//
One of the six sestieri of Venice, historical neighbourhood
Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Dorsoduro is one of six sestieri (districts) that make up historic Venice.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Santa Maria del Rosario
18th-century Dominican church on the Giudecca canal. The classical style building has a well-lit interior and is exceptional in preserving its original layout and Rococo decoration intact. The church and almost all its sculpture and paintings were created within a 30-year period: construction began in 1725, the church was consecrated in 1743, and the last sculptural decoration was in place by 1755.
As a votive offering for the city's deliverance from the Black Plague, the church was designed in the then fashionable Baroque style. Construction began in 1631. Most of the objects of art housed in the church bear references to the Black Death. Because of its location between the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal, its dome was an important addition to the Venice skyline and soon became emblematic of the city, appearing in many artworks, such as those by Canaletto, Francesco Guardi, J. M. W. Turner, and John Singer Sargent.
Chiesa di San Sebastiano
16th-century Roman Catholic church, houses a cycle of paintings by the artist Paolo Veronese as well as paintings by Tintoretto and Titian. Includes the tomb of Paolo Veronese, a painter from Verona whose career was in Venice (1528-1588).
Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Carmini
Large 14th-century Roman Catholic church.
Chiesa di San Nicolò dei Mendicoli
Former customs house, centre for contemporary art, permanent exhibition of works from the François Pinault Collection. Renovation by world renowned architect Tadao Ando.
Musei del Settecento Veneziano
Museum of the 18th century in Venice - attempts to revive the domestic atmosphere of Venetian nobilities. Furniture, interior decoration, paintings by Guardi, Canaletto, Tiepolo. On the third floor important paintings of the Venetian school. A MUVE museum.
Venice's most significant art museum which is also one of Italy's best. Among the most important paintings in the Accademia are: Gentile Bellini: Procession on St. Mark’s Square (1496) and Miracle of the Cross at the Bridge of S. Lorenzo (1500), Giovanni Bellini: Pieta (1500), Jacopo Bellini: Madonna with Child and Cherubs (ca. 1450), Paris Bordenone: A fisherman presents the ring of St. Mark to the doge (ca. 1535), Vittore Carpaccio: Legend of Saint Ursula (1490-1498), Cima da Conegliano: The Holy Virgin under the Orange Tree (ca. 1496), Giorgione (1477-1510): The Tempest and La Vecchia ("The Old Woman"), Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506): St. George, Veronese Paolo (1528-1588): The Feast in the House of Levi (1573), Tintoretto: The Miracles of St. Mark (1548), and Titian: Pietà (ca. 1576).
Galleria di Palazzo Cini
Former residence of Italian industrialist Vittorio Cini who amassed large collection of Italian art. The gallery houses a collection of 15th and 16th cent paintings from Tuscany and Ferrara, period furniture, silver, ivory and ceramic objects.
Offers a personal collection of modern art collected by Peggy Guggenheim. Peggy was an American married to modern artist Max Ernst, and funded a number of his contemporaries. The gallery includes a sculpture garden and works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Gorky, Tanguy, Duchamp, Pollock, Dali, and Mondrian.
Painting cycles dedicated to the Madonna del Carmine, canvases by Tiepolo and Padoviano.
An exhibition in the Chiesa di San Barnaba showing around forty models of machines reproduced from Leonardo's codices. Some of the exhibits are interactive and copies of the codices are available for further reading. The church is an attraction in itself: it's the one under which Indiana Jones finds catacombs in The Last Crusade, by the way).
It's a long and sunny walk along the Giudecca canal, protected during winter time from cold northerly winds for being exposed to south and shielded by buildings. You might find interesting to see how a gondola is made, stopping by the Squero (Venetian for small ship yard) across a canal near San Trovaso Church. It's one of the few still in business in town. With some luck, you'll see some gondole through various manufacturing steps (gondole are not straight to counterbalance the gondoliere push).
Like the northern version you walk along the entire Giudecca canal, but in this case on the Giudecca island.
Squero is Venetian for small ship yard.
Teatro a l'Avogaria
The smallest theatre in Venice, housed in an unassuming former workshop.
Sells superb pizza by the (extremely large) slice in Campo Santa Margherita for approximately €1.80 a slice, €5 a whole pizza. It is by the fresh fish stall under a green awning.
Pizza
This busy but friendly restaurant is in the more studenty area of Dorsoduro, and attracts a mixture of locals and tourists. They have some excellent Italian dishes, which are reflected in the prices, plus they have a great selection of wines.
Serves fresh shell fish. Taste their spaghetti al dente with razor shells.
An excellent restaurant, small but comfortable with a few tables alongside a tiny canal. Food is fresh and delicious, not too expensive. Large selection of wines. Menu changing daily.
The closest thing to a dive bar you'll find in Venice, except that the cocktails actually are pretty good.
Small but hugely popular café at Campo Santa Margherita. Serves coffee and sandwiches during the day, and excellent spritz during nights.
Vini il Cantinone
Inventive and delicious cicchetti; pile a plate with what you like, and the staff will pour you a glass of wine to match the selection. If it's too crowded inside, step out and find a space by the canal. A large and carefully curated selection of wines and spirits for purchase by the bottle. Joseph Brodsky, the American Nobel Prize winning poet and essayist, buried on San Michele, was a regular anytime he came to Venice.
B&B + apartments
A comfortable B&B in a quiet area. Warm and personal welcome. Breakfast (served in the room) could be improved (by going to pasticceria Tonolo and bringing your own cakes, e.g.).
A quiet street off S.M. Salute, by the S.M. Giglio traghetto (when it's operational, 50 cents will get you to S. Marco), within easy walk of either Accademia or the Zattere (no need to brave the hordes of tourists on the #1 line, take the #52 from bus or train station). The helpful staff speaks Italian, English, French and Veneto. 10% discount on rates if paid in cash - ask Walentina, the proprietress. All rooms are named after stars (in the sky, not of movie kind), and all have A/C (indispensable in summer). Buffet breakfast included.
In a picturesque court near Piazzale Roma.
Opened in 1958 and long considered one of the leading luxury hotels of the world.
Hugely popular patisserie which has been around since late 19th century. Their cake with crystallized fruits and marzipan cake are must-tries. While they do offer a few seats you are much better off taking the pastries with you. Be there early to beat the queues.
By vaporetto
The often-crowded Line 1 has three stops in Dorsoduro. Additionally, there's a limited service directly from the airport.2, 8 and N.
By ferry
Most ferries arrive at the main terminal in Santa Croce.
To get around you might need a vaporetto, because the Giudecca Canal separates the two main parts of the Dorsoduro sestiere.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Venezia (VE) · International · VCE
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Dorsoduro and Italy.
Travel tipsUnderstand travel insurance for a Schengen visa in 2026. Learn mandatory €30,000 medical coverage, zero deductible rules, and embassy-approved policies.
7 min read
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to global tourist taxes and access fees. Compare entry fees in Venice, Bali, Bhutan, Kyoto, and Edinburgh, and learn how to pay them.
8 min read
Travel tipsFind out how much does a trip to Italy cost in 2026. Compare realistic daily budgets for hotels, food, trains, and museum entry across three travel styles.
8 min read
Travel tipsEstimate your Europe trip cost for 2 weeks in 2026. Compare realistic budgets for lodging, Eurail trains, dining, and sightseeing across three styles.
8 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.