Here is the church of San Maurizio, and in this square antiques markets are often held. Originally one of the oldest churches in Venice, it was completely rebuilt in 1806 when Venice was under Napoleon’s rule and so is often ignored by admirers of the Venetian Republic. It is a plain church in neo-classical style. The ancient bell-tower you see is actually part of the Church of Santo Stefano on the other side. In 1319 the Church of San Maurizio was the scene of an infamous scandal, when the parish priest murdered another rival priest for money. He was sentenced to the – cheba – which meant he was confined to live out his days in a cage which was hung publically at the top of Saint Mark’s belltower.
