Cantina Do Mori
Cantina Do Mori is widely regarded as the oldest bacaro (traditional Venetian wine bar) still in operation in Venice, with roots documented to at least 1462, making it one of the oldest continuously operating drinking establishments in Italy. Located in a narrow calle steps from the Rialto Market, it was historically frequented by merchants, senators of the Venetian Republic, and figures as celebrated as Giacomo Casanova. The cantina preserves the authentic bacaro format of hanging copper pots, standing-room wine service, and cichèti prepared behind a wooden counter.
At a glance
- Type
- Bacaro (traditional Venetian wine bar)
- Founded
- Documented from at least 1462
- Location
- Calle dei Do Mori, San Polo, Venice, Italy
- Coordinates
- 45.4390° N, 12.3339° E
- Notable feature
- Suspended collection of antique copper pots and pitchers; no seating
Overview
Cantina Do Mori occupies a medieval building in the Rialto district, the commercial core of Venice from the early Middle Ages until the fall of the Republic in 1797. The name “Do Mori” (Two Moors) likely derives from earlier medieval signage or from the two dark-complexioned figures traditionally associated with Venetian trade with the Levant. The cantina served the working population of the Rialto market — fishmongers, spice merchants, and cloth traders — as well as patricians and senators who conducted informal business over a glass of wine.
History
The cantina’s documented history stretches to 1462, placing it firmly in the era of the Serenissima’s greatest commercial and maritime power. During the Republic, the Rialto area was the economic heart not just of Venice but of the entire Mediterranean trading system, and establishments like Do Mori served as informal meeting places where commercial deals were struck alongside the exchange of news and gossip from across the known world. Giacomo Casanova, born in Venice in 1725, is among the historical figures associated with the cantina, which appears in contemporary accounts of 18th-century Venetian social life.
What you see
The interior of Do Mori is a preserved slice of old Venice: the ceiling hung with dozens of antique copper and tin vessels — pitchers, strainers, ladles, and moulds — collected over generations, the walls dark with age, and the narrow counter displaying the day’s cichèti. There is no seating; standing is the historical norm, allowing the rapid turnover of customers that the Rialto’s commercial pace always demanded. Wine is still served in small ombra glasses, and the menu of cichèti changes with season and availability.
Cultural significance
Do Mori is considered one of the living monuments of Venetian intangible heritage, a physical embodiment of the bacaro culture that UNESCO has recognised as integral to Venice’s World Heritage identity. The cantina’s survival across more than five centuries — through the fall of the Republic, Napoleonic suppression, Austrian rule, and the mass tourism of the modern era — makes it a rare continuous thread connecting contemporary Venice to its merchant republic past. It remains a point of pilgrimage for those seeking authentic contact with Venetian social history.
Practical information
- Address
- Calle dei Do Mori 429, San Polo, Venice (off Ruga Vecchia San Giovanni, near Rialto Market)
- Opening hours
- Traditionally opens in the morning; check current hours — closed Sunday afternoons and Sundays in some periods
- Note
- Cash preferred; no seating; can be very busy at peak times
Getting there
Vaporetto lines 1 and 2 stop at Rialto Mercato on the San Polo side of the Grand Canal. From the stop, walk into the market lanes and follow signs toward the Rialto Fish Market (Pescheria); Do Mori is in the calle network immediately behind the market. From the Rialto Bridge (San Marco bank), cross and turn left into the market — allow 5 minutes on foot.