This walk starts at the point where the Goldoni walk (#1) is halfway through.  If you are energetic, consider joining these two walks together to take in the central and busiest districts of Venice all in one go.  Navigating the Pescaria walk is challenging as it works its way through some tight twists and turns in the heart of the city.  It is also one of the shorter walks and takes in some of the most interesting bars in town.

The area around the Ponte Rialto gets very busy as it is effectively a crossroads of the city between San Marco and San Polo. The bridge itself is an attraction with good views along the Grand Canal. Of course, there are also the shops, although there is a mixed bag on offer here with many stalls offering the mass-produced souvenirs and trinkets.

Looking over to the left from the bridge: POI #2 – Palazzo dei Dieci Savi.  Named for the ten magistrates in charge of the public tithes headquartered there.  Built by Scarpagnino (1520-22), see the inscription reflecting this under a Lion of St Mark on the Grand Canal side facade.  Also noteworthy is the statue of justice dating from the end of the 16th century on the corner of the building adjacent to the bridge.

On the right (POI #3), the Palazzo Camerlenghi was built during the fifteenth century and finished in 1488.  From 1525 to 1528 it was enlarged according to a design by Guglielmo dei Grigi, who was inspired by the style of Mauro Codussi and Pietro Lombardo. It was the headquarters for several financial magistrates, including the Camerlenghi from whom it takes its name, the Consuls of the Traders and the Supra-Consuls of the Traders. Due to this function, the lower floor was used as a jail for those who defaulted on their debts: the location near the crowded Rialto Bridge served as an admonition for the people passing by.

Avoid the temptation to go ahead into the Campo San Giacomo di Rialto – this is where we will finish the walk on our return leg.  Turn right at Palazzo Camerlenghi and follow the Grand Canal for a choice of places to stop for a drink (POIs #4 & 6 – either Naranzaria or Bancogiro).

Continue along and take in the market area which has a long history in the city, finishing this leg at the Fish Market (POI #7-8).  The next section of the walk has some excellent places to stop, along with a couple of interesting architectural features.  Note the doorway shaped to allow barrels through at 456 Calle de l’Arco (POI #12), and the impossibly crooked doorway at No. 963A Calle dei Sansoni.

Having emerged from some tricky twists and turns, you will now start heading back towards the Grand Canal and two of the churches of note on this walk.  The first is Sant’Aponal.  Established in 1034 by the Sciavola family, it was rebuilt in the 15^th century and restored later in 1583.  The church was suppressed by the French in 1810 and the artwork was looted.  It was reconsecrated in 1851 but closed in 1984 and is now used to house archives.  The façade is of interest as a fine example of a gothic-era church, but also because of the embedded relics (thought to have come from an altar of the church), the lower set showing the Doubting Thomas and the one above The Agony in the Garden.  The group is dated 1294.  The Virgin and Child enthroned dates from the early 16^th century, above which is a 14^th century Crucifix, with the prophet Jonas at the base.  Note the building to left of the church (No. 1252) which once housed the guilds of the spice merchants and later the stonecutters.  The small relief of the four crowned saints were the patrons of the stonecutter’s fraternity.

Taking the very narrow calle on the south-eastern corner of the campo will lead you on to Campo San Silvestro.  We are now facing the side of the church (the façade is on left facing north into Rio Tera San Silvestro).  The building along the campo side of the church was once the wine merchant’s guild.  The now destroyed scuola of the Coopers (barrel makers) was also attached to this building.  The whole area in the final part of this walk is steeped in the history of wine selling (i.e. the Riva del Vin).  The vera da pozzo in the middle of the campo dates to the first half of the 14^th century.  In the southern corner of the campo is an ancient byway – Sottoportego Pasina – which was first referred to in 1182.  The church is one of the oldest in the Rialto area having been founded in the 9^th century.  The present building is the result of considerable rebuilding that took place in the ensuing centuries.  There was a rebuild in the first half of the 15^th century, and a complete rebuild initiated by the parish priest Don Antonio in 1832.  He engaged Lorenzo Santi for the task which was completed in 1843 by Giovani Meduna.  The interior is a large expanse with a frescoed ceiling that takes on the appearance of a large ballroom.  The present façade was erected in 1909.  There is a Tintoretto (Baptism of Christ c1580) inside.  The bell tower was destroyed by an earthquake in 1347 and rebuilt in 1422 (then restored in 1840).

The palazzo opposite the entrance to San Silvestro (Palazzo Valier) at number 1022 is said to have been where the famous High Renaissance painter Giorgione (1478-1510) lived, though the house next door at No. 1091 may also have been his residence.  He is said to have led a move towards making the landscape an important element of a painting as much as the sitter of the portrait or the religious subject matter (see for example ‘The Tempest’).

We are now on the final and return leg of the walk, taking in the Riva del Vin.  As suggested, the area is an important part of the history of wine in the city.  Take in the views across to the palazzi on the Riva del Carbon on the other bank of the Grand Canal.  Notable ones from right to left from where you start on the Riva del Vin include: Ca’ Farsetti, Ca’ Loredan, Ca Dandolo, Ca’ Bembo, and Ca’ Dolfin Manin.  Here is a handy map of the palazzos along the whole of the Grand Canal (click).

Just beyond where we turn left into Calle de la Madonna a few metres further on you can see a bas relief of St Hadrian which has been related to the Mercanti da Vin (wine merchants).  Backtracking and along Calle de la Madonna you will see the regulation width for barbacani, the corbels that protrude from the upper floors of buildings in the city to take advantage of some extra building space above the calli (POI #19).  A little further on we arrive in the Campo San Giacomo di Rialto.

The church, known as San Giacometto has deep connections with the city as it is believed that the first inhabitants of this area lived around here, having arrived in 421 as refugees.  The current church was built during the reign of Doge Domenico Selvo (1071-84) and consecrated in 1177 by Pope Alexander III.  Significant restoration work was undertaken in 1531.  The porch – the only original surviving church porch in Venice – was restored in 1738 and retains its original appearance.  The clock above the 17^th century windows was rebuilt in 1749.  Inside, a plaque commemorates the last renovation in 1599-1601.  The columns date from the 14^th century.  The various altars were commissioned by the guilds that worked in the nearby market.

This ends the walk and provides the opportunity to join other walks, for example the Goldoni walk across the Rialto bridge in San Marco!