Splitting the gondola

During the Gondola chase in Moonraker, Bond speeds past another gondola, followed by two baddies in a speed boat. As Bond manages to speed past the gondola, the speedboat cuts the gondola in half.

Rio di Santa Caterina

The entire gondola chase was filmed on several different locations throughout Venice. This small action scene was filmed in the Cannaregio district, very close to the place where Bond meets with Dr Goodhead, covered in the last post. The gondola that gets split in half is coming out from the Rio di Santa Caterina as Bond and the two henchmen are coming in from the north on the canal.

Bond speeds up as he watches the gondola coming out from Rio di Santa Caterina 

This location can be found near the north margin of the city, at the intersections of Rio della Sensa and the confluence of Rio di Noale and Rio di San Falice. Another small part was filmed by the Squero di San Trovaso boat yard located in the opposite part of town.

As the gondola gets split in half, the front drifts away across the canal, towards Rio della Sensa, with the loving couple still kissing in the gondola.

Scuola vecchia della Misericordia

In the background you can see the Scuola vecchia della Misericordia prominently in the middle and a small white church to the right. The white church is the Chiesa dell'Abbazia della Misericordia, founded in the 10th century. The Scoula is a former charity building erected in 1310.

Bond and Dr Goodhead in Venice

In Moonraker, Bond follows a lead from California to the glass manufacturer Venini Glass in Venice. In the factory he spots Dr. Goodhead in a group of tourists. He follows her along the canal named 'Rio della Misericordia'. After catching up with Dr. Goodhead at Fondamenta Misericordia, covered earlier, Bond desperately tries to invite Dr. Goodhead for a dinner or drinks. Seen behind Dr Goodhead during the conversation is the canal 'Rio di Noale'.

                "-You're staying at the Danieli aren't you?"

Hotel Danieli, where Dr. Goodhead is staying and where Bond later surprises her in her bedroom, is a luxury hotel and one of the finest in Venice. One night is about €500.

After brushing off Bond's invitation for drinks, Dr. Goodhead walks away along Fondamenta Misericordia and crosses the bridge over Rio di Noale. As seen in the picture below, the green park or garden seen in the background as Dr. Goodhead walks away, has disappeared since 1979.

This brief scene was filmed only a stone's throw away from where the gondola is cut in half later in the film, during the gondola chase.

Venice - Bond's hotel suite

Establishing shot over Venice from 1963

The last scenes in From Russia With Love take place in Venice where Bond and Tania end up after escaping the Spectre agents on the Adriatic Sea. The establishing shot over Venice pictures the famous palazzo Ducale, the Doge's palace (which is the large pink/white palazzo in the middle of the top picture) and the Campanile on St Mark's Square (the large bell tower).

San Giorgio Maggiore is painted on the background

The island of San Giorgio Maggiore seen from St Mark's square - similar as "Bond's view"

Bond and Tania are staying in a hotel right by St Mark's square, with a nice view over the lagoon and the small island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Given the view from their balcony, they are probably staying at Hotel Danieli or another hotel close by the Danieli. The island San Giorgio Maggiore can be seen from both the Danieli and St Mark's square which are located on the largest, "main island", of Venice.

Since neither of the principal cast ever were in Venice for the filming of From Russia With Love, all the hotel scenes and the view through the window in Bond's suite were shot in studio in England. 

The view over Venice as you are about to land - always sit on the right side in the plane

St Mark's Square, Venini and Piazzetta dei leoncini in Moonraker

Bond standing by St Mark's Square entering the smaller Piazzetta dei Leoncini 

In Moonraker, Bond, in the guise of Roger Moore, walks across St Marc's square on his way to Venini Glass, following a lead from California. A marble lion statue is seen to the right of Bond as he looks at his photos in front of Venini Glass. Venini is located by a small square called Piazzetta dei Leoncini, right next to St Mark's square.

Small steps leads up to Piazzetta dei Leoncini and Venini Glass

Piazzetta dei Leoncini is located on the north side of the St Mark's Basilica, immediately east of St Mark's square. 

On the morning after, Bond has called in M and the minister of Defense and alerted the local police about of Drax's secret laboratory. The police has sealed off the Piazzetta dei leoncini as Bond arrives with the two superiors. Just like in the film, the Venini Glass shop is located right by the square.

Earlier in the film, Bond drives across St Mark's square for another jolt, this time in his gondola-turned-hovercraft, one of the most stupid scenes in the Bond series.

Bond as gondolier - Venice

In Moonraker Bond is breaking into Drax's secret laboratory in Venice. Bond, disguised as a gondolier arrives in his gondola on the Grand Canal. Bond appears to enter a small door which probably is located on the facade of Casa de Uscoli, right next to Palazzetto Pisani. This location is fairly accurate since the following scenes with Bond breaking in and sneaking across the courtyard was filmed on the courtyard of Palazzetto Pisani.

The palazzo where Bond parks his gondola is located in the San Marco district. Seen in the background is the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in the most southern Dorsoduro district.

The interior of Drax's laboratory was filmed at Ca' Rezzonico. The same part of the Grand Canal, filmed from the other side right by the basilica, was also seen in one of the last scenes in From Russia With Love. 

Bond's hotel in Venice - St Mark's Square

In Casino Royale, Bond and Vesper are staying in a suite at a hotel by the famous Piazza San Marco, known as St Mark's square, in Venice. As Vesper is leaving for her secret meeting with Gettler, pretending she's just going to the bank. Bond walks her down to the lobby where Vesper kisses Bond goodbye for the last time, knowing that she will not see him again.

The view from Bond's hotel suite in the film

Bond is waiting for Vesper to come back and is looking out on the St Mark's square from the suite balcony. The famous Saint Mark's Basilica (Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco) the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice is seen at the far end of the square, next to the bell tower, known as St Mark's Campanile.

When Bond understands that he has been betrayed he runs down through the hotel lobby, scenes actually filmed at the Prague National Museum covered earlier. When Bond runs across the square on his way to the Venice branch of the Basel Bank, the basilica and the bell tower are briefly seen in the background.

The west facade of the Basilica di San Marco 

The square is enclosed with arcades on three sides with the two longest arcades along the north and south side of the Piazza. It is in one of these arcades that Bond finds the entrance to the Venice branch of Basel Bank.

Needless to say, St Marc's square is one of the most famous places in Venice and packed with tourists during the day. It is on this square that Sir Roger drives his hovercraft gondola (known as the Bondola) in Moonraker. This scene will be covered later.

 
The history of the Piazza San Marco is too long to even try to summarise, but the only pre-renaissance building still standing on the square is the Doge's Palace. The buildings surrounding the square on three sides date back to the 16th century.