Campo Santa Maria Formosa

Campo Santa Maria Formosa

A stop on the Venice audio-guided tour, Campo Santa Maria Formosa is the largest of the city's campi. In Venice, there is only one true square, St Mark's Square; the other spaces, called campo, meaning field, owe their name to their once grassy nature.

A campo with character

This campo has inspired comics: it appears in A Venetian Ballad, an adventure of the sailor Corto Maltese, created by the Italian artist Hugo Pratt. Among the remarkable buildings are some palaces of faded splendour, two stone wells and the eponymous white monument, the church of Santa Maria Formosa.

What to see

The church of Santa Maria Formosa, which gives the campo its name, adds to the beauty of the place; it is discovered with respect, like any religious building. Lively with markets and terraces, the campo offers an authentic and vibrant face of Venice, in the Castello district.

Practical information

Campo Santa Maria Formosa is in the Castello district of Venice. Freely accessible, it can be discovered at any time; the church can be visited according to its hours, to be checked depending on the season.

What is the difference between a piazza and a campo in Venice ?

Only St Mark's Square is a piazza; the other squares, once grassy, are called campo.

What makes this campo remarkable ?

It is the largest campo in Venice, with its palaces, stone wells and the church of Santa Maria Formosa.