Campo Santa Margherita

Campo Santa Margherita is the largest square in Dorsoduro and one of the few in Venice that still functions as a neighbourhood square rather than a monument. It takes its name from a church that stood on the northern side until Napoleon's suppressions; a handful of produce and fish stalls still trade here most mornings.

Ca' Foscari University sits a few minutes away, which gives the square its evening character -- bars and cafes filled with students and residents, and one of the busiest aperitivo scenes in the city.

Three buildings of note stand on or beside it. The Scuola dei Varoteri, a modest two-storey brick hall, was the seat of the tanners' and furriers' confraternity, founded in 1311. The Ospizio Scrovegni was endowed under the will of the 15th-century noblewoman Maddalena degli Scrovegni.

The Scuola Grande dei Carmini, founded in 1594 and given its Baroque facade by Baldassare Longhena, is the one to go inside. Its upper hall carries a ceiling cycle by Giambattista Tiepolo, painted 1739-49 and still in the room it was made for; further canvases by Giustino Menescardi are held in the archive room. Next door, the 14th-century church of Santa Maria dei Carmini has lunettes carved by Giovanni Buora and a bell tower by Giuseppe Sardi, topped with a statue of the Madonna del Carmine.

Campo Santa Margherita is primarily a residential and student square rather than a tourist site, and evening noise from its bars is a point of ongoing discussion among residents living around it. Visitors are welcome, but the square functions first as a neighborhood gathering place.

The square sits in the Dorsoduro sestiere, a short walk from the Ca' Rezzonico vaporetto stop.

• Getting there: roughly 5-10 minutes on foot from the Ca' Rezzonico vaporetto stop, through Dorsoduro's residential streets.
• Market: a small number of produce and fish stalls typically operate on weekday mornings.
• Nearby: the Scuola Grande dei Carmini and the church of Santa Maria dei Carmini both face directly onto the square.