San Giorgio Maggiore Island & Church

San Giorgio Maggiore is an island in the Venetian lagoon, in Italy's Veneto region, directly across the Bacino di San Marco from Piazza San Marco. It is dominated by the church of San Giorgio Maggiore, designed by Andrea Palladio and begun in 1566, with a white marble facade, a tall campanile and a bright interior. The church holds two large paintings by Tintoretto, the Last Supper and the Gathering of the Manna, in the chancel, and carved wooden choir stalls. The main draw is the bell tower, which has a lift to the top. From the belfry, visitors see the whole of Venice, including St Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the Campanile, across the water, and the lagoon and the Lido beyond. The view is often considered better than that from the St Mark's Campanile, since it includes the piazza and is less crowded. The church is free to enter, while the bell tower ticket is around €8. The island also has the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, with a cultural centre and gardens that hold sculpture exhibitions and a labyrinth, and these are open at set times or by guided tour. Most visitors spend about an hour on the island. The church is open daily from about 9AM to 7PM, and the bell tower closes earlier, at around 6PM, and is subject to closure in wind. The island is reached by vaporetto Line 2 from San Zaccaria, a short ride of about five minutes, and the San Giorgio stop is beside the church. The best light on the piazza is in the afternoon. Morning is quietest, and the crowds are thinner than at San Marco throughout the day.