Dorsoduro, Venice's "Hard Ridge": Dorsoduro's (literally 'hard ridge') refers to the character of the land in this part of Venice, which is a bit higher and rockier - or at least, more solid - than the other less firm areas of land that emerged from the lagoon over the centuries. It's a sprawling sestiere that extends over a large chunk of the southern part of the city, beginning at Punta della Dogana, a v-shaped promontory that juts out into the San Marco basin like the prow of a … [Read more...]