Venetian streets often seem to be overrun with tourists, but it's often on Venice's squares where people meet.
Today I'd like to introduce you to Venice's famous campos.
Visit Venice in 1 day: article summary
- Very different places in Venice
- Places in Venice: Campo Santa Margherita, in the Dorsoduro district
- Campo San Barnaba
- Places in Venice: Campo Santo Stefano, in the San Marco district
- Campo Santa Maria Formosa in Castello
- Places in Venice: Campo Ghetto Nuovo, in the Cannaregio district
- Campo Sant'Aponal, in the San Polo district
Very different places in Venice
Venice's squares are exceptional places to live. However, most of them have been destroyed over the centuries, mainly as the city progressed. In the past, they served many purposes, from trade to water supply for surrounding homes.
Today, some squares are famous for just one special feature, which is unique to each one.
Some are famous for their genuine craftsmanship. You can still find objects made using the skills of carpenters or true artists.
Over the centuries, the Campi have served a variety of purposes: some were even used as cemeteries. At least until the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte, who in 1797 ordered the construction of the San Michele cemetery, prohibiting burials in the town.
In today's busiest campo, you can relax and watch the world go by from a table in a bar, while in the quieter, more neglected neighborhood, you can imagine how life was lived here, when every inch of this "improbable city", born of water, was still in its infancy.
Places in Venice: Campo Santa Margherita, in the Dorsoduro district
It's a lively marketplace during the day, with a beautiful bakery and trees to eat under. At nightfall, Campo Santa Margherita becomes the center of Venetian nightlife. Students and tourists alike can be found in the bars and restaurants around the square.
Campo San Barnaba
The church, with its magnificent neoclassical façade (1776), houses a permanent exhibition of drawings for Leonardo da Vinci's machines. In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Harrison Ford finds a secret passage in this church.
In fact, today this fascinating estate is an excellent stopover; in the 18ᵉ century, there was a gambling hall and, even today, you can admire the fruit and vegetable boat moored nearby next to the first bridge.
Places in Venice: Campo Santo Stefano, in the San Marco district
Once the town's main market square, Santo Stefano is still a lively, large square. with modern shops.
In the center, a statue of Niccolò Tommaseo, 19th-century Italian journalist and essayist. Children still jokingly call him "cagalibri".
Campo Santa Maria Formosa in Castello
Once a week, the square hosts a market dominated by the baroque parish church dedicated to a 7th-century Madonna.
Rebuilt several times, it is best known for the grotesque face above the bell tower door. A bridge leads from the campo to the Querini Stampalia Foundationa fascinating house museum and vaulted ceilings.
Places in Venice: Campo Ghetto Nuovo, in the Cannaregio district
The Venice Ghetto has existed since 1516, when the doge decreed that all Jews should live on a small island. They were mostly doctors, loan sharks and merchants.
Liberated by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797, Campo Ghetto Nuovo still seems a place apart. There are still synagogues, eight-storey buildings and a Jewish museum. in an unexpected area steeped in history.
Campo Sant'Aponal, in the San Polo district
Once the nightlife district of Venice, the damp maze of narrow streets leading to this little campo is now surrounded by bustling boutiques, quaint grocery stores, bookshops and even a music store selling traditional instruments.
The church, demolished in 1810 when a painting by Tiepolo was transferred to Paris, has over the centuries been a mill, a hospice, a prison for political prisoners, a municipal archive and, very occasionally, a gallery for art exhibitions.
Venice has an enormous number of squares. During your visit, I'd recommend stopping off at one of these communal places and taking a moment to admire the grandeur of Venice's campos. You'll be able to see lots of people passing by while enjoying a coffee on a bar terrace.
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