Campo dei Santi Apostoli
Campo dei Santi Apostoli (locally abbreviated Campo S.S. Apostoli) is a broad historic square in the Cannaregio sestiere of Venice, gathered around the ancient church of the Santi Apostoli. Positioned at the northern end of the Strada Nova — the main pedestrian artery linking the railway station to the Rialto — the campo is one of the city’s key transit squares, giving access to the Ca’ d’Oro vaporetto stop and framing a church whose foundations date to the seventh century.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic Venetian campo (public square) with associated parish church
- Period
- Church origins 7th century; current building largely 15th–18th century; square in present form since the 19th-century Strada Nova opening
- Style
- Venetian Gothic and Baroque (church); open civic square
- Location
- Cannaregio, Venice, Italy · 45.4403° N, 12.3364° E
Overview
The square takes its name from the Church of Santi Apostoli (Holy Apostles), one of the oldest parishes in Venice, traditionally said to have been founded in the seventh century by Venetian families returning from Constantinople. The campo is a natural crossroads: the Strada Nova runs through it east–west, and a short walk north leads to the Fondamente Nove and the lagoon islands. Numerous cafés and local shops line the porticoed edges, giving it a neighbourhood character somewhat removed from the tourist intensity of San Marco.
History
According to Venetian tradition, the Church of Santi Apostoli was established in 650 CE by noble families of the Tribuno and Falier clans. The building was substantially rebuilt in the fifteenth century and again modified in the eighteenth, when the interior received its Baroque decoration. The Cappella Corner, added in the late fifteenth century, shelters a painting attributed to Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The Strada Nova — the straight thoroughfare now bordering the square — was cut through existing buildings in 1871 to ease circulation between the station and the commercial heart of the city, transforming the campo into a key node.
What you see
The church façade is relatively restrained; its freestanding campanile (bell tower) is one of the characteristic punctuation marks of the Cannaregio skyline. Inside, the Cappella Corner contains Tiepolo’s “Communion of Saint Lucy,” one of the most significant paintings in the church. The campo itself is paved in the typical Venetian “masegni” trachyte slabs and features a wellhead (vera da pozzo) at its centre — a hallmark of Venetian public squares. Looking east, the view frames the Ca’ d’Oro Gothic palace on the Grand Canal.
Cultural significance
Campo dei Santi Apostoli exemplifies the everyday Venice that residents inhabit: a living parish square rather than a set-piece monument. Its position on the Strada Nova makes it a genuine meeting point for Venetians commuting between the station and the Rialto, and the campo retains local commerce — bakeries, greengrocer stalls — that defines authentic Venetian street life.
Practical information
- Address
- Campo dei Santi Apostoli, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy
- Church opening hours
- Check official website for current times; typically open mornings and late afternoons
- Admission
- Free (square); church: free or small donation
Getting there
Vaporetto line 1 stops at Ca’ d’Oro, a two-minute walk from the campo. Lines 41, 42, 51, 52 stop at Ca’ d’Oro as well. On foot from the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station, follow the Strada Nova east for approximately 10–12 minutes. From the Rialto, follow the Strada Nova west for 8 minutes.