Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice

Church in Venice

Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo
Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Zairon

Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, better known in Venice as San Zanipolo, is the kind of church that stops you in your tracks before you even step inside. Its vast brick Gothic exterior rises from Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Castello like a piece of medieval infrastructure-serious, monumental, and unmistakably Venetian. If you're looking for one of the top sights in Venice that feels grand without being glossy, this is it.

What makes San Zanipolo special is the mix of scale and story: the “pantheon” of Venice where doges were honoured, but also a living neighbourhood church where the city's history sits right alongside everyday life. It's an easy and rewarding detour on a walking tour of Venice, especially if you like pairing headline landmarks with quieter, more local corners-and you get a major bonus outside in the form of Verrocchio's equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni.

History and Significance of the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

San Zanipolo is Venice’s principal Dominican church, built to hold large congregations and to project a certain public authority through sheer size. According to tradition, the site was granted to the Dominicans in the 13th century after Doge Jacopo Tiepolo dreamed of white doves flying over the marshy land, an image that still feels fitting once you see how the basilica dominates its campo.

The current church began in the 14th century and was completed in the 15th, taking shape as one of Venice’s most impressive Italian Gothic interiors. While the outside is relatively plain, the interior was designed to do the heavy lifting: long sightlines, soaring height, and space for major ceremonies. After the 15th century, it became the place where Venice’s doges were memorialised on a grand public stage.

That role turned the basilica into a gallery of Venetian remembrance. Twenty-five doges are buried here, and the walls read like a carved-and-painted record of the Republic's elite-tombs, monuments, altarpieces, and chapels that show how Venice chose to honour power, service, and status over centuries.

Things to See and Do in the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Start outside and take in the campo first, because the setting is part of the experience. The Colleoni statue beside the church is one of Venice’s great outdoor artworks-dynamic, confident, and perfectly placed to make the whole space feel like an open-air museum before you even enter.

Inside, the first impact is the scale: a huge, cool interior where the architecture creates a sense of ceremony even on an ordinary day. Give yourself a slow walk down the nave and then begin exploring the monuments, which are the basilica’s signature feature. Some are monumental in size, others quietly intricate, and together they build the feeling that you’re moving through Venice’s civic memory as much as a religious space.

For highlights, look for the chapel of the Madonna della Pace, known for its Byzantine-style image and local devotion, and keep an eye out for major paintings and sculptural memorials as you move through the aisles. The best way to enjoy San Zanipolo is not to rush: pause at a few monuments that catch your attention, then step back and let the overall space-light, brick, and height-do what it was built to do.

How to Get to the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

The nearest airports are Venice Marco Polo (VCE) and Treviso (TSF). For the best deals and a seamless booking experience, check out these flights to Venice on Booking.com.

If you’re arriving by train, Venezia Santa Lucia is the main station, and you can reach Castello by vaporetto then walk, or simply walk across the city if you enjoy a scenic route with bridges along the way. Use Omnio to easily compare schedules, book train tickets, and find the best prices all in one place for a hassle-free journey across Italy.

From central Venice, the easiest approach is usually on foot: it's a straightforward walk from the San Marco area, and also very doable from Rialto if you follow signs toward Castello.

By vaporetto, aim for stops such as Ospedale, then follow the short walk through Castello’s lanes to the campo.

If you’re coming by car, park at Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto and continue by vaporetto, then walk the final stretch to the basilica. If you are looking to rent a car in Italy I recommend having a look at Discover Cars, first, as they compare prices and review multiple car rental agencies for you.

Practical Tips on Visiting the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

  • Entrance fee: €3.50 (full); €1.50 (reduced, students 13–25); free for eligible visitors.
  • Opening hours: Monday – Saturday: 09:00–18:00. Sunday & Public holidays: 12:00–18:00.
  • Official website: https://www.santigiovanniepaolo.it/en/
  • Best time to visit: Go early for a quieter interior and more time to appreciate the monuments without tour-group pacing.
  • How long to spend: 45-75 minutes is ideal if you want to see the main tombs, key chapels, and the Colleoni statue outside without rushing.
  • Accessibility: The campo is easy to navigate, but expect historic surfaces and a fair amount of walking through Venice to reach the site.
  • Facilities: Plan your café stop nearby rather than inside the busiest tourist corridors; Castello has calmer options a short walk away.

