1. Chiostro di Sant’Apollonia — The Oldest and Quietest
If you want proof that peace still exists a few hundred meters from St. Mark’s Square, this is it. Dating back to the 12th century, it’s the only cloister of its kind remaining in Venice, built in the Romanesque style with a rare surviving example of the brick paving that once covered courtyards like this across the city. One longtime visitor described it as an island of peace and tranquility hidden in one of the busiest parts of the city — even though it’s only a stone’s throw from the Piazza, the crowds simply never find it.
The cloister sits above the site of the former Sant’Apollonia monastery and today connects to the small Museo Diocesano d’Arte Sacra. You can buy a ticket for the cloister alone or combine it with the museum, which displays Roman and Byzantine architectural fragments along its walls. If you only have time for one stop on this list, make it this one — it’s the closest to San Marco and consistently rated the most serene courtyard in the city.
2. The Cloister of Santo Stefano — Hidden Behind a Gothic Church
Most visitors to Campo Santo Stefano never realize the church there hides a small cloister of its own. A visit to the sacristy of Santo Stefano leads through to a small cloister, (Tripadvisor) a quiet counterpoint to the Gothic grandeur of the church itself, which was founded in the 13th century and remodeled in the 15th, preserving works by Lombardo, Vivarini, and Tintoretto. (Tripadvisor) It’s a short stop, but a genuinely uncrowded one, and it pairs naturally with a walk through Campo Santo Stefano itself, one of the loveliest and least touristed squares in San Marco.
3. San Francesco della Vigna — Two Cloisters and a Palladian Facade
Tucked into a quiet corner of Castello, a genuine walk away from the main tourist routes, San Francesco della Vigna rewards the effort. The complex features an imposing church and two extraordinary cloisters, (timeout) with a facade designed by Andrea Palladio — his very first experiment with the superimposed classical temple front he’d later perfect at San Giorgio Maggiore and the Redentore.
The larger of the two cloisters was long used as a burial ground and holds the remains of many Venetian nobles, (Italia.it) giving it a solemn, contemplative quality that’s different from the airier feel of Sant’Apollonia. Visitors consistently describe finding the church almost by accident, wandering the back streets of Castello — a place few tourists ever venture to see, (Tripadvisor) which is exactly the point.
4. San Giorgio Maggiore — A Palladio Masterpiece You Reach by Boat
For a cloister experience with a view, take the short vaporetto ride across the water to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, facing St. Mark’s Square from across the lagoon. The former Benedictine monastery here, now home to the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, holds two remarkable cloisters: the “Cloister of the Bay Trees,” begun by Giovanni Buora in 1516, and Palladio’s more austere “Cloister of the Cypresses,” started the year before his death in 1579 and not completed until the mid-17th century. (Images of Venice)
Access is through self-guided, timed-entrance tours with an audio guide, (ArtTrav) which keeps visitor numbers controlled and the atmosphere genuinely calm — a rarity for anywhere this close to San Marco. Combine it with a climb up the campanile for one of the best lagoon views in the city, arguably better than the more crowded tower across the water.
5. Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista — A Renaissance Courtyard Behind a Carved Gate
This last stop isn’t a monastic cloister in the strictest sense, but it earns its place on this list. Behind an arched portal carved by Pietro Lombardo between 1478 and 1481, topped with the eagle of St. John, (Love Venice) a small enclosed courtyard in San Polo feels like stepping into an entirely different century. One visitor put it simply: crossing the portal, you have the impression of being transported to another era, leaving the tourists and souvenir shops behind entirely. (monicacesarato)
A single ticket covers the courtyard, the ornate Chapter Hall, and the adjoining deconsecrated church across the way, (Lonely Planet) and because this scuola sees a fraction of the visitors that flock to its more famous cousin, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, you’ll often have the courtyard entirely to yourself.
Do I need to book in advance to visit these cloisters?
Sant’Apollonia, Santo Stefano, and San Francesco della Vigna can generally be visited without advance booking, though checking current opening hours is wise. San Giorgio Maggiore’s cloisters require a timed-entrance ticket through the Fondazione Cini.
Which cloister is easiest to combine with a St. Mark’s Square visit?
The Chiostro di Sant’Apollonia, just steps from the Piazza and the Bridge of Sighs, is the most convenient — and consistently the most peaceful despite the location.
Are any of these cloisters free to enter?
Most require a small admission fee, usually tied to an attached museum or scuola, typically in the range of a few euros. None are as expensive as major sights like the Doge’s Palace, and all are far less crowded.
