Description

Essentials about Giudecca in brief

A visit to Giudecca Island is a journey to the Venice before mass tourism. Although Giudecca is separated from the main island of Venice only by a canal about 300 meters wide, the two islands are worlds apart. While Venice is overrun by masses of tourists every day, life on Giudecca is still dominated by the locals. Instead of world-famous museums and palazzi, you can still find authentic Venetian pizzerias, butchers and bakers on Giudecca. So if you want to immerse yourself a little in the real life of Venice away from tourism, you should pay Giudecca a visit. Visitors to the island are additionally rewarded with a beautiful view of Piazza San Marco and St. Mark’s Campanile.

The location of Giudecca

Giudecca is an elongated archipelago of almost 60 hectares in the south of Venice, which runs parallel to the main island of Venice. Between Giudecca and the main island of Venice lies the Canale della Giudecca (Giudecca Canal), which is about 300 meters wide. Giudecca measures about two kilometers in east-west direction, but only about 300 meters in north-south direction. The archipelago consists of a total of eight individual islands, separated by seven channels up to 40 meters wide, five of which run in a north-south direction and two in an east-west direction.

The attractions of Giudecca

Il Redentore

The main sight of Giudecca is the church Il Redentore (Redeemer’s Church) from the 16th century. It is a so-called church of thanksgiving, built in gratitude to God for the deliverance of Venice from the plague. The architect of the church was none other than the famous Andrea Palladio. Inside Il Redentore there are some magnificent paintings by masters such as Bassano and Saraceni to admire.

The Festa del Redentore

Once a year, on the third weekend in July, Il Redentore becomes a place of pilgrimage for the people of Venice. This is when the Festa del Redentore takes place, the most important city festival for Venetians, and the otherwise quiet and tranquil Giudecca is transformed into a huge party location. The Festa del Redentore kicks off with a gigantic fireworks display. This is followed by a holy mass in the church Il Redentore, followed by a religious procession. The Festa concludes with the Regatta del Redentore rowing race. Venetians watch the spectacle from their own boats or from the banks of the Canale della Giudecca, picnicking and dancing until the early morning.

Industrial architecture

Furthermore, Giudecca is known for its industrial architecture. Unlike the main island of Venice, Giudecca used to have many large industrial plants. The most famous example is the Stucky Mill, located on the very west of the archipelago, a huge former pasta factory that now houses the Molino Stucky Hilton luxury hotel and convention center.

The Canale della Giudecca

A sight in itself is the Canale della Giudecca, which separates Giudecca from the main island of Venice. The canal is, after all, the busiest waterway in Venice. Unlike the Grand Canal and the many other canals of the lagoon city, the Canale della Giudecca is navigated not only by vaporetti and other smaller boats, but also by cargo ships, ferries and even cruise ships. So if you want to watch the hustle and bustle on the water in front of Venice, you will not find a better vantage point than the islands of Giudecca.

Website

Unavailable.

Opening hours

None.

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Vaporetto lines 2, 4.1, 4.2, 8 and N: Stops Redentore and Zitelle

Vaporetto lines2, 4.1, 5.1, 8 and N: Stop Giudecca Palanca

Vaporetto lines B and R: Stop Giudecca Hilton

By car:

Inaccessible.