Venice: A Look At A Campo

Reflection of Campi

After spending time in a couple of campi, I have started to classify them into two different kinds. There are the campi along the main paths that receive heavy foot traffic and tourists and there are those along the path less traveled by that are more quiet and serene.

The Campo S. Maria Nova is an example of the first type of campo. While sitting in it I encountered a couple different types of people. There were those who rushed through the campo using it only as a connecting point from their previous location to the next, and there were those who came in sat on a bench or at the restaurant viewing the campo as their final destination. It was highly fascinating to see how often these two kinds of people crossed paths. Often those entering the campo in a group would have representatives of both types of people. If those who were just passing through were in the lead, they would dash on through and those bringing up the rear would take their place in the campo with a small smile and glance at their counterparts. However if the people who only wanted to pass through end up in the rear, I observed two different outcomes. There were those who had already grown very upset with the pace that the leading group was setting and as soon as they came into the open area of the campo those just passing through would dance around their leaders and continue their journey at a pace they found to be acceptable. Then there were those who appeared to be just passing through but once falling behind a group that viewed the campo as the destination took a moment to appreciate the space they were in. The most fantastic outcome in my opinion is what sometimes would happen next. After taking in the space for a moment or two they would decide that this was a destination and not just another dot on their connect the dots map. They would sit down for a while, order some food or take pictures of the square. For one moment their main focus was the space they were in and not the space they were headed to next. I think we often forget to live in the moment when we travel and I was happy not only to be reminded of this myself, but see it in action.

The Campo Drio La Chesa is an example of the second type of campo. I didn't spend much time in it as I spent in S. Maria Nova, but I was still able to feel the difference between the two. The tone that was set when walking into Drio La Chesa was an immediate feeling of contentment. It didn't have the restaurants, canal, or benches that the S. Maria Nova had which gave it more of a pass through feeling. However since I was analyzing campi today I decided to pause a moment and see what this one had to offer. Even though it is only a few short turns off the main tourist path, this campo saw far less traffic. It made me feel privileged to find it. Unlike the S. Maria Nova I didn't see this campo as highly public socializing space but instead as a community space. The buildings surrounding it containing what I assume were apartments over looked the square like houses on a block may overlook a common patch of land in the middle. It gave the sense of a connection between neighbors not only now but also in the past. The well in the middle hinted at the campo once being a daily community gathering point. It was nice to see that even with the heavy foot traffic and tourism that Venice see there still exist places that seem to be community focused.

Architectural Hunt

Campo S. Maria Nova

A string course