January 28, 2025, 6:38 am | Read time: 4 minutes
The Italian city of Venice, world-famous for its romantic canals, has a smaller, little-known doppelgänger: Chioggia. But although it is only a short distance from the “original”, far fewer visitors come here. Yet, “Little Venice”, as it is often called, not only offers more tranquility but also equally beautiful architecture and fascinating sights. There is even a real world record holder there.
Anyone visiting the northern Italian region of Veneto usually has one destination in mind: the world-famous lagoon city of Venice. However, this gem has become so crowded with travelers that you now need to pay an entrance fee to visit, and you’ll often find yourself amidst a throng of people in the beautiful old town, no matter the time of day or year—a factor that deters many. But did you know that not far from the metropolis, which is invaded by millions of tourists every year, there is an equally charming but largely unknown doppelgänger? Well, let TRAVELBOOK be your guide on a journey to Chioggia, affectionately dubbed “Little Venice”.
First off, the striking similarities between Chioggia and its “big sister” are impossible to ignore. According to the magazine “Geo“, it is also located in the lagoon of Venice and, just like the “original”, is built on pile dwellings that support the houses standing above the water. The romantic canals and bridges can also be found here, and Chioggia is also built on an artificial island. The most famous waterway here is the Vena Canal, which is spanned by a total of nine bridges. Additionally, a sturdy stone bridge links the city to the mainland, anchoring it to the rest of Italy.
4,000 Years of History
According to the official tourism website of the Veneto region, the name Chioggia means “artificially built” and is derived from the name of the much older settlement of Clodia, which was built on the same site around 2000 B.C. The origins of the city, which today has 50,000 inhabitants, can therefore be traced back to the ancient Greeks. According to legend, it was even founded by the mythical hero Aeneas. In Roman times, “Little Venice” was already an important transshipment point for salt, which was extracted locally for centuries.
Chioggia was destroyed by the Franks twice in its eventful history and within a century. The Republic of Venice had its say here at times, as did Napoleon and Austria for a short time later. Today, the local people still live partly from fishing and tourism, which is very modest compared to Venice. According to the newspaper “Express“, the 1.4 million overnight stays in 2023 were just around a tenth of the number of overnight stays recorded by “La Serenissima” in the same period. The difference is even more striking when it comes to day visitors. At 4.6 million people, Venice had over twenty times as many as Chioggia.
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A Real World Record
In terms of beauty, the beautiful Vigo Bridge, for example, which is located in the square of the same name, has nothing to hide from its far more famous rival, the Rialto Bridge in Venice. It spans the Vena Canal, was built in 1685, and has been clad in marble since 1762. Also worth seeing are the many old churches in Chioggia, such as the Chiesa di San Domenico or the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. And then there is even a real world record holder in the town.
The old bell tower of the church of Sant’Andrea is home to the oldest functioning mechanical clockwork in the world. According to “Atlas Obscura“, the first mention of the tower clock dates back to 1386. This means that it has been striking the hours in Chioggia without interruption for almost 700 years, perhaps even longer. Today, the tower also houses a museum that tells the history of the town. The clockwork itself can, of course, also be viewed if you are interested.
And where better to end a day in Chioggia than at the town’s own Lido di Sottomarina? The 6-kilometer-long beach is a meeting place for locals and visitors alike, especially in summer. The beach’s sand, rich in salt, is reputed to possess therapeutic qualities, making it a sought-after component for treatments in the city’s numerous spas. To truly appreciate the myriad other wonders of “Little Venice”, nothing compares to exploring them firsthand on a visit to the town.