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Street Talk
How to tell a ramo from a salizzada
If the civic virtues of Venice had been understood and imitated, later cities would have been better planned. Lewis Mumford, The City in History
Mumford is right, although it may not be immediately apparent for a newcomer trying to get around or find an address. One interesting phenomenon, peculiar to Venice, is street numbering, introduced during the Austrian occupation in the 19th century.
The system they invented has an archaic charm. The number isn't by street, but by entire sestiere. Each has a number 1, from where the numbers roughly spiral out up and down the ancient alleys, terminating with a flourish as San Marco's does, near the main post office, with a huge painted sign proclaiming to the world: 5562. THE LAST NUMBER OF THE SESTIERE SAN MARCO.
Images by Didier Descouens, Nino Barbieri