Campi, the public squares of Venice, are the nodes around which the city is organized. Campi vary in size; most are attached to a parish church. Historically, each campo was relatively self-sufficient; there would be, for each parish, bakers, food-sellers, various crafts, and living quarters for all classes arrayed around the open space. One universal feature of campi is a "well" (actually a cistern collecting rainwater) somewhere in the open area.

1. Campo S. Maria Formosa, Castello
This is a medium-large campo. It has a relatively rectangular shape, but this is difficult to apprehend because of the presence of the church and its campanile right in the middle of the space.

2. Campo dei Mori, Cannaregio This is a long, narrow space shaped like a trumpet. It is open to a fondamenta at one end, and turns into a bridge at the other. Shown here on one house is one of the four sculptures of Moors that gives the campo its name. The pozzo (cistern or well) is visible at lower right.

3. Corte, Rio S. Caterina, Cannaregio
Not really a campo, but wider than many calli, this is an open space created by the construction of two rows of houses.

4. Campo S. Giacomo dall'Orio, Santa Croce
This is one of the large campi in Venice, covering most of an acre. The church (at left) is also quite large, and dominates the space.

5. Campo S. Giacomo dall'Orio, Santa Croce
The space is surrounded by multi-story buildings, but the continuity is broken by ten separate exits, as calli, sottoporteghi and bridges all lead out of the campo.

6. Campo S. Giacomo dall'Orio, Santa Croce
This well, one of three in the campo, is in a prominent place. Unlike many campi, there are several trees shading the expanse.

7. Campiello del Piovan, S. Giacomo dall'Orio, Santa Croce
This campiello, or "little campo," is a complex space that joins the front of the church with two of the four bridges leading directly into the Campo S. Giacomo dall'Orio. It is used as a staging and work area by artisans who create and maintain mooring poles for gondolas. The area just to the north of the campiello contains several indoor boat-building facilities.

8. Campo S. Lio, Castello
This campo is very small. Even though its church does not extend into it--forming instead one of the four sides of this very regular rectagular space, the ground area is very limited.

9. Campo S. Lio, Castello
In these two photographs, taken about four feet apart, it is possible to see three sides of this square.

10. Campo S.S. Filippo e Giacomo, Castello
A relatively small space, but replete with the amenities: a well, outdoor seating. There are three entrances/exits, but in the best Venetian tradition, no two line up with each other.

11. Salizzada San Provolo and Campo S. Zaccaria, Castello
An unusual example of a demarcated space. The marker is on the outside of the campo, enclosing it. Usually, as in the Calle Paradiso (see "Calli") it is the smaller space that is marked off.