Churches

There are some 120 churches in historic Venice, or roughly one for every 500 people. Before Napoleon went on a church-and monastery-demolishing spree, there were even more. The survivors are one of the joys of visiting the city, with some of Venice's greatest works of art still displayed exactly where they were meant to be seen.

One of the oldest is the city's first cathedral, Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello. Others claim foundations that go back to St Magnus (or Magno), a 7th-century bishop of Oderzo who founded Santa Maria Formosa, Santa Giustina, San Salvatore, Santi Apostoli, San Pietro di Castello (another far-flung cathedral of Venice, for much of its history) San Giovanni in Brágora, San Zaccaria, and Angelo Raffaele.