The district of Santa Croce is in the north western part of Venice. It covers 94 acres and in ancient times was an important salt marsh area. It is an important commercial zone as it links Venice to the mainland. Venice is reached from the town of Mestre via the Ponte della Libertà, a bridge almost four kilometres long, which crosses the lagoon to Piazzale Roma, the only place for arriving in Venice by car.
The little district of Santa Croce also has its gems. A drink or a walk in the exquisite Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio is not to be missed. Then there is the stunning baroque palazzo of Ca’ Pesaro on the Grand Canal which is now home to the Galleria Internazionale d’arte moderna and the Fontego dei Turchi, a majestic palazzo on the Grand Canal, currently home to the Museum of Natural History.
If you are a lover of brocades, damasks and tapestries, you absolutely must visit the ancient “Tessitura Bevilacqua”, one of the most prestigious textile companies in the world.