The Lando Chapel in the church of St Peter of Castello, the ancient Cathedral of Venice

Perhaps not everybody knows that until 1807, the Venice cathedral was not St Mark's (initially it was simply used as the chapel of the Doge) but St Peter of Castello.

This church has very ancient origins ... It was built in 841 on the site of an existing church dedicated to Saints Sergio and Bacco, rebuilt in 1120 due to a fire and again in 1556 to a design by the great architect Andrea Palladio, who gave it its current classical appearance.

Its interior is full of treasures, but probably the most interesting part is the chapel of Lando or All Saints; built in Gothic style by Bishop Marco Lando in 1425 (it was then part of the medieval church and was not destroyed by the alterations of Palladio), the chapel has inside important historical and artistic testimonies such as the altarpiece, a beautiful mosaic by Erminio Zuccato (mosaic maker of St Mark's Basilica), signed and dated 1570, which represents all the Saints and was built on a design of the great painter Jacopo Tintoretto; a marble balustrade in Veneto-Byzantine style of the ninth century, probably part of the decoration of the first church dedicated to St. Peter; a Roman mosaic of the second century A.D. embedded in the floor of the steps and finally two large columns with capitals in Venetian Byzantine style of the ninth century, perhaps belonging to the old Baptistery (according to recent studies these are instead the columns of the nave of the first church).

A beautiful festival is held from 23^rd to 29^th June in St. Peter's! Take the opportunity to visit the church (open until late at night ) and eat some local specialties on the lawn of this ancient cathedral ... And if you want a truly unforgettable experience, Francesca Your Own Venice: Private Guided Tour of Venice With our personalized “Your Own.. Book now our experienced guide will accompany you and reveal to you many other anecdotes about this extraordinary religious building !

As an alternative, you can book our I Slow Venice: live an experience of sustainable tourism in Venice  and discover the Castello district on a fascinating afternoon tour!