century).  Finally, look for the section of the fresco of ‘The Descent from the Cross’ and the ‘Burial of Christ’ that is thought to date from the 1320’s, located on the left wall of the nave.

We now strike out in a northerly direction after Calle Managher, almost exclusively straight forward.  In a few hundred metres you will finally arrive at Campo dei Gesuiti, our next cluster of interest points (#9 – #11).  Here you will find the church of Santa Maria Assunta, the Jesuit church.

The Jesuit order has a colourful history in the city.  During the Venetian Interdict of 1606 [1], the Jesuits remained loyal to the Pope and were expelled from the city.  They returned to Venice in 1657, when they purchased this complex from the city.  This was made possible by the suppression of the Order of the Crociferi [2] who were expelled from the city and dispossessed of their property holdings.  The previous Jesuit church was in Dorsoduro, just behind the Salute on the Giudecca Canal.  The new, somewhat remote location is a manifestation of the city’s difficult relationship with the Jesuits (they were expelled again in the 1700’s after once again aligning themselves with the Pope rather than the city in another disagreement between Venice and Rome).  After a generous endowment from the Manin family, reconstruction of the earlier (1543) church started in 1715 and was completed in 1736.  The façade is an exuberant collection of columns and statues – very Baroque.  The statues are of the 12 apostles by various 17^th and 18^th century sculptors.  Inside the church is like a rich tapestry, almost overwhelming.  The collection of paintings, frescos, marble, stucco work and gilding make a statement.  Notable works on display here are Titian’s ‘Martyrdom of St. Lawrence’ (1548), Tintoretto’s ‘Assumption’ and the 20 Palma Giovane canvasses in the sacristy.  Look for the funerary monument of Pasquale Cicogna (early 1600’s) an early patron and Doge (1585-1595).  There are too many others to mention here – further reading: Churches of Venice; Wikipedia.

The works of Palma Giovane are also in abundance across the road in the Oratory of the Crociferi (POI #11).  This is a much more modest building and a little more accessible after the grandeur of the Gesuiti!  A little further along the campo is Palazzo Zen (Doge Renier Zen (1252-1268) was a patron of the Crociferi).  This is a series of connected palazzi which were once adorned with frescos by Tintoretto, Pordenone and Lo Schiavone.  Note the alternating Gothic/Renaissance style arched windows on the first floor of the building.

We are now heading west along the fondamenta and in the latter half of the walk.  Passing the church of Santa Caterina (POI #13 – Convent founded 11^th/12^th century, current building dates to 15^th century; now used as an exhibition space) we soon make a left and proceed along Calle de la Racheta, looking out for a very narrow passageway on the right (100 metres after you cross the bridge after the left turn).  Head through and you will reach the site of Ponte Chiodo (POI #14, look right).  This is the way most of the bridges in the city used to look until after the Austrian occupation in 1797, when balustrades commenced being installed (though many of the bridges were actually made of wood, as we shall see in the next walk (Ghetto, Walk #17)).

There are two good options to stop for a meal or a break along the way as we head south to our final destination (either Vini da Gigio or alla Vedova).  A few twists and turns and you will arrive at one of the highlights of the walk, and arguably one of the most famous palazzos in the city – Ca’ d’Oro (house of gold), which is now the home of the Franchetti Gallery.  The first building to occupy this site was a Byzantine era structure which was acquired by Marino Contarini around 1412.  That building was demolished by Contarini and work started under the direction of Matteo de Raverti, a stone mason.  Giovanni Bon and son (Bartolomeo) took over the project in 1425 and the building as we know it started to take shape, being completed in 1434.  Some of the decorative elements were retrieved from demolished buildings in the city.  Flemish artist Jean Charlier highlighted the natural hues of the marble with tints of ultramarine, black and white, with gold used on the cross-inspired pinnacles over the façade.

The following information on the Franchetti collection is from Serenissime Trame: Ca’ d’Oro houses the important art collection of Baron Giorgio Franchetti (1865-1927), donated to the Italian state in 1916 – along with the building itself after extensive restorations.  The Collection includes furniture, paintings, medals, tapestries, bronzes, and sculptures.  It was extended over the years by the addition of Renaissance works from suppressed or demolished religious buildings, and collections from the Accademia Gallery and the Archaeological Museum.  Highlights from the collection include ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian’ (1490’s) by Andrea Mantegna and Vittore Carpaccio’s ‘Annunciation’ (1504), but there are many other great works to be seen here.  Look for the ornate well head in the courtyard carved by Bartolomeo Bon (1427-28).

Along just a little further is the church of Santa Sofia (POI #17).  The present building is the result of a restoration by Antonio Gaspari in 1698 (Gaspari finished the Salute after Longhena’s death).  Suppressed in 1810, the church lost most of its art and some of the altars.  It had an altar dedicated to the painter’s guild and their scuola was once located across the street from the church on what is now Strada Nuova.  Some art was donated by private citizens since its reconsecration in 1836.

The final stage of this walk brings us further along Strada Nuova and to the final points of interest, including Palazzo Sagredo.  This building dates from the 14^th century and the interior has been maintained to give a sense of what the family residence was like through the 1700’s onwards.  The Sagredos were part of the Venetian nobility and Nicolo Sagredo was the Doge (1674-1676).  Gerardo Sagredo’s daughter Caterina (1709-66) was known for both her beauty and her brains and she maintained a noteworthy salon in the city, keeping the company of literary and artistic talents of the day.  She operated a casino in Cannaregio which drew the ire of the government ‘Inquisition’ of the day, as it allowed men and women of the nobility to mix in public, something that was frowned upon.  The case gained notoriety when in 1747 the establishment was closed by the Inquisition.  By 1767 the Inquisition allowed noblewomen to frequent the casinos on the condition that they cover their faces.  Caterina Sagredo Barbarigo is the model of several famous paintings of noted Rococo artist Rosalba Carriera.  Further reading: Wikipedia.

You are now at the finish of this walk, with options to return to San Marco – which is close by – or continue on the final walk of the series (#17), which will take you through the Jewish Ghetto.