Madonna dell'Orto is one of the finest Gothic churches in Venice and, for many, the city's most rewarding church after the Frari and the Salute — partly because it sees so few visitors. It stands on a quiet northern campo in Cannaregio, its warm brick façade an elegant blend of Gothic and early Renaissance, with statues of the apostles ranged across the front.
It was Tintoretto's parish church, and he is buried in a chapel to the right of the chancel. The walls hold some of his most ambitious canvases, including the towering "Last Judgement" and "Making of the Golden Calf" that flank the high altar. After the crowds of San Marco, the silence here, surrounded by major works in the place they were painted for, is the great pleasure of the visit.