Venice: three tips for an unexpected St. Mark’s Square

- FAI Negozio Olivetti, a hidden masterpiece of architecture in St. Mark’s Square

- Procuratie Vecchie - now open to public - don’t miss a visit to the exhibition “A world of potential”

- Royal Gardens of Venice – an unexpected garden in St. Mark’s: a green lung of Venice overlooking the basin of St. Mark’s Square

St. Mark’s Square is one of the unmissable places to see during a trip to Venice.

Here are some tips to follow if you have already visited the main artistic and cultural sites such as the Doge's Palace, the Correr Museum or St Mark's Church.

FAI – Negozio Olivetti

Under the colonnade of the Procuratie Vecchie, do not miss a visit to the Negozio Olivetti, a small 20th century architectural jewel designed by Carlo Scarpa on commission from Adriano Olivetti.

Owned by Assicurazioni Generali and managed since 2011 by FAI – Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano (The National Trust for Italy), the Negozio Olivetti will take you back to the late 1950s, when computers and mobile phones did not yet exist and people wrote on typewriters.

Inside, you cannot only admire a collection of Olivetti typewriters and calculating machines, but also you can behold the detailed architecture designed by Carlo Scarpa: iconic is the central staircase inspired in its volumes by a typewriter.

A stylistically essential space of Japanese inspiration, made by Venetian artisans.

The interactive exhibition “A World of Potential” inside the Procuratie Vecchie

After the visit to the Negozio Olivetti, the tour could continue inside the Procuratie Vecchie, recently reopened to the public after a David Chipperfield's restoration.

On the third floor of the 16th-century building, where the Procurators lived at the time of the Venetian Republic, now you can visit and enjoy “A world of potential”, an interactive exhibition to discover your strengths (such as curiosity, hope, perseverance, gratitude, teamwork) and your potential as human being.

Inside it is also possible to take a coffee break at Illy Café or to browse and to read socially themed books available for the public.

If you have the FAI/National Trust membership card, you can get an entry ticket discounted.

Have some chill time

On the other side of the Square, where the Procuratie Nuove are located, we suggest you take a moment of relax by visiting the Royal Gardens of Venice, inaugurated in 1806 by Napoleone: stroll among the flowers or rest in the shade of a pergola.

The gardens were given a new life by gardener-architect Paolo Pejrone who reorganized them into their current layout.

The entry is free.

Conclude your visit with a traditional aperitif in a historic café of St. Mark’s Square or by the St. Mark's basin. Sip a Venetian Spritz or a glass of Prosecco enjoying a unique view, so special in every season of the year.