How to build Venice Grand Canal in Minecraft

A stretch of the Grand Canal: colourful palazzi in terracotta, ochre, pink and cream with pointed Venetian Gothic windows and balconies, striped mooring poles, the white Rialto Bridge with its shops and central arch, gondolas out on the water, a side canal with a little bridge, cafés with umbrellas on the quay, and a brick campanile and domed church behind. Switch to Night for the lanterns.

• DifficultyExpert
• Size71 × 72, 54 layers tall
• Blocks17,969
• Build time8–10 hours
• CategoryFamous Landmarks

Open the interactive 3D plan above to build it one layer at a time: every layer has a numbered top-down plan, a block list and full-screen step-by-step instructions you can tick off as you go. You can also download it for Litematica, WorldEdit or Minecraft Bedrock, or view it in your room in AR.

Materials list

Building tips

1. Dig the canal first and build the palazzi straight up out of the water. Venetian houses have no front garden; the water laps the walls.
2. Pointed Gothic windows: two glass panes side by side, then two upside-down quartz stairs on top facing away from each other. The gap between them makes the point.
3. Give every palazzo its own colour but keep the trim white. White quoins, sills, cornices and balconies tie the whole row together.
4. The Rialto is one big arch. Build the arch underside first, then step the deck up to the middle and put the two rows of shops on top with the tall portico in the centre.
5. Mooring poles are fences topped with two or three alternating wool blocks in the family colours.
6. Put lanterns along the quay, on the bridge and beside the water gates, and a few lit lamps behind windows. At night the canal glows.

