History Walks in Venice

Il Gran Teatro di Venezia — plate 35 — Veduta del Campo de’ Giesuiti

Domenico Lovisa -- Il Gran Teatro di Venezia -- plate 35 -- Veduta del Campo de' Gesuiti

Veduta del Campo de’ Giesuiti is an engraving from Il Gran teatro di Venezia, published by Domenico Lovisa, c. 1715, in Venice.

It depicts the Campo dei Gesuiti during a game of pallone.

Veduta del Campo de’ Giesuiti

Domenico Lovisa -- Il Gran Teatro di Venezia -- plate 35 -- Veduta del Campo de' Gesuiti
Domenico Lovisa — Il Gran Teatro di Venezia — plate 35 — Veduta del Campo de’ Giesuiti

Legend

  1. Chiesa de P.P. Gesuiti — The church of the Jesuits
  2. Scola de Sartori — The Guild-house of the Tailors
  3. Conuento de P.P. Gesuiti — The convent of the Jesuits
  4. Scola de Varotari — The Guild-house of the Furriers (now demolished)
  5. Scola de Bottari — The Guild-house of the Coopers (makers of barrels)
  6. Ospedale di Donne — The Hospital for Women
  7. Palazzo de N.N. H.H. Zeni — The Palazzo Zeno

Location

The Campo dei Gesuiti is one of the larger squares in the Sestiere Cannaregio.

Located on the northern side of Venice, exposed to the prevailing winds, it was considered a healthier place, and the area was popular for various sports activities.

The buildings around the square haven’t changed very much, but the Scuola dei Varotari no longer exists.

This work also depicts a scoazzera in the lower right. A scoazzera was a small area enclosed by a low wall, for the collection of non-biodegradable rubbish, which couldn’t be thrown into the canal.

Events

The event taking place in the engraving is a game of pallone, a ball game which was very popular in Venice and elsewhere from the 1500s into the 1800s.

The game was banned in the Campo dei Gesuiti in 1711, just around the time this engraving was made, and details in the image hint at the reason.

In the foreground, both to the left and to the right, stray balls from the game have hit people, both onlookers and casual passers-by, and some are definitely hurt.

Other versions

An engraving on yellowed paper. It shows a square extending away with various buildings on either side. In the foreground is a canal with some boats, and a bridge across with some people. Across the bridge is a crowd of people, forming a half-circle, open towards the centre of the square, which is mostly empty. It is only occupied by a few players of a ball game.
Version without the explatory legend
An engraving from the 1700s showing a scoazzera for the collection of garbage on the side of a canal.
Partially colourised version

Venetian Stories

Sources

Bibliography

  • Lovisa, Domenico. Il Gran teatro di Venezia ovvero descrizzione esatta di cento delle più insigni prospettive, e di altretante celebri pitture della medesima città, il tutto disegnato, e intagliato eccelentemente da periti artefici, con la narrazione della fondazione delle chiese, monasteri, spedali, isolette, e altri luoghi sì pubblici, come privati. Venezia per Domenico Lovisa sotto i portici a Rialto, 1715. [more] 🔗

Localities

Today

A photo of the Campo dei Gesuiti, wide angle, taken from above the side of the bridge. Much of the view is obstructed by a large tree, but the church can be seen in the background, under scaffolding, and the convent of the Jesuits on the right.
Contemporary view of the Campo dei Gesuiti

René Seindal

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