San Basso, Baroque former church near St. Mark's Square, Venice, Italy

San Basso is a former church with Baroque architecture positioned near St. Mark's Square in Venice. Its facade displays four Corinthian columns, tall single-pane windows, and a side entrance, while the interior now serves as a concert and conference venue.

According to the Venetian historian Flaminio Corner, San Basso was founded in 1079 and rebuilt after fires in 1105 and again in 1661, the latter to a design by Baldassarre Longhena. It was deconsecrated in 1807 under Napoleon's edict, then sold and used as a warehouse. In 1953 it reopened after a restoration promoted by Venice's patriarch Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who turned it into a conference hall.

The church was dedicated to Basso of Nice, a bishop and martyr, after an earlier dedication to Saint Saba. Since 1953 it has been the seat of the Ateneo San Basso, an institution linked to the Procuratoria di San Marco, hosting conferences and musical events; the facade sign advertises Vivaldi concerts.

The site sits conveniently near St. Mark's Square but is set back from main foot traffic in a quieter location. Visitors can reach it easily from the plaza and may enter during open hours to see the concert or conference spaces.

After losing its religious purpose, the building served temporarily as a marble storage facility. This unexpected use reveals how Venice pragmatically adapted its vacant sacred spaces during periods of major transition.