Understanding Venice Streets
Venice has its own vocabulary for streets and public spaces. Learning these terms will help you navigate and understand addresses.
Venice Street Terminology
- Calle: A narrow street (plural: calli) - the most common term
- Campo: A square or plaza (not piazza - only St. Mark's is a piazza)
- Fondamenta: A walkway alongside a canal
- Rio: A small canal
- Rio Terà: A filled-in canal, now a street
- Salizada: One of the first paved streets
- Ruga: A street with shops
- Sottoportego: A covered passageway under a building
- Ponte: A bridge
Venice Street Facts
• Venice has approximately 3,000 calli
• Over 400 bridges connect the islands
• The narrowest street is Calle Varisco at 53cm wide
• Many streets share the same name in different sestieri
Street Navigation Tips
• Yellow signs point to major landmarks: "Per San Marco," "Per Rialto"
• Street names are in Venetian dialect, not standard Italian
• House numbers follow the sestiere, not the street
• Zoom in on our map for street-level detail