The church of Santa Maria della Carità was in Canaletto’s day in a state of disrepair. The bell tower collapsed in 1744, and the church was closed during the Napoleonic occupation. The Accademia galleries now occupy the restored buildings. Canaletto eliminated the buildings that would rise from the bottom edge of the composition, to give a view down the Grand Canal to Santa Maria della Salute and the Bacino, now disrupted by the Accademia bridge and vaporetto stop.