The campo I chose to examine more closely for its architectural features was Campo S. Moise, which is just a little ways up from Piazza San Marco. I chose this campo because I think that the church, or chiesa, is especially beautiful and interesting. The campo itself is also interesting, because the street which runs alongside the church contains shops of some of the most well-known and high-end designers in the world, such as Versace, Prada, and Hermes. I already knew that the church contained a number of architectural features, but as it turned out, other buildings around the campo, including the campanile that sat back behind the church, contained terms from our list as well.
To begin with, the campanile behind the church, pictured above, contained a biforate window, as well as a balustrade near the top. It also contains examples of pilasters, which can also be seen on the second level of the church as well, and which extend up the sides of the campanile.
This is another example of a biforate window on one of the buildings in the campo.
These are examples of other windows on various buildings around the campo. They are examples of ogee arches, which display the noticeable cusp often associated with Gothic architecture, and also what looks somewhat like a stilted arch.
On the main picture of the church, you can also see a good example of a thermal window.
This decoration above a door in the campo is a good example of the quatrefoil design.
Underneath this balcony above the Versace store was a good example of corbels.
On the church itself were a number of architectural features. For starters, there were many examples of dentilled molding all across the facade of the church front.
There are also a number of columns across the front of the church. The capitals of the columns seemed to be in the Composite order, because of the acanthus-leaf ornaments and the volutes. You can also notice the entablature and the frieze atop the column.
This image of the main door of the church represents several architectural features. First of all, it is a good example of both dentilled molding and a pediment. There is also an aedicule framing the door and supporting the pediment.
This exercise greatly affected my appreciation of Venice because it is easy to take in an entire campo and simply think "Oh that looks nice, and so Italian!" and then simply snap a picture and move on. However, actually delving into the place and exploring the details of why it is so appealing to the eye creates not only a greater appreciation for the space, but also a newfound respect for the designer of the space. Particularly in regards to the church, it is fascinating to think of someone looking at that open space and visualizing what should go there and considering and designing all of the details which will best create the overall desired effect. Also, studying one campo in depth has made it easier to take in the details and appreciate Venice as a whole because now it is easier to pick out and know what to look for in other campos, as well as simply down the streets. On a vaporetto going down the Grand Canal the other day, I was much more aware of, specifically, the different types of windows on the buildings we were passing, such as the ogee arches and the six-light windows in particular, which were prevalent along the canal.
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