….Che se tanto prescrivevasi perché gli uomini, allettati ad un vizio minore, da un maggiore venissero distolti….'.

Was it to deter Venetian men from illicit behavior deemed ‘unnatural’ by the authorities that prostitution in Venice was not only tolerated but actively encouraged? What is certain is that the Serenissima viewed prostitution as the lesser vice and while extremely harsh penalties were imposed for homosexual practices it seems that prostitutes were considered the most effective remedy for curbing them. In 1509 the number of women officially practicing the oldest profession was 11,164. This might well seem an excessive number to serve local needs but the truth is that by 1500 Venice had already begun to cater for its tourist population. The vast quantities of religious relics that flooded into the city from far-flung places along trade routes attracted large numbers of pilgrims who, having fulfilled their spiritual needs, demanded services to satisfy quite different appetites.

From as early as 1358 prostitutes had been confined to a specially designated zone. If you find yourselves in the Rialto area and want to escape the crowds flocking to the city’s monuments, head for the Rio Terà delle Carampane.

Here you can explore the area where the “Castelletto” was once found, the fortified brothel where the Serenissima had decreed all the city’s prostitutes must live. Once a slum, the Carampane had gradually been colonized illegally by so many low-class prostitutes that Venetians still use the term “old carampana” to describe a somewhat faded beauty. These days, the street names are all that remain of the former red-light district. Yet these can still conjure up evocative images. As you walk along the narrow Rio Terrà delle Carampane, past two minor civic buildings, you might still feel that you are being watched from the windows of the once brothels where the prostitutes would stand, half-naked in the light of oil lamps or torches.

When you reach the “Ponte delle Tette”, or “Tits” Bridge, look around at the balconies you see on the buildings overlooking it. It was here that the prostitutes used to display their wares; hence the name of the bridge. A visit to this area will also give you the chance to stop off at the “Antiche Carampane”, one of the few restaurants that has conceded nothing to mass tourism and, unsurprisingly, is hidden away, well off the beaten track. As a result, it can still claim a strong Venetian clientele who come for the menu based on local vegetables and fish from the lagoon.