The largest of Venice’s six “sestieri”, Castello drapes itself over the eastern part of Europe’s most famous lagoon. Owing to its size, it is also one of the most diverse neighbourhoods of Venice, encompassing many of the city’s greatest tourist attractions.
Castello stretches far into the centre of Venice, almost to the Rialto itself. Many visitors, however, particularly those who have been to Venice before would be well rewarded to venture east to Castello’s farthest reaches.One of the rare corners of Venice where true Venetians still live and work Castello sees hanging laundry and morning jogs as the way of life among these more humble canals. For added incentive, the area is the site of the Biennale, a biannual celebration of art and architecture.
Being so large and surrounded by water on nearly every side, there are naturally several Vaporetto stops around Castello. The nearest to the Biennale is S. Zaccaria. Others include Giardini, S. Elena, S. Pietro di Castello, Bacini, and Celestia.
The neighbourhood is named for the small island San Pietro di Castello and much of Venice’s heydey was the seat of its great naval power. The Arsenale was the largest naval complex in Europe. Sadly, it is no longer standing, having been closed by Napoleon, but visitors can imagine the grandeur of Venice’s once unsurpassed navy from the Biennale Gardens.