Canale di San Donato

Canale di San Donato is a watercourse on the beautiful island of Murano, in Venice.

DESCRIPTION OF CANALE DI SAN DONATO

The Canal of Saint Donatus is preceded by Canale San Giovanni to the south and divides into Canale Zenobio to the north and Canale di San Mattia to the west.

The canal has a length of about 700 meters and a width between 15 and 25 meters.

ARCHITECTURE

Canale di San Donato has on its banks some remarkable monuments.

The most important of them is the Basilica of Santa Maria e San Donato, also known as Duomo di Murano, one of the oldest churches in the Venetian Lagoon. The church was originally built in the 7th century and rebuilt in the 11th century.

According to legend, the church contains the relics of Saint Donatus of Euroea and three large bones behind the altar said to be the bones of a dragon slain by the saint.

On the banks of the canal, we can find ancient structures, such as Palazzo Giustinian, which houses the Glass Museum of Murano (Museo del Vetro), the former Monastery of San Martino, Ca’ Trevisan, Ca’ Pesaro-Pavanello, Palazzo Cappello, and the Tiepolo House (Casa Tiepolo).

Further north, along Fondamenta Sebastiano Santi, there is Palazzo Foscari-Demitri, Palazzetto Barovier and the former Monastery of San Giuseppe e Santa Teresa.

Finally, on its northern borders, there is the old Monastery of San Mattia and the Chapel of the Blessed Daniele de Ungrispach.

The Canal of Saint Donatus is crossed by four bridges, from south to north: Ponte San Donato, located in front of the Basilica of Santa Maria e San Donato, Ponte de le Terese, also known as Ponte Zanetti, Ponte de le Case Nove, and Ponte Angelo Zaniol.

HOW TO GET TO THE CANAL OF SAINT DONATUS

The closest vaporetto stop is Murano Museo, located about 60 meters away from the southern end of the canal, on the waterbus Lines 3, 4.1 and 4.2.