Giudecca is a long, narrow island separated from the main body of Venice by the Giudecca Canal, directly south of Dorsoduro. For centuries it served as a place of retreat: noble families built villas and gardens here, religious orders established monasteries, and in the 19th and 20th centuries industrial facilities including the Stucky flour mill and the Junghans clock factory took over parts of the waterfront. Today, Giudecca occupies an unusual position in the Venetian landscape. The northern fondamenta, facing the iconic skyline of San Marco, Dorsoduro, and the Salute, offers one of the finest panoramic views in all of Venice. The Molino Stucky, a massive neo-Gothic industrial building at the western end, has been converted into the Hilton Molino Stucky hotel. At the eastern tip, the Palladian church of Il Redentore, built to celebrate the end of a devastating plague in 1576, is one of the most harmonious buildings in Venice and the focal point of the Festa del Redentore each July. Between these landmarks, Giudecca remains a working neighborhood with social housing, small boatyards, and community gardens. It is quieter and more affordable than the central sestieri, attracting artists, students, and residents priced out of the historic center.