Types: Inscriptions
Inscriptions are simply words that have been carved into stone and displayed in public locations. They usually display historical or religious messages, but can also serve as memorials. Typically written in old Venetian or pseudo-Latin, inscriptions were often produced to commemorate a prominent person or significant event. Their function is purely informational, but they now add to the artistic atmosphere of Venice, too.
The inscription in the Campo San Zaccaria is one of the best examples of this category, in part because it is in good shape, but also because of the information it contains. A rough translation could be:
"In this campo, near the cloisters behind these doors, the following are prohibited: games and making a ruckus, loudly uttering bad words, being dishonest, leaving garbage, planting trees, nor any other such type of thing. Under grave penalty and by the decree of the most illustrious and most esteemed Lord Executioners Against Blasphemy. July 16 and August 8, 1620.”While they are often low in artistic value, inscriptions do provide insight, sometimes even humorous, into the lives of ancient Venetians.
There are 28 inscriptions throughout the streets of Venice. A further nine can be found on lagoon islands. No inscriptions have been found missing, perhaps because they are of little value to treasure hunters.
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