Where to Stay Close to the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

For a culture-heavy itinerary, base yourself in Castello so you can walk to the basilica early and return in the evening; if your main focus is classic landmark-hopping, San Marco keeps you central; for better value and transport convenience, Cannaregio is often the most practical base.

Staying in Castello makes San Zanipolo feel like a neighbourhood stop rather than a mission. Hotel Sant'Antonin is a strong choice for a quieter, local-feeling base that still keeps you within easy reach of the big sights. If you want to stay closer to San Marco while still being walkable to the basilica, Hotel Colombina puts you right in the classic centre-of-Venice zone. For a slightly calmer, good-value base with easy routes into Castello, Hotel Palazzo Abadessa works well for combining sightseeing with a more relaxed neighbourhood feel.

Is the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo Worth Visiting?

Yes-especially if you want a church that feels distinctly Venetian without relying on sparkle and spectacle. San Zanipolo is about presence: a vast Gothic interior, an extraordinary collection of tomb monuments, and a deep sense of the Republic’s history written into the building itself.

It also complements the San Marco area perfectly. Where St Mark's is ceremonial Venice at its most iconic, San Zanipolo is Venice as a city of memory-where leaders were honoured, stories were preserved in stone, and art was commissioned to last.

What Other Travellers Say...

Reviews Summary

4.7 (4,660)

Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo on Campo S.S. Giovanni e Paolo is a vast Gothic church filled with art and side chapels, notable for carved monuments, painted altars and an impressive vaulted ceiling decorated by Veronese; visitors describe quiet, spacious interiors, striking stained glass (with a mirror to examine details), relics on display, friendly staff who may offer blessings, and a small entrance fee with recommended little rooms off the left side to explore.

Luca Fabio Duda
a month ago
"I‘d recommend this Basilica. Beatiful archtecture… Catholic meets Venizian style… you can pay 3,50€ if you want and its very big, silent and quitebeautiful. Please, don‘t miss the little rooms on the left side!..."
Michael Offord
2 months ago
"A wonderfully impressive cathedral filled with stu ing carved monuments, as well as a beautiful stained glass windows. There are a number of verybeautiful chapels and side rooms, with paintings by famous local artists...."
Anouk Wiertz
3 months ago
"Honestly, I found this basilica more beautiful than the San Marco. Very quiet, you're free to walk around and the entrance fee is only a few euros."

For Different Travelers

Families with Kids

This is a good church for kids if you frame it around big, visual wins: the enormous interior, the dramatic tombs, and the horse-and-rider statue outside. Keep the visit short and let them “choose” a monument to look at closely, which makes the experience feel more like discovery than obligation.

Because it’s a working church atmosphere, it’s best at quieter times when kids can move without feeling squeezed by crowds. Pair it with a snack break in Castello afterward, and it becomes a balanced stop rather than a long sit-still moment.

Couples & Romantic Getaways

San Zanipolo suits couples who like their Venice a little quieter and more atmospheric. The campo feels spacious by Venetian standards, the church has a powerful hush inside, and the surrounding Castello lanes are ideal for unplanned wandering.

A lovely rhythm is to visit in the late afternoon, then walk toward the lagoon edge for open-air views. It’s the kind of day where the “romance” comes from mood and space rather than ticking off highlights.

Budget Travelers

This is a strong-value stop because the experience is substantial for a modest entry contribution, and the area around it is great for low-cost wandering. You can build an entire budget-friendly afternoon around Castello’s lanes, lagoon-front walks, and a few well-chosen sights without needing expensive add-ons.

To keep costs down, avoid eating in the most crowded central zones and instead pick a simple spot in Castello or Cannaregio. The neighbourhoods around San Zanipolo often feel more “normal Venice” in both atmosphere and pricing.

