There is a genuine Venetian ambiance to be savored in the Castle Quarter.
From St. Mark's Square, we pass in front of Santa Maria della Pietà (St. Mary of Piety), Vivaldi's home parish. We reach the Church of St. Zacchary, where the priceless polyptychs of the Vivarini school and the wonderful "Sacred conversation" of Giovanni Bellini are located. We continue on to the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni (The School of St. George of the Schiavoni) to admire the paintings of Carpaccio, arriving at the Gothic church of St. John in Bragora, with its wonderful altarpiece by Cima da Conegliano. We then proceed to the doge, Andrea Gritti's, Church of St. Francesco of the Vigna. Walking along the walls and the entrance to the Arsenal, where the largest medieval shipyard in Europe was located, we will reach the "Gardens", home to the Biennale Contemporary Art Festival. The oldest Cathedral, and until the arrival of Napoleon in Venice, the Episcopal See of the city, San Pietro di Castello (St. Peter of the Castle) is also worth visiting.