The origins of the Church of San Nicolò date back to 1044, when it was built at request of doge Domenico Contarini. Around 1100, some relics of Saint Nicholas were carried here from the city of Myra, in Anatolia; soon the saint became patron saint of fishermen, sailors and soldiers departing to the Holy Land.
The current church was built in 1627 next to a pre-existing Benedictine monastery, converted under Napoleon into barracks. Around 1940 the column palmette Corinthian capitals were discovered, dating back to the XI century, and were walled up when the building was converted. Between the 1950s and 1960s a geometric and floral floor mosaic of the old Romanesque Basilica was also found and restored. In addition to the choir with XVII-century reliefs, portraying scenes of the life of Saint Nicholas, the church is home to two important paintings: Madonna con il putto by Palma il Vecchio and San Giovannino by Palma il Giovane.