South of San Polo and accessible from the San Marco district via the Ponte Accademia, this region of Venice is a quiet neighbourhood with tree-lined shaded squares, peaceful canals and striking residences. The eastern section that runs from the Accademia to the Customs House (Dogana di Mare), along the Grand Canal, has some of the finest architecture in the city. The Accademia Gallery houses the largest collection of Venetian paintings in the world, spanning over five centuries and includes Giorgione's 'The Tempest', 'Pieta' by Bellini and Tintoretto's 'The Miracle of St Mark freeing a slave'. The beautiful Palazzo Venier dei Leoni houses the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, one of Europe's finest collections of twentieth-century modern art, representing Cubist, Futurist, Surrealist and Abstract Expressionist masterpieces, that includes works by Braque, Picasso, Magritte, Dali, Moore and Pollack. Overlooking the Grand Canal, this atmospheric building opens onto an attractive back garden filled with sculptures.
The adjacent church of Santa Maria della Salute was built in thanks for release from the plague during the sixteenth century. Its enormous white marble dome can be seen for miles around and plays as an important part of the Venetian skyline as the Basilica di San Marco or the Palazzo Ducale. Eighteenth-century art and the works of Canaletto and Tiepolo are on display at the Ca'Rezzonica Gallery which also contains the most dazzling ballroom in Venice. One of Venice's favourite promenades is the Zattere, a long quay with panoramic views of the island of San Giorgio and the Giudecca island. Cafés, trattorie, and pensiones are scattered all along this stretch. The sestiere is more vibrant west of the Rio Terra, with the busy Campo Santa Margherita as its focal point and a selection of trendy bars that come alive in the evenings.