Campo San Bartolomio

Campo San Bartolomio is one of Venice's most animated public squares, positioned at the foot of the Rialto Bridge where the sestieri of San Marco and San Polo converge. The campo takes its name from the church of San Bartolomeo, which has stood on its eastern edge for centuries and remains a quiet counterpoint to the constant movement of the square below. At its centre stands the bronze statue of Carlo Goldoni, the eighteenth-century Venetian playwright whose comedies helped define Italian theatre, sculpted by Antonio Dal Zotto in 1883. The square has long served as a natural crossroads for locals and visitors moving between the Rialto markets and the streets leading toward Piazza San Marco.

Today, Campo San Bartolomio is the starting point for a walking food tour that combines sightseeing with an introduction to Venetian culinary traditions. The route draws on the square's position close to the Rialto market district, one of the oldest fresh-produce markets in Europe, making it a fitting place to begin exploring the food culture of the city.