San Giacomo di Rialto

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San Giacomo di Rialto is a Roman Catholic church in Venice, Italy. It sits in the San Polo district on the eastern side of Rialto Square near the Grand Canal.

Tradition says it is the oldest church in the city. It is said to have been consecrated in 421, though the first written mention of the church is from 1152. The church was rebuilt in 1071, and in front of it the Rialto market grew, with bankers and money changers. The system of the “bill of exchange” began there.

In 1503 a great fire destroyed much of the area, but the church survived. It was restored and expanded starting in 1601 by Doge Marino Grimani, and part of the work involved raising the pavement to cope with acqua alta (high floods).

Architecturally, the church has a Gothic portico and a Latin-cross plan with a central dome. Inside, six columns of ancient Greek marble display Veneto-Byzantine capitals dating from the 11th century. A large 15th‑century clock sits above the entrance, known for its inaccuracy.

San Giacomo di Rialto forms the eastern side of Rialto Square and was one of the few buildings on the square to escape the 1514 fire, along with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi. Nearby is the statue Il Gobbo di Rialto.