Castello is the largest sestiere in Venice, and the easternmost part of the lagoon. It is, at the same time, one of the first inhabited (around the 5th century). As from the early 12th century, the island started to be divided, so to speak, in two sides: one dominated by the ecclesiastical power (the density of places of worship in Castello is notable, for that matter) and the other focusing on the development of the naval industry. We speak of the so-called Arsenale which, for a long time, used to be the largest shipbuilding complex in Europe, being one of the main contributors to Venice’s economic welfare and maritime power.

Castello remains a place to be thoroughly searched out from a tourist point of view. While it is not necessarily the most effervescent Venetian destination, it is populated by a handful of religious edifices, museums and monuments which turn a sightseeing tour in a rewarding tourist pursuit.

The islands of San Pietro di Castello and Sant’Elena are part of the district of Castello, enriching the tourist patrimony of the historical sestiere of Venice with their own sights (in particular, churches).

Museums in Castello: Grimani Palace Museum, Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, Querini-Stampalia Museum, Naval History Museum

Places of worship in Castello: Church of Saint John and Saint Paul, Church of San Giorgio dei Greci, Church of San Zaccaria, Church of San Francesco della Vigna, Church of San Giovanni in Bragora, Church of Sant’ Antonin, Church of Santa Maria della Pieta, Church of Saint Peter, Church of Sant’Elena, Church of Santa Maria Formosa

Monuments in Castello: Colleoni Monument, Scuola Grande di San Marco, Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Arsenale

Public squares in Castello: Campo Santa Maria Formosa

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