Step-by-step: all 54 layers

1. Layer 1 Water ×926, Stone Bricks ×376, Mossy Stone Bricks ×198, Spruce Fence ×19, Quartz Slab ×12, Smooth Quartz Block ×12
2. Layer 2 Polished Andesite ×1888, Smooth Stone ×1383, Quartz Bricks ×130, Yellow Terracotta ×85, Pink Terracotta ×83, Smooth Quartz Block ×80, White Terracotta ×79, Orange Terracotta ×76, Smooth Sandstone ×57, Black Concrete ×53, Red Terracotta ×52, Spruce Fence ×24, Dark Oak Door ×18, Quartz Stairs ×9, Stone Brick Stairs ×6, Bricks ×2
3. Layer 3 Quartz Bricks ×120, Yellow Terracotta ×90, Pink Terracotta ×86, Smooth Quartz Block ×86, White Terracotta ×72, Orange Terracotta ×70, Smooth Sandstone ×62, Red Terracotta ×42, Spruce Fence ×41, Quartz Slab ×40, Oak Stairs ×34, Quartz Stairs ×30, Bricks ×18, Dark Oak Fence ×18, Red Carpet ×18, Black Concrete ×12, Brick Stairs ×8, Poppy ×7, Dandelion ×6, Glass Pane ×6, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×6, Stone Brick Stairs ×6, Black Wool ×5, Grass Block ×5, Quartz Pillar ×4, Dark Oak Door ×1
4. Layer 4 Smooth Quartz Block ×107, Quartz Bricks ×105, Pink Terracotta ×91, Yellow Terracotta ×85, Orange Terracotta ×71, White Terracotta ×69, Smooth Sandstone ×63, Quartz Stairs ×44, Red Terracotta ×33, Spruce Fence ×22, Bricks ×18, Dark Oak Fence ×18, Lantern ×18, Iron Bars ×10, Red Wool ×10, Stone Brick Slab ×9, Brick Stairs ×8, Block of Iron ×6, Blue Wool ×5, Oak Log ×5, Quartz Pillar ×4, Smooth Quartz Slab ×4, White Wool ×4, Green Wool ×3, Yellow Wool ×2, Quartz Slab ×1
5. Layer 5 Smooth Quartz Block ×114, Quartz Bricks ×110, Pink Terracotta ×92, Yellow Terracotta ×92, White Terracotta ×87, Orange Terracotta ×72, Smooth Sandstone ×58, Red Terracotta ×50, Quartz Slab ×47, Smooth Quartz Slab ×34, White Wool ×19, Lantern ×18, Spruce Fence ×17, Bricks ×16, Brick Stairs ×8, Iron Bars ×6, Oak Log ×5, Dark Oak Fence ×4, Quartz Pillar ×4
6. Layer 6 Glass Pane ×117, Smooth Quartz Block ×113, Oak Leaves ×106, Quartz Bricks ×98, White Carpet ×68, Yellow Terracotta ×68, Pink Terracotta ×64, White Terracotta ×63, Smooth Sandstone ×53, Orange Terracotta ×51, Iron Bars ×46, Red Carpet ×44, Red Terracotta ×32, Quartz Stairs ×26, Blue Carpet ×20, Green Carpet ×20, Quartz Pillar ×20, Bricks ×14, Brick Stairs ×8, Red Wool ×7, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×7, Blue Wool ×5, Oak Log ×5, Yellow Carpet ×5, Dark Oak Fence ×4, Green Wool ×3, White Wool ×2, Yellow Wool ×2
7. Layer 7 Glass Pane ×128, Smooth Quartz Block ×112, Oak Leaves ×108, Quartz Bricks ×96, Pink Terracotta ×67, White Terracotta ×67, Yellow Terracotta ×63, Orange Terracotta ×54, Smooth Sandstone ×49, Red Terracotta ×30, Quartz Stairs ×26, Quartz Pillar ×20, Bricks ×15, Brick Stairs ×8, Oak Log ×5, Lantern ×4, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×4, Smooth Quartz Slab ×4
8. Layer 8 Smooth Quartz Block ×142, Quartz Bricks ×113, Pink Terracotta ×84, Yellow Terracotta ×82, Smooth Sandstone ×71, Orange Terracotta ×64, White Terracotta ×63, Quartz Stairs ×60, Red Terracotta ×40, Oak Leaves ×34, Quartz Pillar ×20, Bricks ×15, Glass Pane ×15, Brick Stairs ×8, Smooth Quartz Slab ×4, Lantern ×2
9. Layer 9 Brick Slab ×215, Quartz Bricks ×138, Smooth Quartz Block ×123, Yellow Terracotta ×88, Orange Terracotta ×78, White Terracotta ×73, Smooth Quartz Slab ×67, Pink Terracotta ×54, Red Terracotta ×43, Quartz Stairs ×36, Smooth Sandstone ×35, Oak Leaves ×32, Bricks ×15, Glass Pane ×11, Quartz Slab ×10, Brick Stairs ×8, Quartz Pillar ×4, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×4
10. Layer 10 Quartz Bricks ×118, Glass Pane ×107, Smooth Quartz Block ×99, White Terracotta ×63, Orange Terracotta ×56, Yellow Terracotta ×53, Brick Stairs ×46, Pink Terracotta ×37, Bricks ×31, Red Terracotta ×30, Quartz Stairs ×26, Smooth Sandstone ×25, Iron Bars ×8, Quartz Pillar ×7, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×7, Smooth Quartz Slab ×4
