Fondamenta Nove

Le Fondamente Nove are a long promenade on the northern side of Venice, like the city’s “edge” facing the lagoon. They are about one kilometer long and connect the areas of Cannaregio and Castello.

They did not always exist in this form: in the 16th century, part of the lagoon was filled in to expand the city, and these foundations were built there.

At one point, in the 18th century, a storm destroyed everything and they had to be rebuilt, which is where the name “Nove” (“New”) comes from.

From there, you can directly see the lagoon, with Murano and the cemetery island of San Michele in front. Today it is also an important point for taking vaporetto boats to the other islands.

An interesting fact: in the past, for the Day of the Dead, they even built a temporary bridge of boats to allow people to walk to the cemetery.

In general, it is a quiet area with a wide open view (even of the mountains on clear days), and historically it has always been somewhat “outside the center” compared to the more important parts of the city.