The church has two façades and main entrances, probably to separate the Nicolotti and Castellani, the two main factions in medieval Venice.
The Campo is on a higher level as it was once a large cistern for the collection of clean water, always a tricky thing in such a marshy environment. It is noteworthy that this campo has three well-heads, where most only have one. The most talked of is the oldest one closer to the canal on the grassy patch. One summer morning in 1780 a maid from a nearby household came here to fetch water but instead found the body of a man, with no limbs or head. The other body parts were soon found in other wells spread out in the city. The head was quickly embalmed and placed in public, and sure enough the deceased’s brother recognised him; the body belonged to an unfortunate man who was murdered by his wife and wife’s lover in a gruesome act of violence. The assassins were decapitated and the lover’s body was dismembered as a sign of retribution.
