This vast square bears witness to the darkest hours of the Second World War deportations: a stele by Lithuanian artist Blatas (1979) and the monument in memory of the deported Jews are a reminder that Venice’s Jewish community paid a heavy price in the face of barbarism. The tranquillity and serene atmosphere that reign in the area only accentuate the tragic dimension of the events; and the knowledge that although one is in Venice, this is a Venice different from that of palaces and gondolas.