Venice Grand Canal (Grand Canal ) Italian Canale Grande. The main waterway in Venice, Italy. The natural waterway from St. Mark's Church (San Marco Basilica) to St. Chiara Church (Santa Chiara Church) is inverse S-type, dividing the city into two parts. It is more than 3 kilometers (2 miles) long, 30 ~ 70 meters (100 ~ 225 feet) wide, and has an average depth of 5 meters (17 feet) and is connected to many small canals. Most of the city's transportation passes through these waterways.