The best running trails around Chioggia

The Porta di Santa Maria Assunta is also popularly known as Porta Garibaldi. The historic city gate was originally built around 1520 and was part of the city fortifications. It is located at the southern end of the main street, the Corso del Popolo, and today serves as a freestanding gate around which road traffic flows. On the side facing the mainland, there is a marble relief of the Lion of Saint Mark, the symbol of Venice's former rule over the city.

The Porta di Santa Maria is the ancient monumental gateway that marks the entrance to the historic center of Chioggia for those coming from the mainland. Located at the southern end of the Corso del Popolo, the gate was built in 1530 to a design attributed to Michele Sanmicheli, replacing a previous medieval structure for the city's defense. The elegant and austere architecture served as a customs and military barrier in an era when Chioggia was a strategic stronghold of the Serenissima. Today, the gate represents the starting point of the main city promenade, welcoming visitors with its Istrian stone structure that introduces the Venetian atmosphere of the village, amidst canals and historic palaces.

The Canal Vena is the most picturesque and vital waterway in Chioggia, often described as the city's "Grand Canal". What makes it unique are its nine bridges, each with its own history and appearance, connecting the side foundations and allowing passage between the alleys. The most majestic is undoubtedly the Ponte di Vigo, located at the northern end of the canal, towards the lagoon. Built of marble in 1685, it represents the monumental gateway to the city: with its imposing staircase and elegant decorations, it offers a spectacular view that ranges from the canal to the nearby island of Pellestrina. The other eight bridges, such as the Ponte di San Giacomo or the Ponte Caneva, follow one another along the route, offering postcard-worthy glimpses between moored boats and historic markets. These passages are not just architectural structures, but the beating heart of Chioggia life, where the Venetian atmosphere blends with the authenticity of the fishing village.

Chioggia, an island that was once under Venetian rule, is beautiful despite the potential – in my humble opinion – for its appearance to be improved.

Porta Santa Maria, Chioggia / Porta Garibaldi or Porta S. Maria This is a city wall that closed off access to the two canals and marked the southern entrance to the city. The Porta di Santa Maria Assunta (also called Porta Garibaldi) is a former city gate of the Italian city of Chioggia. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. The now freestanding gate was built in 1520, was part of Chioggia's old city fortifications, and has been structurally altered several times throughout its history. On the landward side, a marble relief depicts the Lion of Saint Mark, the heraldic animal of Venice, symbolizing Venetian rule over the city. Until recently, the gate was red, but it is now yellow. Traffic now flows around the gate; inside the gate is a Latin inscription commemorating a visit by Pope Pius VI to Chioggia, as well as a decorative plaque bearing a coat of arms. Text/Source: wikipedia.org https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porta_di_Santa_Maria_Assunta

One of the major projects completed during the Fascist era is the Sottomarina Dam, which, together with the Ca' Roman Dam built a few years earlier, completes the mouth of the Port of Chioggia. Construction began in the years following the First World War. Like the Murazzi (sea walls), the dam was constructed of brick and boulders of local Istrian stone and, in addition to finally completing the entrance to the Port of Chioggia, also allowed for a further expansion of the beach. The inauguration, as mentioned, took place in the midst of the Fascist regime on April 28, 1935, in the presence of the Duke of Aosta. The dam was immediately embraced by the local population, especially the residents of Sottomarina, a popular destination for their walks, so much so that many refer to it as "Sailors' Square." Text / Source: Lidi di Chioggia https://www.lididichioggia.it/la-diga-murazzi/

The Dam and the Walls, Sottomarina The Dam and the Walls The Walls are Istrian stone walls built by the Republic of Venice starting in the late 18th century to protect the inhabited centers of the lagoon from marine erosion. They are divided into three sections: one on the island of Lido, a second on the island of Pellestrina as far as Cà Roman, and a third along the coast of Sottomarina, running from Forte San Felice to the center of Sottomarina at a height of approximately 1200 meters. The famous War of Chioggia led to the complete destruction of Sottomarina, which became an uninhabited area, exposed to the sea without any protection and subject to frequent flooding. Reconstruction, which included the construction of the Walls, did not begin until 1600. The Walls along Via San Felice were more than 5 kilometers long and over 300 meters wide. They were built from square stones, primarily Istrian stone, erected on stilts extending to the Pellestrina coast and, of course, the Sottomarina coast. Initially, given the scale of the project and the lack of adequate equipment, construction seemed impossible, so it took thirty-eight years to complete in 1770. Legend has it that the inscription "Ausu romano, aere veneto" (With Roman boldness, with Venetian money) was already in place. The inscription is still visible when passing by on the Chioggia-Pellestrina vaporetto. The Murazzi ceased to function between the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the receding sea revealed an unexpected beach, thus forming a symbolic dividing line between "old" and "new" Sottomarina. Today, the Murazzi di Sottomarina are located about one kilometer from the sea: this has allowed for a large-scale revival of coastal tourism. The Murazzo now connects the entire Venetian coast, especially the outer islands, like a cordon, leaving only the three bays open, thus preserving the lagoon's waters. Text / Source: Lidi di Chioggia https://www.lididichioggia.it/la-diga-murazzi/

The Dam and the Walls, Sottomarina The Dam and the Walls The Walls are Istrian stone walls built by the Republic of Venice starting in the late 18th century to protect the inhabited centers of the lagoon from marine erosion. They are divided into three sections: one on the island of Lido, a second on the island of Pellestrina as far as Cà Roman, and a third along the coast of Sottomarina, running from Forte San Felice to the center of Sottomarina at a height of approximately 1200 meters. The famous War of Chioggia led to the complete destruction of Sottomarina, which became an uninhabited area, exposed to the sea without any protection and subject to frequent flooding. Reconstruction, which included the construction of the Walls, did not begin until 1600. The Walls along Via San Felice were more than 5 kilometers long and over 300 meters wide. They were built from square stones, primarily Istrian stone, erected on stilts extending to the Pellestrina coast and, of course, the Sottomarina coast. Initially, given the scale of the project and the lack of adequate equipment, construction seemed impossible, so it took thirty-eight years to complete in 1770. Legend has it that the inscription "Ausu romano, aere veneto" (With Roman boldness, with Venetian money) was already in place. The inscription is still visible when passing by on the Chioggia-Pellestrina vaporetto. The Murazzi ceased to function between the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the receding sea revealed an unexpected beach, thus forming a symbolic dividing line between "old" and "new" Sottomarina. Today, the Murazzi di Sottomarina are located about one kilometer from the sea: this has allowed for a large-scale revival of coastal tourism. The Murazzo now connects the entire Venetian coast, especially the outer islands, like a cordon, leaving only the three bays open, thus preserving the lagoon's waters. Text / Source: Lidi di Chioggia https://www.lididichioggia.it/la-diga-murazzi/