View up the Grand Canal Toward the Rialto - Francesco Guardi (Italy), 1785

The Grand Canal, the principal waterway of Venice, winds through the city from the railway station to the Piazza San Marco, where it meets the Adriatic Sea. In this late afternoon view, Francesco Guardi portrayed a section of the Grand Canal from a vantage point looking northeast toward the Rialto bridge. Many of the buildings seen here still exist, although those on the left side of the canal were replaced in the 19th century. The first two palaces at the far right, the Ca' Farsetti and the adjacent Palazzo Loredan, today function together as the city hall. Beyond the dark fa?ade of the Palazzo Bembo, the bell tower of the church of San Bartolommeo dominates the horizon. The Fondaco dei Tedeschi, originally the headquarters for German merchants and now a post office, appears in the right background immediately beyond the Rialto bridge.