About the neighborhood
One of the six sestieri of Venice, historical neighbourhood
Dorsoduro is one of the six historic sestieri (districts) of Venice, Italy, located in the southern part of the city and known for its relatively firm terrain that earned it the name meaning "hard back" or "hard ridge" in Italian, distinguishing it from the more marshy areas of the lagoon. It stretches from the Grand Canal in the north to the Giudecca Canal in the south, encompassing waterfront promenades like the Zattere, the Punta della Dogana viewpoint, and occasionally including the nearby Giudecca island.
History
The original heart of the area was the Giudecca Canal, along which buildings were constructed from the sixth century. By the eleventh century, settlement had spread across to the Grand Canal, while later religious buildings including the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute and the Zattere quay are now its main landmarks.
In the nineteenth century the Accademia was set up in Dorsoduro and the Ponte dell'Accademia linked it to San Marco, making it an expensive area, popular with foreign residents. The western quarter end and the Giudecca, became industrialised around this time.
Main sights
Landmarks and visitor attractions in Dorsoduro include:
Ca' Foscari
Ca' Rezzonico
Campo San Barnaba
Campo San Gregorio
Campo Santa Margherita
Gallerie dell'Accademia
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Il Redentore (church)
Le Zitelle
Ospedale Giustinian
Palazzo Ariani
Palazzo Brandolin Rota
Palazzo Dario
Palazzo Giustinian Recanati
Palazzo Mocenigo Gambara
Palazzo Orio Semitecolo Benzon
Palazzo Zenobio
Punta della Dogana Dogana da Mar
Santa Maria della Salute (church)
San Pantalon (church)
San Trovaso (church)
Santa Maria del Carmelo (church)
San Sebastiano (church)
Scuola Grande dei Carmini
Church of Ognissanti
References
External links
Media related to Dorsoduro (Venice) at Wikimedia Commons
45°25′51.60″N 12°19′33.60″E / 45.4310000°N 12.3260000°E / 45.4310000; 12.3260000
Encyclopedic content adapted from the Wikipedia article on Dorsoduro, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
