File 011 · Venice, Italy

Grand Canal

Bond sails up the Grand Canal. Then a palace sinks into it. Only one of those things happened in Venice.

Why go

Capital of a maritime republic that lasted 1,100 years, now charging day-trippers a fee to survive its own popularity.

The place

A republic of 1,100 years

Venice was an independent maritime republic from the 600s until Napoleon ended it in 1797, trading between Europe and the East.

The stone bridge

For centuries the Rialto crossing was made of wood and kept collapsing. The stone bridge you stand on was finished in 1591 by Antonio da Ponte, whose name means 'Anthony of the Bridge'.

Living with water

High tides flood the city several times a year. Since 2020 the MOSE flood barriers have been raised to protect it, and Venice now charges day-trippers on busy days to manage the crowds.

The shoot: Casino Royale (2006)

The sinking palazzo finale.

The arrival

Bond and Vesper sail in on a yacht, reportedly the first sailing yacht up the Grand Canal in 300 years. The canal scenes were shot by the Rialto Bridge and the Rialto fish market.

The chase

The chase runs from a bank in the corner of St Mark's Square through the arcades of the Procuratie Vecchie, filmed in June 2006 with about 400 extras.

Bond's third visit

Venice had already starred twice: the end of From Russia with Love (1963) and the gondola chase through St Mark's Square in Moonraker (1979).

The sinking palace

The collapse was made at Pinewood Studios near London, with a one-third scale model built to break apart and an interior set on a huge hydraulic rig. It was digitally placed into real footage of the Grand Canal.

Stand here

Stand on the Rialto Bridge and look south down the Grand Canal.

45.438, 12.3358

Visit

Best: Dawn, before the crowds. Access: Free. A day-tripper fee applies on peak days. Getting there: Train to Santa Lucia. Stay overnight to see it empty.

Taste: Cicchetti, small Venetian bar snacks, with an ombra (small glass of wine) or a spritz in a bacaro near the Rialto market.