Hotels near Chiesa di San Geremia

Few visitors realise that Venice's main railway station is named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse. Her relics were kept in a church on the station site until it was demolished in the 1860s, and they were then moved to the Church of San Geremia on the Grand Canal, where they remain today. Her feast day, 13 December, is marked with masses and a festive atmosphere in Campo San Geremia.

Santa Lucia is a patron of light and sight, and in parts of northern Italy she brings children small gifts on the night of 12 December. The church is free to visit and sits on the Cannaregio side of the Grand Canal, close to the Ponte delle Guglie. Nearby, the Jewish Ghetto, founded in 1516, marks Hanukkah with a menorah lighting in Campo del Ghetto Nuovo.

Pro Tip: After visiting San Geremia, walk 10 minutes to Fondamenta della Misericordia, where canal-side bars serve cicchetti and wine to a mostly local crowd from early evening.