In ancient times, the "Piazza" was about half the size of what we can see today and the "Piazzetta" was probably still covered with water from the lagoon, thus forming the first original port of the city.

In the XII cent. the piazza was extended to the dimensions it has today by filling in the canal Rio Bataro - that flowed roughly half way across, and by knocking down the Chiesa di S. Gemignano and rebuilding another on the site of the present day Ala Napoleonica. The first Procuratie were built.

The paving that went back to 1264 - herring-bone brick pavement - was replaced in 1723 with the Euganean trachite and Istrian stone we can see today.

During the XVI cent. the Procuratie Vecchie were rebuilt and have not changed since. After the construction of the Procuratie Nuove in 1640, in accordance with Napoleon's wishes (1810), the Chiesa di S. Gemignano was demolished to allow the construction of the Ala Novissima called Napoleonica, and the Piazza assumed the form we can see today.