Chiesa di San Salvatore (Church of the Holy Savior), Venice

Chiesa di San Salvatore (Church of the Holy Savior), Venice

Located at the heart of Venice, the magnificent church dedicated to the Holy Savior holds a central position in both the city's history and its physical layout. This remarkable place of worship traces its origins back to the 7th century and is steeped in legendary tales. According to the fable, Bishop San Magno received a divine dream in which Jesus Christ himself indicated the precise location in Byzantine Venice where a church should be built in His honor as the Savior of the world.

The interior exemplifies the exquisite architecture of the Venetian Renaissance, with Titian's celebrated masterpiece, the "Annunciation" (1566), gracing the third altar on the right. Otherwise, the current church design is credited to the acclaimed architect Giorgio Spavento, renowned as a man of exceptional genius during the early 16th century. Among his various works, San Salvatore stands out as his finest.

Tip:
If the main entrance happens to be closed, you can access the church through the side entrance, nestled amidst the shops lining the Mercerie street.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Alma Pater.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Venice. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Chiesa di San Salvatore (Church of the Holy Savior)
Sight Location: Venice, Italy (See walking tours in Venice)
Sight Type: Religious

Walking Tours in Venice, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Venice

Creating your own self-guided walk in Venice is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Grand Canal Walking Tour

The main waterway in Venice, Grand Canal snakes in an "S" shape through the center of the city, dividing its main districts. On both sides of this thoroughfare are the most beautiful buildings dating from the 12th to the 18th centuries that tell the story of a thousand years of Venetian splendor. While one can view the architectural parade from water buses, our self-guided walking tour... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles

Casanova's Venice

Giacomo Casanova is usually introduced as history’s most famous seducer—but that shorthand misses the point. Casanova didn’t simply charm his way through life, but was shaped by a very particular moment in Venetian history. He came of age in the eighteenth century, when the Republic of Venice was living on its reputation. The great maritime empire was fading, its political and commercial... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles

Piazza San Marco Walking Tour

Piazza San Marco is where Venice has always put on its best face. This is the city’s ceremonial and political core, shaped over centuries as the grand stage of the Venetian Republic. Its story began in the 9th century, when the relics of Saint Mark arrived in the lagoon and instantly raised the evangelist—much as the square built in his name—to the highest rank. From a simple open space, the... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles

Dorsoduro Walking Tour

One of the six districts of Venice, Dorsoduro’s name translates as “hard bridge” due to the area's relatively high terrain. Home to some of the city’s highest spots, it also comprises some of Venice’s most picturesque canals, historic locations and cultural venues, including the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute; the Gallerie dell’ Academia & the Ca’ Rezzonico – both... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

Jewish Ghetto Tour

Founded in 1516, the Jewish Ghetto of Venice earns its grim little footnote in European history as the first place officially designated as a “ghetto.” It began as a Venetian compromise with sharp edges: the Papacy urged to expel the Jews, while Venice—never one to waste a useful population—chose to confine them to a small island.

The word “ghetto” comes with competing origin... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.4 Km or 0.2 Miles

Around Rialto Bridge

The Rialto district represents the earliest urban and commercial core of Venice that has shaped the city’s identity for centuries. Long before grand palaces lined the canals or empires were managed from marble halls, this was the practical heart of the lagoon. Its name comes from Rivo Alto, meaning “high bank,” a rare patch of ground that stayed relatively dry and therefore attracted... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.4 Km or 0.2 Miles

View all walking tours in Venice, Italy

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

15 Distinctively Italian Things to Buy in Venice

Venice has been a tourist mecca for over a century now, with millions of visitors flocking in every year to see this unique place on the face of the Earth. Many, if not all, of these people seek to obtain something memorable as a token of their stay in this city. By far, not all of them know which...