Designed by Palladio in the late 16th century and built after his death, the Zitelle was a church and almshouse for orphans and poor young women (zitelle was local slang for ‘old maids’). The church doors are rarely open, but you can get a spa treatment and sleep in the adjoining almshouse. The luxury Bauer Palladio Hotel & Spa has creatively tweaked the original structure without altering Palladio’s blueprint or the original cloister garden.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Fondazione Giorgio Cini

0.22 MILES

In 1951, industrialist and art patron Vittorio Cini – a survivor of Dachau – acquired the monastery of San Giorgio and restored it in memory of his son,…

2. Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore

0.26 MILES

Begun in 1565 and completed in 1610, this dazzling Benedictine abbey church owes more to ancient Roman temples than the bombastic baroque of Palladio's…

3. Le Stanze del Vetro

0.32 MILES

Once part of a boarding school, 'The Glass Rooms' are now home to a constant flow of temporary exhibitions, all of them based on glass. Often the displays…

4. Fondazione Vedova

0.32 MILES

A retrofit designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano transformed Venice’s historic salt warehouses into art galleries. Although the facade…

5. Punta della Dogana

0.32 MILES

Fortuna, the weathervane atop Punta della Dogana, swung Venice’s way in 2005, when bureaucratic hassles in Paris convinced art collector François Pinault…

6. Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

0.33 MILES

Baldassare Longhena's magnificent basilica is prominently positioned near the entrance to the Grand Canal, its white stones, exuberant statuary and high…

7. Chiesa del Santissimo Redentore

0.35 MILES

Built to celebrate the city’s deliverance from the Black Death, Palladio's Il Redentore was completed under Antonio da Ponte (of Rialto Bridge fame) in…

8. Galleria Caterina Tognon

0.41 MILES

Hidden behind busy Via XXII Marzo, this gallery is worth seeking out for its interesting shows by internationally renowned artists, who mainly work in…