The central feature here is a stone wellhead, known in Venice as a vera da pozzo. It is a cylindrical block of Istrian stone with a square base, featuring carved reliefs of two amphorae and two shields on its sides. On one of the amphorae…
Cisterns and Stone Wellheads
We will walk through historic neighborhood squares to find the intricate stone wellheads and underground cisterns that provided Venice with freshwater for centuries. This route highlights both the spectacular artistry of the stone carvers and the ingenious engineering required to survive in a saltwater lagoon.
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1. Campo San Provolo (vera da Pozzo)
2. Pozzo Santa Maria Formosa
The Pozzo Santa Maria Formosa is a cylindrical stone wellhead located within the wide, open expanse of the Campo Santa Maria Formosa. Carved from Istrian stone, this wellhead dates to seventeen fifty-five and was installed during a period…
3. Campo Santa Marina
Campo Santa Marina is marked by a distinctive high arch that separates the square from the neighboring housing blocks. This space in the Castello district is named for a church that once stood here until its destruction around eighteen…
4. Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo
The Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo is dominated by an immense, unfinished brick façade that hides the vast interior of the Dominican basilica sharing its name. Often called the Pantheon of Venice, this space became the final resting place…
5. Campiello dei Miracoli
Campiello dei Miracoli is a small Venetian square defined by its namesake, the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli. This church is distinguished by its exterior, which is entirely encased in marble panels of white, grey, and rose-colored…
6. Campo dei Gesuiti
The Campo dei Gesuiti is defined by the imposing presence of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, whose facade is punctuated by twelve monumental statues of the Apostles. This square in the Cannaregio district sits near the northern edge of…
7. Campo dei Mori
Campo dei Mori is marked by four stone figures embedded directly into the exterior walls of buildings bordering the square. These statues, carved from Istrian stone between the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, depict three…