Grand Canal (Italy)

Grand Canal (Italy), chief thoroughfare of the city of Venice, Italy. The canal, which follows an S-shaped course through the city, is 24 to 53 m (80 to 175 ft) wide and about 3 km (about 2 mi) long. Along either bank stand nearly 200 palaces, built between the 12th and 18th centuries, each one marked by a post painted with the owner's heraldic colors. The canal is crossed by several bridges, including the 16th-century Rialto Bridge in the center of the city.