11. Layer 11 Quartz Bricks ×128, Glass Pane ×96, Smooth Quartz Block ×82, White Terracotta ×66, Yellow Terracotta ×54, Orange Terracotta ×50, Brick Stairs ×44, Pink Terracotta ×40, Red Terracotta ×34, Bricks ×27, Smooth Sandstone ×22, Smooth Quartz Slab ×8, Quartz Pillar ×7, Brick Slab ×4, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×4, Brick Wall ×2
12. Layer 12 Quartz Bricks ×140, Yellow Terracotta ×72, White Terracotta ×70, Orange Terracotta ×55, Red Terracotta ×46, Pink Terracotta ×45, Brick Stairs ×38, Smooth Sandstone ×32, Bricks ×30, Quartz Stairs ×26, Smooth Quartz Block ×18, Glass Pane ×12, Brick Slab ×10, Smooth Quartz Slab ×10, Quartz Pillar ×7, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×4, Brick Wall ×2
13. Layer 13 Brick Slab ×344, Smooth Quartz Block ×211, Quartz Bricks ×102, Pink Terracotta ×50, Red Terracotta ×47, Quartz Stairs ×40, Bricks ×31, Smooth Sandstone ×31, White Terracotta ×29, Smooth Quartz Slab ×28, Orange Terracotta ×27, Yellow Terracotta ×27, Brick Stairs ×24, Glass Pane ×8, Quartz Slab ×8, Quartz Pillar ×4
14. Layer 14 Brick Stairs ×160, Quartz Bricks ×74, Bricks ×50, Glass Pane ×41, Polished Andesite ×32, Red Terracotta ×24, Yellow Terracotta ×21, Orange Terracotta ×20, Smooth Quartz Block ×13, Iron Bars ×8, Quartz Pillar ×7, Brick Slab ×4, Quartz Stairs ×3, Redstone Lamp (lit) ×3
15. Layer 15 Brick Stairs ×120, Quartz Bricks ×69, Glass Pane ×49, Polished Andesite ×48, Bricks ×33, Red Terracotta ×27, Yellow Terracotta ×21, Orange Terracotta ×19, Smooth Quartz Block ×11, Brick Slab ×8, Quartz Pillar ×7, Brick Wall ×3, Quartz Slab ×3, Chiseled Quartz Block ×2
16. Layer 16 Brick Stairs ×80, Quartz Bricks ×76, Brick Slab ×40, Orange Terracotta ×31, Polished Andesite ×28, Red Terracotta ×28, Yellow Terracotta ×25, Bricks ×17, Quartz Stairs ×14, Quartz Slab ×11, Smooth Quartz Block ×10, Brick Wall ×8, Glass Pane ×8, Quartz Pillar ×3
17. Layer 17 Quartz Bricks ×91, Quartz Stairs ×46, Orange Terracotta ×34, Red Terracotta ×34, Bricks ×24, Yellow Terracotta ×24, Polished Andesite ×20, Smooth Quartz Block ×11, Brick Stairs ×8, Quartz Slab ×2
18. Layer 18 Brick Stairs ×172, Polished Andesite ×40, Bricks ×20, Light Gray Concrete ×9, Quartz Bricks ×6, Block of Gold ×1
19. Layer 19 Brick Stairs ×132, Polished Andesite ×31, Bricks ×20, Light Gray Concrete ×9, Quartz Bricks ×3
20. Layer 20 Brick Stairs ×86, Brick Slab ×71, Polished Andesite ×57, Bricks ×12, Light Gray Concrete ×11, Brick Wall ×8, Block of Gold ×1, End Rod ×1
21. Layer 21 Polished Andesite ×24, Bricks ×20, Brick Stairs ×8, Light Gray Concrete ×4
22. Layer 22 Polished Andesite ×49, Bricks ×12, Light Gray Concrete ×11, Brick Stairs ×8
23. Layer 23 Polished Andesite ×39, Bricks ×12, Light Gray Concrete ×9, Brick Stairs ×8
24. Layer 24 Polished Andesite ×27, Bricks ×12, Light Gray Concrete ×9, Brick Stairs ×8
25. Layer 25 Bricks ×12, Polished Andesite ×9, Brick Stairs ×8
26. Layer 26 Bricks ×12, Brick Stairs ×8, Quartz Bricks ×8, Glowstone ×1
27. Layer 27 Bricks ×12, Quartz Bricks ×9, Brick Stairs ×8
28. Layer 28 Bricks ×12, Brick Stairs ×8, Polished Andesite ×1
29. Layer 29 Bricks ×12, Brick Stairs ×8, Block of Gold ×1
30. Layer 30 Bricks ×12, Brick Stairs ×8, End Rod ×1
31. Layer 31 Bricks ×12, Brick Stairs ×8
32. Layer 32 Bricks ×12, Brick Stairs ×8
33. Layer 33 Bricks ×12, Brick Stairs ×8
34. Layer 34 Quartz Bricks ×36
35. Layer 35 Quartz Pillar ×12, Block of Gold ×4
36. Layer 36 Quartz Pillar ×12, Block of Gold ×4
37. Layer 37 Quartz Pillar ×12, Lantern ×2
38. Layer 38 Quartz Pillar ×12
39. Layer 39 Quartz Bricks ×36
40. Layer 40 Bricks ×20
41. Layer 41 Bricks ×16, Chiseled Quartz Block ×4
42. Layer 42 Bricks ×20
43. Layer 43 Prismarine ×36
44. Layer 44 Prismarine ×36
45. Layer 45 Prismarine ×16
46. Layer 46 Prismarine ×16
47. Layer 47 Prismarine ×16
48. Layer 48 Prismarine ×4
49. Layer 49 Prismarine ×4
50. Layer 50 Prismarine ×4
51. Layer 51 Prismarine ×4
52. Layer 52 Prismarine ×4
53. Layer 53 Block of Gold ×1
54. Layer 54 End Rod ×1

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