San Polo is the smallest of the six sestieri of Venice, covering just 3,5 square kilometers in the heart of the island. It is one of the oldest district of the city, having been settled before the IX century, when it and the San Marco district formed part of the Realtina area. The sestiere is named for the Campo San Polo and the homonymous church.

The district has been the site of Venice's main market since 1097, and connected to the right bank of the city by a Rialto bridge since the thirteenth century. The Rialto area was the first part of Venice to be developed, and it soon became a centre for commerce. The Rialto Area has long been the commercial core of Venice and is famed as the place where the first bridge over the Grand Canal was built.

Attractions in San Polo include the Rialto Bridge, the Church of San Giacomo di Rialto (according to legend the oldest in the city), the Campo San Polo, the House of Goldoni, the Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the Church of San Rocco and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.