“Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors.”
Henry James
Napoleon may or may not have called the Piazza San Marco “the finest drawing room in Europe” but whether he did or he didn’t it doesn’t really matter because it is indeed one of the finest squares in all of Europe.
San Marco or is the principal public square of Venice where it is generally known just as ‘the Piazza’. All other urban spaces in the city (except the Piazzetta) are called ‘campi’ (fields). The Piazzetta (the ‘little Piazza’) is an extension of the Piazza towards the lagoon in its south east corner and the two spaces together form the social, religious and political centre of the city.