Campo San Barnaba and Ponte dei Pugni Square

Campo San Barnaba and Ponte dei Pugni: a memory of Venetian rivalries

Opening onto the edge of the Rio di San Barnaba, Campo San Barnaba is one of the most characteristic and pleasant spaces in Dorsoduro, located between Campo Santa Margherita, Ca’ Rezzonico and the San Trovaso district.
Cafés, ancient houses and the comings and goings of residents give it a lively atmosphere, enhanced by the picturesque boat moored near the Ponte dei Pugni, which is still used as a fruit and vegetable vendor. Right next door, the “bridge of fists” recalls an eventful Venetian tradition, adding to this urban complex a singular historical dimension, reminding us how Venice’s bridges and campi were once also places of rivalry and popular spectacle.

The war of fists

For several centuries, two great popular factions, the Castellani and the Nicolotti, maintained a strong rivalry in Venice. From autumn until Christmas, their champions and sometimes entire groups would fight on certain bridges, which at the time had no parapets. Depending on the form of combat, one had to defeat one’s opponent, push back the opposing faction or seize the bridge, while many fighters ended up in the canal.

A campo that is still lively

Campo San Barnaba is dominated by the former Church of San Barnaba, whose classical façade was designed in the 18th century by Lorenzo Boschetti. The building is no longer used as a church and today houses an exhibition dedicated to the machines and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. Between the canal, the terraces and the greengrocer’s boat, the campo nevertheless retains above all the character of a small neighbourhood hub.

Sources and further information

City of Venice — Ponte dei Pugni ; Venezia Unica — Dorsoduro ; Leonardo da Vinci — San Barnaba exhibition.