St. Mark's square was the political and religious center of the Republic of Venice; since ancient times it has been a place extraordinarily rich in historical and artistic value: we shall visit the basilica with its precious mosaics and the ducal palace with its well-known Bridge of Sighs, the Procuratie palaces and the Napoleonic Wing, the Clock Tower, the Campanile and the Marciana National Library. You can decide whether to include in the tour the visit to the doge's palace inside or continue our walk through campi and campielli to the Rialto area.   The main street in Venice is of course a waterway. Visiting Venice from the water level is certainly the best way to get close to the city and its most magical dimension. The Grand Canal was defined as "the most beautiful street in the world": here palaces, churches and the few campi show their most important and richly decorated façade to the people passing by. The tour is on a boat and includes several variations which we can choose together, passing through side canals, re-entering and leaving the Grand Canal in order to see more Venetian corners.   St Mark's square, the basilica and the doge's palace Canal Grande The tour starts at the Frari campo: the signs of the foreign communities that lived here in the past characterize the square and its history. Inside the Frari church, it is possible to retrace the development of the history of Venice as well as that of the Venetian art (and not only Venetian) from the 13th to the 19th century - in particular, you can admire the masterpieces by Giovanni Bellini and Titian. Then, around the corner, we enter San Rocco campo where we can visit the site of the much celebrated San Rocco brotherhood, internally decorated with Tintoretto's masterpieces in the late Renaissance. The Museum of 18th Century is set in one of the most beautiful palaces on the Grand Canal in Venice, Ca' Rezzonico. The Rezzonico family were rich merchants who became part of the new aristocracy. They were not Venetian, but thanks to their extraordinary wealth, they could buy a noble title, and they lived in this splendid dwelling, which was completed by the architect Giorgio Massari in 1756. The palace has been the site of the Museum of the 18th Century since 1936. This is where you can admire the splendours of that age, looking at the masterpieces by Tiepolo, Guardi, Longhi, Rosalba Carriera, Giambattista Pazzetta and Canaletto, as well as its original furniture, elegant staircases and large rooms and above all, the beautiful ballroom. The Frari Church and the Scuola of San Rocco Ca' Rezzonico: the museum of the 18th century           The Accademia Art Gallery   The most important art museum in Venice is situated in the ancient site of the Scuola of Charity. Here the masterpieces of Venetian painting (and not just Venetian) produced from the origins till the end of the Republic of Venice, are preserved and protected. Works by Giorgione, Bellini, Carpaccio, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Tiepolo and many other artists can be seen together with temporary exhibits on specific themes. The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore is on the island opposite St. MarkÕs Square. The Venetian government allowed the Benedictine monks to build their church and monastery in the year 982. The church was rebuilt on several occasions, and its final version was designed by Andrea Palladio. Inside the church you can admire two masterpieces by Tintoretto and wonderful wooden choir stalls. At the side of the church, in the old monastery structure, there is the Giorgio Cini Cultural Foundation. The tour can then move into the cloisters and the library planned by Baldassarre Longhena.   The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore & the Giorgio Cini Foundation