San Polo and Rialto: 2-Hour Private Walking Tour

Learn the history of Venice as told through the tales of its prominent merchants, courtesans, and painters in San Polo, the site of the city's main market since 1097.

The tour starts near the Rialto area. Venice was a city where west met east, and exotic items such as silk and spices were traded alongside traditional goods like copper and wood. The city's courtesans were well-off in this golden age and lived in sumptuous apartments. They were often accomplished musicians and raconteurs, and some were even deployed as secret spies for the state.

Focus will then shift to the Venetian artists, with a visit to the Gothic Frari church, which dwarfs the eastern side of San Polo. Built by Franciscans in the 13th century, it is one of the city's largest places of worship. Simply the sheer size of its striking interior will amaze you, let alone the quality of its High Renaissance masterpieces – Titian's Assumption being the most famous.