Campo San Polo Venice

Campo San Polo is a well-known central square in Venice. It is, as the name suggests, in the San Polo district. It is, after St. Mark's Square, the second largest square in the city of Venice.

San Polo Square is about 200 meters east of the Frari Church, 500 meters west of the Rialto Bridge and 800 meters southeast of the Santa Lucia Central Station.

In Italy there are squares called piazza and those called campo (literally; field). This has historical reasons. A campo was usually an unconsolidated square, a piazza was paved. In Venice, there is only one piazza, the world famous St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco). All other squares are named Campo....

Thus, Campo San Polo is the largest campo in the city. The only square that is larger is the only piazza, St. Mark's Square.

There is always a lot going on in Campo San Polo. Tourists also come here, but the large square is not necessarily on one of the important walking routes of tourists.

The most important building in San Polo Square is the local church, Chiesa San Polo. Chiesa is the Italian word for church.

It is a very old church, there has been a place of worship here since the 9th century. The current church is from the 15th century, the tower is slightly older. Unfortunately, the church was not open during our visit in the summer of 2022.

Famous is the old inscription on the wall of the church at Campo San Polo. Today the writing is no longer easy to read. The sign says that gambling and offering goods in the square San Polo is strictly forbidden under severe penalty. Of course, the old inscription is no longer valid for a long time.

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Especially in the 19th century, the large Campo San Polo was one of the most important market places in Venice. Today there are a few restautants and cafes. There is also a branch of the post office here.

Great is the stand with ice cream in the middle of the square Campo San Polo. The gelato in the ice cream parlor tastes great and is inexpensive. 2 scoops in the wafer cost only 2 euros, very cheap for Venice (price from July 2022).

Around the square there are some old, beautiful palaces. Great are the benches under the trees in the shade on Campo San Polo. With a little luck, you can get a bench in the shade on a summer day and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Campo San Polo.

Conclusion Campo San Polo: A very nice place and not too crowded. Venice pure without the big tourist crowds. Cheap ice cream and sit in the shade.

Tip: 3-island tour for only 20 euros in 2024

For Venice almost unbelievably cheap is a guided boat trip to the 3 islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. The trip is suitable for tourists who have little time and still want to see several islands. Durning sailing you one is informed in several languages (also English) about the islands and the lagoon. The islands are visited without a guide. The boat ticket is already included at the price of 20 euros. The trip is a real bargain. The tour starts near St. Mark's Square in the old town.

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