Basilica di San Pietro di Castello

Venice's former cathedral on the island of Castello — with a Palladio façade and over a thousand years of history.

San Pietro di Castello stands on a small island at the far eastern edge of Venice, far from the bustle of San Marco. The current Renaissance building dates to the 16th century, but a church has occupied this site since at least the 7th century. From 1451 to 1807 San Pietro was Venice's official cathedral — a fact that surprises many visitors, since San Marco was actually the doge's private chapel rather than the diocese's seat. The façade was one of Andrea Palladio's first church commissions in Venice. Today the church is quiet and rarely crowded, a peaceful corner in one of the world's most visited cities.