Cannaregio is the second sestriere (block) of Venice for extencion and it’s the most populous of the city. It’s situated in the north of Venice, from the station to the ghetto and San Alvise.

In Cannaregio there are two famous bridges:

• Ponte delle Guglie: now in brick and stone but in the past it was a wooden structure, situated near the station. There are gargoyles that decorate its arch.
• Ponte dei tre archi: the only bridge in Venice with 3 arch.

It’s probably that the name of Canneregio cames from “Canna”  (cane) because when it was uninhabited it was only a bed of reeds. This hipothesys is documented in a script of 1410 that says: “Cannaregio impercioché era chanedo et paludo con chanelle.” = Cannaregio it was a bed of reeds and swamp with canes.

It was from this sestriere that during XIX century austrians built the big bridge that connect Venice to Mestre, on dry land. The bridge was built during the construction of railway station Santa Lucia.

Near Ponte delle Guglie there is a Sotoportego (a little covered pass) that leads you to the ghetto: the jewish block in the old Venice, and the first in the world. The word ghetto cames from Venice because before that use of the block it was a place of foundries. The word getto in venetian language means slag and the jewish that wasn’t able to pronounce the word getto tranformed it in ghetto.

Venetian Ghetto is divided in Gheto Vecio (old ghetto) and Gheto Novo (new ghetto). Now in the ghetto there are some jewish restaurants (kosher), a synagogue and a lot of Judaica shops.

Other things to see in Canneregio are San Alvise church, in the north part of the city and Madonna dell’orto church. there is also Santa Maria dei Miracoli, first renaissance church in Venice.