Pope Francis is visiting Venice on April 28, his first trip outside of Rome in seven months.
In Venice, the Pope's first stop was the women's prison on the island of Giudecca, where the entrance to the Vatican was prepared for this year's Biennial Art Festival.
In the former convent where long-term female prisoners are now housed, Francis met with some of the 80 female prisoners and visited the exhibition.
"Prison is a harsh reality, and problems such as overcrowding, lack of facilities and resources, and episodes of violence cause great suffering," he said, speaking to female inmates.
The art exhibition "My eyes" deals with the daily life of prisoners through the work of 10 different artists.
"It will be a historic moment because he will be the first pope to visit the Venice Biennale," the exhibition's chief curator, Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, said earlier.
After visiting the prison, he gave a speech and met with young people at the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, a landmark church at the southern end of the Grand Canal.
From there, the pope is scheduled to head to St. Mark's Square over a bridge built of boats lined up across the canal and lead the mass.
The Diocese of Venice is one of the largest in Italy, with 125 parishes, and has close ties to the papacy. Three Venetian patriarchs became popes in the 20th century.
Francis' visit comes on the same weekend that Venice introduces day-tripper entry fees, with the aim of easing tourism pressure on the UNESCO World Heritage site.
As a guest, he will be exempt from buying the five-euro ticket, but pilgrims coming to his mass will have to pay.
The Pope's visit is accompanied by concern about his health, reports AFP.
He was forced to cancel a trip to Dubai in December, where he was due to speak at UN climate talks, due to a bout of bronchitis.
He also pulled out of the Easter event at the last minute in March, after suffering for several weeks with what the Vatican called a "light flu".
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