History Buffs

If you care about Venice’s political and ceremonial history, this basilica is essential. The doge burials and funerary monuments turn the interior into a readable archive of the Republic’s elite, and the building itself embodies the Dominican role in civic life and public preaching.

For extra depth, pay attention to how monuments are staged: scale, placement, and symbolism matter here. San Zanipolo doesn’t just display history-it performs it through architecture and commemoration.

FAQs for Visiting Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Getting There

It’s in the Castello sestiere on Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, a large square-like campo in the eastern half of the historic centre. You’ll also see it labelled locally as San Zanipolo.
From the San Marco area, walk east into Castello and follow signs for “SS. Giovanni e Paolo” as the lanes open into the campo. Approaching on foot is straightforward once you’re in Castello because the campo is large and easy to spot.
Take a vaporetto toward the Castello side (often via stops around Ospedale), then walk a short distance to the campo. If you prefer walking, it’s doable but expect bridges and a slower pace through busy corridors.
There’s no parking in central Venice, so driving only makes sense to reach Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto, then switching to water transport. For most travellers, it’s easier to treat it as a walking-and-vaporetto destination.

Tickets & Entry

The campo and the Colleoni statue outside are free to enjoy and are worth time on their own. Entry to the basilica interior requires an admission contribution.
Most visitors simply arrive and enter without advance booking. If you want the calmest experience, timing matters more than tickets-go early or later in the day.
Yes, as a working church it can pause sightseeing during ceremonies like weddings, funerals, or special services. It’s worth checking the notices section on the official site on the day you plan to go.
Yes, modest dress and respectful behaviour are expected, especially because services still take place. Keep voices low and avoid food or drink inside.

Visiting Experience

About an hour is a good baseline for the interior plus the statue outside. If you’re short on time, you can still get a satisfying visit in 30-40 minutes by focusing on the main monuments and chapels.
Yes, because the experience is completely different: San Marco is glittering spectacle, while San Zanipolo is monumental Gothic space and civic memory through tombs. Visiting both gives you a much fuller sense of Venice’s religious and political identity.
Pair it with the Scuola Grande di San Marco façade nearby and a walk through Castello toward the lagoon edge. It’s an easy loop that mixes art, architecture, and a calmer side of Venice.

Photography

Yes, especially for dramatic interior scale and sculptural details, and the Colleoni statue outside photographs beautifully from multiple angles. It’s best when the basilica is quieter and you can pause without blocking circulation.
Morning often gives cleaner light and fewer people, while late afternoon can feel more atmospheric as the brick warms in colour. Evening is excellent for mood outdoors, even if the interior visit isn’t possible.

Accessibility & Facilities

The campo itself is relatively easy, but getting there through Venice can involve bridges and uneven paving. Using vaporetto stops that minimise bridges is often the most helpful approach.
Yes, Castello has quieter cafés and small squares within a short walk where you can sit without the intensity of the busiest tourist corridors. A short detour away from the campo usually improves both atmosphere and value.

Nearby Attractions to the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo

  • Scuola Grande di San Marco: A richly decorated Renaissance façade and a major historic institution just steps from the basilica.
  • Equestrian Statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni: Verrocchio’s masterpiece beside the church, one of Venice’s most impressive outdoor sculptures.
  • Fondamente Nove: A waterfront promenade with open lagoon views and a more local, breezy feel than the central canals.
  • Arsenale di Venezia: Venice’s historic naval heart, ideal if you want to connect the city’s power history to its built environment.
  • Santa Maria dei Miracoli: A smaller, jewel-like church famous for its marble interior, perfect as a contrasting stop after San Zanipolo’s scale.

The Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Venice!

Moira & Andy
Moira & Andy

Hey! We're Moira & Andy. From hiking the Camino to trips around Europe in Bert our campervan — we've been traveling together since retirement in 2020!

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Planning Your Visit

Hours:

Monday - Saturday: 09:00-18:00. Sunday & Public holidays: 12:00-18:00.

Price:

€3.50 (full); €1.50 (reduced, students 13-25); free for eligible visitors.

Address: Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Campo S.S. Giovanni e Paolo, Venice, Metropolitan City of Venice, Italy
Venice: 1 km
Official Website

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