Under the arches of the Sotoportego Falier, on the edge of the Rio dei Santi Apostoli, stands a tall slab of Istrian stone: on top the lion of St Mark, below, tightly packed, dozens of lines of capital letters. It is a proclamation of the Republic of 27 October 1727, and it speaks of bread. Of the many copies that were carved and placed in the city’s most frequented spots, it is the only one left.