We Venetians only call it San Zanipolo. And when we say that, we mean the square in front of it and the neighborhood around it, rather than the church itself. The Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo is a beautiful church that you should definitely see when you are in the area. The church dates back to 1234 and is the burial place for many Venetian Doges
The real and noisy life takes place on the campo in front of it. For me, this is the closest campo in Venice to get to if I take the boat from Murano to the Fondamente Nove and then walk quickly through the alleys. At Rosa Salva directly on the campo there are extremely delicious pastries and always a freshly brewed caffè, which you can drink in good weather also on the campo in front. And, very important from a certain age, directly on the campo is the ospedale, our Venetian hospital, the first place to go if your ailments get out of hand.
