Historical Old Town Centre

All the charm of the historic centre of Chioggia

The charm of Chioggia lies in its alleys and ancient houses, but there are also monuments and important buildings not to be missed, where you can get a taste of a past that is still alive and pulsating in the streets of the city.

The entrance to the Renaissance heart of the city to the south is marked by the Porta Garibaldi, a fortress built around 1300 that welcomes those who come to the city, to immerse themselves in a walk through history, crossing the 9 bridges of the Canal Vena and discovering imposing historical buildings and facades that recall those of Venice.

It was once called the door of Santa Maria, probably due to the capital of the Madonna di marina inside it, which was originally part of the fortifications defending the city.

Among the monuments to visit, stopping from time to time to savour a glass of Prosecco wine or a delicious taste of chioggian cuisine, there are numerous places of worship.

We begin the visit from the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, a wonderful example of Baroque architecture designed by Baldassare Longhena, the author of the Chiesa della Salute in Venice, which houses some works by Jacopo Palma the Younger in the side naves and an extraordinary Callido organ with 1617 pipes.

Discovering Chioggia along Corso del Popolo

Continuing along Corso del Popolo, the main artery of the city, we come to the elegant octagonal dome of the temple of Saint Martin, in Venetian Gothic style, and the Church of Saint Francis, built in 1400 and restored in 1700 with the addition of a rich facade of stuccoes and decorations.

Continuing our journey along Corso del Popolo, we reach the most beloved of Chioggia's churches: the Basilica of San Giacomo (St. James), which houses the venerated icon of the Madonna della Navicella, surrounded by "tolele", votive tablets donated as ex-votos and painted with the naive popular grace of believers as a thank you or for good luck.
The altarpiece represents an authentic mystery: the two saints in the lower part are attributed to Giambellino (1430-1516), the upper part is by Antonio Marinetti (1719-1790) and in the centre the face of the Madonna comes from a detached fresco from Palazzo Granaio.

Continuing on, we find the Clock Tower next to the Church of Sant’Andrea: let's stop to admire the oldest functioning tower clock in the world.

Among the civil architecture, we cannot fail to make a stop on the “balcony” of the city, the Vigo bridge: built in 1685 and decorated with marble in 1762, it is still proudly guarded by lions of Istrian stone, the same as the lion - affectionately called "el gatòn” (the cat) – which surmounts the slender grace of the Vigo column in the square of the same name.