Piazza San Marco looking towards the Basilica and Campanile 1763

Giovanni Battista Brustolon created this print of the Piazza San Marco, with its Basilica and Campanile, sometime in the 18th century. The Venice that Brustolon depicts was a city celebrated for its beauty, but also marked by rigid social hierarchies. The figures populating the piazza, rendered with meticulous detail, offer a glimpse into this society. Note how their attire subtly indicates social standing and gender roles, reflecting the stratified nature of Venetian society. Piazza San Marco wasn’t only a scenic gathering place. It was also a space where identities were performed and reinforced through clothing, gesture, and social interaction. This print invites us to reflect on the intersection of space, identity, and power, and consider the stories embedded within the stones and the skies of Venice.