This is one of the shorter walks in the series, allowing sufficient time for a good visit to the Frari and to the Scuola San Rocco, the feature pieces of this walk.  This walk might be best combined with either the San Polo (1.4 km) or Barnabotti (Dorsoduro, 1.8 km) itineraries for a longer walk, rich with points of interest.

Start at Ponte Canal for a little stroll to the three points of interest after Latteria2465.  Dedicated to St John the Evangelist, the church of San Giovanni Evangelista was founded in the year 970 by the Badoer family.  It was entirely rebuilt in the 15^th century and restored in 1758-9 by Bernardino Maccaruzzi, who also rebuilt the bell tower.  The church and its surrounds contain various artworks and altars connected to the Badoer family.  There is a painting by Domenico Tintoretto (the brother of Jacopo) – The Crucifixion (1626).  Other notable works are by Danese Cattaneo, Jacopo Marieschi and Pietro Liberi.  In terms of holding art of significance, the church is overshadowed by the nearby Scuola Grande di Giovanni Evangelista.

The Scuola Grande di Giovanni Evangelista contains important works by artists such as Palma Giovane, but it is also significant for the art that has been moved to the Accademia galleries, most notably works by Gentile Bellini and Vittore Carpaccio which formed part of the miracles of the cross cycle.  Nevertheless, impressive works remain, including Palma Giovane’s Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1581).  Look for the interesting staircase designed by Mauro Codussi in the ground floor drawing room.  Many of the works in the Scuola commemorate St John (the confraternity’s namesake).  The marble screen (by Pietro Lombardo c.1485) between the church and Scuola, which you will see as you leave the building and turn back, is especially beautiful.

The way ahead and on to Campo San Stin is accessed through a very narrow portal ahead and slightly to the right after the marble screen.  The next stop – Campo San Stin – is named after the ancient church of San Stin, suppressed by the French and demolished early in the 19the century.  In the centre of the campo there is a cylindrical vera da pozzo dated 1508.  It is decorated with two reliefs: one showing St James and St Barbara standing on either side of the Cross, and a second with the figure of St Stephen the Priest, patron saint of the vanished church of San Stin.  The painting by Bernado Bellotto (Canaletto’s nephew) shows the view looking towards the Frari (our next stop) around the mid 1700’s when the church still stood.  The buildings that replaced the church now obscure the view of the Frari’s bell tower.  The distinctive barbacani can still be seen clearly on the building in the right of frame.

On to the Frari, just a few steps away… The church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari is a must see, if not least for religious observance, then perhaps to take in the treasures of art and history that it stores.  After St Francis of Assisi’s visit to the lagoon in 1220, Doge Jacopo Tiepolo gave the Franciscan friars some land where they could build a church and monastery.  The area was something of a swamp, and the Franciscans reclaimed the land and raised it to build the church, the first of which was established around 1231.  A rebuild was commenced in 1250, but this too was replaced by the present structure, the building of which commenced in the mid-1300’s.  The façade was completed in 1441 and the church consecrated in 1492.  The church has an unadorned appearance, very much in keeping with the Franciscan ideal of making the House of God simple and austere (Manno et al., 2004).  Taking in the content of the church can be overwhelming – there is so much to see, including works by Donatello, Titian, Giovanni Bellini, Palma Giovane, and Bartolomeo Vivarini.  Limited space here prevents a fair treatment of the works.  There are also significant funerary monuments and graves in there commemorating significant figures in Venice’s history – see for example Canova’s monument.  Titian himself is buried here too.  The Churches of Venice page for the Frari is recommended as a companion for your visit.

The next gem in this walk is a cluster of church, museum and scuola (POI’s #8-9-10).  The star is the Scuola (the church adjacent in the campo was built by the Confraternity of the Scuola) which is a feast of Tintoretto’s work (see the Tintoretto trail if you would like to take in more of this prolific artist).  Again, the sheer scope and scale of the works are somewhat overwhelming, with Tintoretto dedicating many years of his life the to works in the building.  The Churches of Venice page for the Scuola is again recommended for a detailed description.  The church of San Rocco is also worth a visit, and next door, the museum of Leonardo da Vinci has an interesting collection of working machines based on his inventions.

Continuing on, we arrive at a slight diversion before we reach the Church of San Pantalon.  In the small Campiello del Angaran you will find a Byzantine medallion embedded between houses numbered 3717-3718 which dates back to the 12^th century.  Further on is Campo San Pantalon and the church of San Pantaleone (San Pantalon).  Founded in the 9^th century, the church was rebuilt in the 13^th century and consecrated in 1305.  The building you can see now was the result of a rebuild finished in 1680, and the bell tower in 1732.  Despite its plain appearance due to a lack of a façade, the church houses some lesser-known treasures of art by the likes of Veronese, Paolo Veneziano (active 1333-1358) and Antonio Vivarini (active 1440-1480).  Then there is the Giovan Antonio Fumiani ceiling – a monster work that consists of 40 canvases sewn together and is 443 square metres in size, created between 1684-1704.  The artist himself was buried here when he died in 1710.  There are other elements of the campo that are interesting once you exit the church.  Look for the plaque inscribing the allowable size for fish to be sold in the local fish market.  You will find this at the bottom right hand corner of the Palazzo Signolo-Loredan at No’s 3707-3708.

The remainder of the walk is a trek back to the start point via some interesting and quaint campielli.  There are several places to stop for a meal or a drink on the return route.  If you are staying on the western side of the city, it is not far ahead from the finish to the Ferrovia vaporetto stops for your return journey.