Disclaimer
As a preparation before you hit this Byzantine trail: please buy the fast-track ticket to the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica. a lot of people queued up at both of them early for a door-to-door ticket in the morning but to no avail – they eventually got turned away as the day tickets sold out very quickly. don’t risk that disappointment! with the fast-track ticket you get guaranteed access to the basilica and the palace 100%!
Byzantine Walk in Venice??
This Venice walk is my answer to all those “I’m-in-Venice-now-but-don’t-know-what-to-sightsee” questions I’ve overheard while weaving through crowds of tired, lost tourists in the Venetian maze.
From my viewpoint, Venetian architecture draws heavily from Byzantine influences—seen in its concepts of public space, columns, Greek-cross layouts, balconies, and polychrome statues. The Serenissima even welcomed artists from Constantinople in medieval times, gradually developing its own distinctive Venetian-Byzantine architectural style.
This blog post guides you through a selection of handpicked architectural gems that transport you back into the rich and illuminating world of this Venetian-Byzantine ambience.
Here’s the google map that shows the approximate locations of our destinations:
Byzantine Capital
Byzantine column tucked away at Corte Muazzo just a few minutes walk from Teatro la Fenice – this isn’t the original straight from the Byzantine rule of Venice, but the Byzantine art is very well represented here.
Scala Contarini del Bovolo
A 15th-century masterpiece representing Venetian-Byzantine style in its balustrade, columns and staircases. a day ticket is available at the door so it’s suitable for anybody who wants to spontaneously buy the entry.
St Mark’s Basilica
Actually only a short walk from Scala Contarini – just follow the signage all the way to San Marco. it’s the iconic architecture without which you shouldn’t leave Venice.
The layout and the interior were constructed based on the now-non-existent Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople – find some resemblance to its big sister, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. you’ll recognize those in the golden mosaics and the altars.
Doge’s Palace
St Mark’s Basilica has another must-visit right next to it, the Doge’s Palace. it originated from a Byzantine fortress which was repurposed into the Doge’s residence and the home of the assembly halls.
Palaces in Venetian-Byzantine style on Canal Grande
A short walk from the Doge’s Palace brings you to the iconic Rialto Bridge—but the focus here is not the bridge itself. From the bridge, continue your walk to admire the many breathtaking palaces lining both sides of the Grand Canal.
Several of these palaces showcase Venetian-Byzantine architecture, including Ca’ d’Oro, the Fontego dei Turchi (now Venice’s natural history museum), Ca’ Morosini, and Ca’ Dario.
Vaporetto line 1 stops near many of these palaces if you prefer to admire them from the water—one of the stops is even named Ca’ d’Oro.
Fontego dei Turchi
Palazzo Giustinian Persico
Palazzo Loredan just a few hundred meters from Rialto
St. Euphemia Church (Chiesa di Sant’Eufemia)
From Rialto, hop on vaporetto line 2 in the direction of Giudecca/S. Marco S. Zaccaria. Once it reaches Giudecca island, get off at Giudecca Palanca. Then turn left and walk until a church with simple ivory columns stands before your eyes.
That’s St. Euphemia Church, still in its original architecture dating from the 7th century, although it underwent structural changes over the centuries. Being one of the oldest churches in Venice, it still has the late-antiquity portico outside and the ancient Byzantine capitals inside.
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