Madonna dell'Orto

In the far north of Cannaregio, where the lanes run out at the lagoon, stands one of the loveliest Gothic churches in Venice, and one of the most personal. Madonna dell'Orto, Our Lady of the Garden, takes its name from a miraculous statue of the Virgin found in a nearby vegetable garden, and its brick facade, with its rose window, statues of the apostles and elegant marble portal, is a beautiful example of Venetian Gothic. It is also the church of Jacopo Tintoretto. The painter lived a few steps away, on the Fondamenta dei Mori, and the church was his parish; he painted some of his most powerful works for it, and he is buried here, with his children, in a chapel to the right of the choir. On either side of the chancel, two colossal Tintoretto canvases, the Last Judgement and the Making of the Golden Calf, rise toward the roof, so tall that they fill the walls; a tradition says that Tintoretto painted himself and his family among the figures carrying the calf. Over the door to a side chapel hangs his Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, with its dramatic staircase, an image that rewards comparison with Titian's version of the same subject at the Accademia. The church also holds a fine altarpiece of St John the Baptist by Cima da Conegliano, one of the most luminous paintings in Venice. After the great flood of 1966 the church was among the first to be restored, with British support, and today it is well cared for and atmospheric, rarely crowded, and still very much a parish church at the heart of a residential area.

Visiting: the church is open daily from mid-morning to late afternoon, outside service times, and there is no fixed ticket; visitors are asked for a donation to help keep it open, so please give generously. Guided visits can be arranged on request through the parish. Dress modestly, as in all Venetian churches. Allow forty-five minutes to an hour for a proper look at the Tintorettos, the Cima and the chapels. The nearest vaporetto stop is Orto, on the lines that circle the north of the city toward Murano.

The neighbourhood: around the church, the Campo dei Mori is named after the stone figures of turbaned merchants set into the walls of the houses, traditionally said to be three brothers from the Morea in Greece who traded in Venice; one of them, with a metal nose, is known as Sior Antonio Rioba. Tintoretto's house, marked by a plaque, is on the fondamenta just beyond. The canals of northern Cannaregio, the Fondamenta della Sensa and the Fondamenta della Misericordia, are among the most relaxed in the city, lined with neighbourhood bars where Venetians gather for an evening spritz and cicchetti, especially as the weather warms.

How it fits: combine Madonna dell'Orto with the Jewish Ghetto, about fifteen minutes' walk away, for a Cannaregio morning, or with the Ca' d'Oro on the Strada Nova. Art lovers following Tintoretto should see it alongside the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, where his great cycle hangs, and the Doge's Palace, where his Paradise fills the Great Council hall. It is one of the best places in Venice to escape the crowds without leaving the historic centre, and the walk there, through quiet lanes and along wide canals, is part of the pleasure. A practical note for families and anyone tiring of churches: keep this visit short and focused on the two giant canvases, then spend the time you save outdoors along the canals, where children can watch boats being loaded and moored in a part of the city that still works for the people who live in it.