Rio dell’Arsenale

Rio dell’Arsenale is a watercourse in Venice, located in the sestiere (district) of Castello, near the Venetian Arsenal (Arsenale di Venezia). Initially called Rio de la Madonna, the canal was later named after the Venetian Arsenal.

DESCRIPTION

Rio dell’Arsenale has a length of about 260 meters, and practically expands Canale delle Galeazze, the main artery of the Venetian Arsenal, towards the south, where it joins the San Marco Basin.

ARCHITECTURE

From north to south, along its course, we can see the magnificent gate of the Arsenal of Venice, Ponte dell’Arsenale, also know as Ponte del Paradiso, the Naval History Museum of Venice (Museo Storico Navale di Venezia), Campo San Biagio with the Church of San Biagio, and finally, before the canal joins the San Marco Basin, Ponte San Biasio delle Catene.

Porta Magna, the main gate of the Arsenal of Venice, was built around 1460 in Venetian Renaissance style. The gate was probably built by Antonio Gambello after a design by Jacopo Bellini. Two sculptures of lions were brought from Greece in 1687, and placed in front of the gate.

The Naval History Museum is a museum owned by the Italian Navy. The museum collects historical evidence concerning navigation and, in particular, the Italian maritime history and the Venetian navy.

The Church of San Biagio, also known as San Biagio dei Marinai (Saint Blaise of the Sailors), is a church which, despite being located inside the territory of the Patriarchate of Venice, belongs to the military ordinariate for Italy.

HOW TO GET THERE

The closest vaporetto stop is Arsenale, located about 100 meters away, on the waterbus Lines 1, 4.1 and 4.2.