MADONNA DELL’ORTO. Orto means kitchen garden, as once this
part of the city used to be cultivated.
Even now it’s very green, full of peaceful and romantic
giardini segreti (private secret gardens with high brick walls all
around).
The place is near to the ancient ABBAZIA DI VAL VERDE (Green
Valley Abbey, from the name of the island in which it was founded
in the X century).
In the close CAMPO DELL’ABBAZIA decorated with
pavimentazione a spina di pesce (fish-bones pavement), it’s
possibile to admire the beautiful CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA
DELL’ABBAZIA, now closed, with original statues of the
Classic period.
Nearby you can have a glimpse at one of the most wonderful
gardens of the area belonging to the old Abbey, whose external
painting is now at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Just in front there is the SCUOLA VECCHIA DELLA MISERICORDIA,
uncompleted work by the Renaissance architect Sansovino that,
strange enough, until the ’70s has been the Training
Palasport for the Venetian Basketball Team (!).
In the surrondings we suggest to see:
1. The house of the Reinassance painter TINTORETTO, whose old
painting atelier is now the Stamperia Tintoretto offering Intensive
Art Classes all the year round (Sculpture, Watercolour ecc.).
2. CAMPO DEI MORI, the Arabian quartier where silk and spice
merchants coming from Morea (now Peloponneso, once under the Turks)
used to live.
PALAZZO DEL CAMMELLO (Camel Palace) was the residence of the
Mastelli family, whose Mori (moorish because of their dark skin)
are rapresented by the statues with turbants and oriental garments
in the campo.
3. The gothic CHURCH OF MADONNA DELL’ORTO with painting by
Tintoretto, who’s buried here, and Cima da Conegliano.
4. The JEWISH GHETTO, caracterized by the unusual hight of the
buildings where the Hebrew in Venice used to live selling rags,
lending money and curing people as doctors. The
international word ghetto was referred to the area in which there
was a foundery (el gheto in Venetian).
It is possibile to visit the Hebrew Museum and the five Synagogues.
5. CA’ D’ORO, astonishing flourished Gothic palace
facing the Grand Canal with a rich Art colletion that is possible
to visit.
6. PONTE SAN FELICE, the last bridge in Venice without railings.
There is just another one like this on the island of
Torcello