The sestiere of Santa Croce is currently the gateway for those arriving from the mainland. It is the only one of the city that can be reached by car and is directly connected to the mainland via the Ponte della Libertà. It is bordered with the Grand Canal, by the sestieri of San Polo and Dorsoduro and the Venice lagoon. Two of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal are found here: the Calatrava bridge and the Ponte degli Scalzi. This district is still little known but the attractions here are many, both in terms of history and art, as well as the shops, restaurants, clubs and typical Venetian stalls selling souvenirs. at the entrance there are also the Papadopoli gardens.
The name "Santa Croce" derives from the "Santa Croce" of Jerusalem, a part of which was preserved in a church that was later demolished by Napoleon.
In this area of the city you can find the signs of the past (there are in fact numerous monuments, museums and churches) but also the signs of the present, in fact it is the part of the city that underwent more changes during the 20th century both for the construction of the bridge connecting Venice to the mainland and for the construction of the Maritime Station and the recent Calatrava Bridge and the People Mover, which connects the center to the cruise terminal.
The Santa Croce district is located right in front of the train station. A few minutes walk from when you enter Venice you can find the beautiful churches of "San Simon Piccolo", "San Nicola di Tolentino", "Santa Maria Maggiore". Among the calli of the sestiere one of the main churches not to be missed are the Church of San Giacomo dell'Orio, one of the oldest in Venice, rich in paintings inside.
On the Grand Canal, the imposing Fondaco dei Turchi which hosts the natural history museum, while the nearby Ca 'Pesaro palace offers contemporary works of art and Asian decorative objects.
Calle Ca ’Zusto is also interesting, a narrow passageway of only 68 centimeters wide. Beautiful palaces to see are Palazzo Mocenigo whose legend tells of a ghost in search of eternal justice and Ca ’Corner della Regina, a Venetian palace overlooking the Canal Gande.
Finally, the Campo di San Stae deserves a visit, where there is the Church of San Stae, in Baroque style, inside which we find works by Tiepolo and the Campo San Zuane Degolà with its church.
