Nestled between the other sestieri at the centre of the city, the diminutive Santa Croce and San Polo are Venice’s smallest neighbourhoods and, owing to their rather irregular boundaries, they are easily confused with one another. Both sestieri take their names from important churches located within their borders, though the church of Santa Croce was demolished during the 19th Century, and much of the western area was later developed to accommodate the ferry terminal and car parks that serve the city today. 

Santa Croce is the only sestiere that is linked by road to the mainland, meaning that for many visitors this will be their first taste of Venice. San Polo on the other hand lays claim to the Rialto Markets and the Rialto Bridge itself (or at least one half of it). Both sestieri boast a number of impressive architectural wonders, the most impressive of which are undoubtedly the immense Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and the adjacent Scuola Grande di San Rocco, which contain beautiful artworks by superstars such as Titian, Tintoretto, Bellini and Canova. 

The two sestieri share an intricate web of narrow alleyways that open onto charming campi (singular: campo), typical Venetian squares flanked by bars and restaurants that manage to retain an authentic local character despite never being far from the main transport hub, the Grand Canal and some of the city’s other major sights. In Santa Croce, Campo San Giacomo dall’Orio is a leafy square which is often the backdrop for children playing football and riding bicycles while parents and grandparents look on from the array of benches or one of the square’s many bars. Campo San Polo on the other hand is the largest of the city’s campi, (San Marco’s larger piazza doesn’t count), but don’t let it’s grand proportions deceive you: this is a laid-back campo and its calm airiness stands in contrast with the busy and sometimes claustrophobic calli that snake around the rest of the sestiere. 

Santa Croce and San Polo both offer a wonderful mix of the authentic, understated side of Venice along with the city’s monumental best, all the while being very conveniently located for further exploration of the city. Whatever you’re looking for, Truly Venice provides a carefully curated selection of the best apartments in Santa Croce and San Polo.