Piazza San Marco, known in English as the St. Mark’s Square, is so famous that it does not need another presentation. A collection of religious, cultural, historical symbols, and a symbol in itself, this square is the dream of millions of tourists who are preparing to travel. Whoever you ask about Venice, or even better about the most important place in Venice, that person would give you one answer: Piazza San Marco. SHORT HISTORY During the 9th century, Piazza San Marco was just a small free area in front of the St. Mark’s Basilica. It was enlarged to the present form only in 1177, when the two canals that crossed it were filled. This change was made with the occasion of the visit of Pope Alexander III and Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, who met in Venice to sign a truce. The square was paved for the first time in the second part of the 12th century, and the pavement was changed only six centuries later, in 1723. The design was the work of the architect Andrea Tirali. The pavement was restored in 1890, keeping the model used by Tirali. In 1797, Venice was under French occupation, and the Read more [...]
All Squares in Venice
In Italy, a city square, commonly found at the meeting of two or more streets, is a piazza. Every Italian city has a piazza or more, with streets radiating from the center, with green areas and places to rest. As key points in a city, in the squares you can find shops and public transport stations, but the Italians use it especially for evening walks and meetings with friends. Also, the city's main events take place in the central square.
The worlds best known square may be the Piazza San Marco, in Venice, but we must not forget other beautiful squares like Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Piazza del Campo in Siena, Campo dei Miracoli in Pisa, Prato della Valle in Padua, Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, Piazza San Pietro in Vatican, Piazza Navona and Piazza di Spagna in Rome, or Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples. Moreover, every town in Italy, no matter how small, has a beautiful main square that we invite you to discover.
Campo Sant’Angelo
Campo Sant’Angelo, known in Venetian dialect as Campo Sant’Anzolo, is a square in Venice, located in the San Marco district (sestiere). The campo owes its name to the homonymous church that once stood there. SHORT HISTORY OF CAMPO SANT’ANGELO Campo Sant’Angelo was once separated by Rio de Sant Anzolo, which currently delimits its southwestern side, by the Church of San Michele Arcangelo. The church was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century, in the wake of the Napoleonic suppression of Italian religious orders. ARCHITECTURE OF CAMPO SANT’ANGELO Campo Sant’Angelo is a large square located about halfway between Campo Santo Stefano and the smaller Campo Manin. The square is overlooked by palaces of great historical-architectural importance. On its northwestern side, there is Palazzo Trevisan Pisani, also known as Palazzo Somachi, built in the 17th century for the Trevisan family and ceded later to the Pisani family. Adjacent to Palazzo Trevisan Pisani, we can find Palazzo Gritti, also known as Palazzo Gritti Morosini, built in the 16th century for the noble Gritti family. On the eastern part of the square, there is Palazzo Duodo a Sant’Angelo, built in the 15th century for the Duodo family and bought later by Read more [...]
Campo Santa Maria Formosa
Campo Santa Maria Formosa is one of the largest squares (campo) in Venice, located in the Castello district (sestiere). The name of the square comes from the Church of Santa Maria Formosa. ARCHITECTURE The square is delimited by three canals – Santa Maria Formosa, Pestrin and Mondo Novo. In the square, there are many buildings of historical and architectural importance. In the northern part of the square, there is the Priuli Ruzzini Palace, built as the residence of the noble Ruzzini family in the late 16th century, on a project attributed to Bartolomeo Manopola. The palace, which was in a state of profound neglect at the beginning of the 21st century, was completely renovated and currently houses a hotel. Next, to the northeast, there is Palazzo Morosini del Pestrin, built in the 17th century at the behest of the patrician family of Morosini del Pestrin. Between 2001 and 2009, the second floor of the palace housed the Honorary Consulate of France and the Cultural Delegation of the French Embassy in Venice. To the east, we have the Donà Palaces (Palazzi Donà), three noble residences built between the 15th and 16th centuries for the Donà family. Currently, the buildings are Read more [...]