Castello (Sestiere of Venice)

Castello is Eastern of the six sestieri of Venice.

Geography

If one compares the shape of Venice with that of a fish, Castello represents the tail of it, initially with its contracting with the height of the Arsenal then with its fork consisted the Careening Basin in the north and the island of Santa Elena in the south which tightens towards the Lido (Venice) of Venice. One also finds there the small island of San Pietro.

Of Fondamente Nuove in Fondacco dei Tedeschi, but without touching the Large Channel, Castello is bordering on the sestiere of Cannaregio, the limit skirting the channel of Mendicanti towards the south then the channel of Santa Marina towards the west and finally the channel of San Lio towards the south. With height of the channel Fontego dei Tedeschi, the sestiere San Marco, the limit begins being formed by the channels of Fava towards the south, of San Zulian towards south-east, finally of Palazzo towards the south to the basin of San Marco, passing under the Pont of the Sighs.

Castello is the Venetian sestiere widest. Most of its surface is occupied by the Arsenal and its basins, the civil hospital and the parks of the islands of San Pietro and Santa Elena.

History

The name of Castello derives from fortifications located in the island of Olivolo, today the island of San Pietro di Castello, with the Early middle ages.

One finds there the Basilica of San Piero de Castello, episcopal see until 1807, year of the transfer of évêché by Napoleon to the Basilica of Marc Saint, who constituted until there only the vault of the Doge and who was used only for special occasions.

Churches and Monuments

Castello lodges some remarkable religious buildings like San Giovianni E Paolo (San Zanipolo), San Francesco della Vigna and San Zaccaria. The other churches are Santa Maria Formosa, San Lorenzo, Saint Jean of Malta, San Giovanni Novo, San Giorgio dei Greci, San Antonin, San Giovanni in Bragora, San Giuseppe di Castello, San Martino, Pietà (Santa Maria della Visitazione), Santo Biagio, San Francesco di Paola and San Pietro di Castello.

The sestiere point of disjunction two large scuole, the Large Scuola di San Marco integrated into the hospital of Venice, close to the church of San Zanipolo and especially the Large Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, famous for the cycle of Holy Georges, Holy Tryphon and Holy Jerome of Vittore Carpaccio. Element of first importance in the history of Sérénissime, the Arsenal of Venice, today property of the Navy, was the strategic center of its power, the place of construction of ships which did not have the equal ones during centuries.

The southern bank of the sestiere offers the famous quay called Riva degli Schiavoni, according to the name of the Slavic slaves that one sold to with it, who constitutes one of the most beautiful walks of Venice with the sights on the entry of the Grand Channel, the channel of the Giudecca and the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.

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