Campo Santo Stefano
Venice
Campo Santo Stefano is one of the largest campi in Venice, in the sestiere of San Marco. The church of Santo Stefano and noble palaces such as Palazzo Loredan and Palazzo Morosini look onto it.
The grassy campo and the liston
The campo was once covered in grass, with a strip of stone in the middle. It was called the liston, and the nobles strolled along it to be seen. In Venetian, far el liston meant going for a stroll, just like on the liston of Piazza San Marco.
The campo was famous for Carnival, tournaments and shows with animals. In 1802 the crowded stands collapsed, and those shows were banned for good. The campo's official name recalls Doge Francesco Morosini, who lived nearby.
The church of the Augustinians
On 7 June 1296 the first stone of the church was blessed, built for the hermit friars of St Augustine. In the 1400s it was enlarged in Venetian Gothic style.
The bell tower began to lean while it was still being built. In 1904 its top was 170 centimetres out of line.
Music
Giovanni Gabrieli, a great musician of the doge's chapel, is buried in the church. In nearby Palazzo Pisani, young musicians of the Conservatory study today.
