Piazza San Marco (feat. Marco Mengoni)

At its core, Piazza San Marco is an exploration of a deeply ambivalent and modern romance, one that oscillates between intense attraction and self-aware toxicity. The song captures the paradox of loving someone while simultaneously feeling anxious, insecure, and exhausted by the dynamic.

It strips away the idealized veneer of a perfect relationship, instead presenting two flawed individuals who admit to manipulating their own images ('Per piacerti di più ti ho mentito' - 'To make you like me more, I lied'). The recurring theme of anxiety and jealousy—sparked by the sight of a blonde girl or the thought of past lovers—highlights the fragility of their trust.

However, the true meaning lies in the enduring nature of their connection despite these flaws. Set against the breathtaking but imposing backdrop of Venice, their relationship is messy, filled with arguments and 'stolen' moments of warmth. Yet, the concluding image of their hands remaining clasped even as the police clear the area signifies a stubborn, unbreakable bond. It is a poignant testament to the fact that love does not have to be perfect, or even healthy, to be profoundly felt and impossible to abandon.

The narrative immerses the listener in a cinematic and emotionally charged nighttime walk through the cold, wind-swept streets of Venice. It captures the complex dynamics of a relationship that is as deeply magnetic as it is chaotic. The narrator opens by describing the biting east wind and a profound sense of feeling stuck, questioning where things that never truly end actually go. A scene unfolds involving jealousy and insecurity, as the narrator observes their partner greeting a blonde girl, leading to a poignant moment of crying into a drink. The mixture of tears and tonic water creates a bitter taste that makes it feel as though they are swallowing the entire sea, symbolizing the overwhelming nature of their sadness.

As the night progresses, the tone shifts between irritation and vulnerability. The narrator dismissively tells their companion to stop talking so much and to let them be, citing the exhaustion of a typical Friday night. Yet, this defensiveness quickly melts into a raw confession. They admit to lying just to seem more appealing, revealing the deep-seated insecurities that plague their connection. This relationship is vividly compared to candies mixed with arsenic—something undeniably sweet and addictive, but ultimately toxic and self-destructive. The couple tries to find solace in fleeting, inadequate comforts, beautifully described as warming themselves by the flame of a stolen lighter.

The emotional climax of the narrative centers around the iconic Piazza San Marco. The narrator expresses a profound sense of anxiety juxtaposed with the overwhelming, almost sickening beauty of the square. This striking visual serves as a backdrop to their lingering doubts. The narrator imagines all the other girls their partner might have held hands with on similar piers in the exact same way, highlighting a fear of being unoriginal or easily replaceable. Despite these insecurities, the chaos of the night, and the eventual intervention of the police breaking up their lingering, the song concludes on an intimate and enduring note. Even as the night forcefully comes to an end, their hands remain tightly intertwined, suggesting that despite the toxicity and the anxiety, their bond is inescapable and deeply rooted.

Released on September 5, 2025, Piazza San Marco serves as the second single from Annalisa's ninth studio album, Ma io sono fuoco. The track marks a highly anticipated first-time collaboration between Annalisa and Marco Mengoni, two of the most prominent and critically acclaimed voices in contemporary Italian pop music.

The song was co-written by both artists alongside Alessandro Raina and Davide Simonetta (also known as d.whale), who handled the track's production. The collaboration was initially teased in early August 2025 after the two artists were spotted together at night near the actual Piazza San Marco in Venice, sparking immense speculation among fans. The official music video, directed by Nicolò Bassetto and produced by Borotalco.tv, features the duo wandering through iconic Venetian locations such as Palazzo Ducale and the Scala Contarini del Bovolo, guided by a symbolic light before converging in the famous square. Annalisa and Mengoni performed the duet live for the first time on September 12, 2025, during the TIM Music Awards.

The song employs a mix of perfect and slant rhymes, moving freely between structured lyrical verses and more conversational, free-verse phrasing. This structural choice creates a rhythm that feels both poetic and authentically spontaneous. The rhyme scheme often utilizes couplets and internal rhymes (e.g., 'molo / modo', 'polizia / mia') that ground the listener during the song's emotional peaks.

Rhythmically, the track starts with a measured, almost hesitant tempo that mimics the pacing of a slow, uncertain nighttime walk. As the emotional tension builds, particularly in the pre-chorus and chorus, the rhythm expands into the grandiose, sweeping meter typical of a power ballad. The interplay between the driving musical beat and the syncopated, modern vocal delivery of lines like 'Oddio, che ansia, però' creates a compelling contrast. The music swells to reflect the overwhelming beauty of the Venetian setting, while the vocal rhythm remains tight and anxious, perfectly embodying the internal emotional state of the protagonists.

Musically, the song is structured as a cinematic power ballad that seamlessly blends classic Italian melodic traditions with contemporary pop production. The arrangement utilizes a sweeping, crescendo-driven dynamic that mirrors the emotional volatility of the lyrics.

A key stylistic technique is the intertwining vocal delivery; Mengoni's powerful, soulful resonance perfectly complements Annalisa's pristine, emotionally sharp timbre, creating a conversational and intensely intimate dialogue. Lyrically, the song employs stark oxymorons, most notably in the phrase 'bella da far schifo' (so beautiful it makes you sick), which juxtaposes elevated romanticism with raw, colloquial expression.

The writers also use vivid imagery and hyperbole, such as crying enough tears into a drink to make it taste like the sea. The distinct shift between conversational, dismissive phrases ('Ma quanto parli? Mollami') and profound poetic confessions highlights the modern, highly realistic narrative voice of the song.

Piazza San Marco has made a significant cultural impact as a monumental collaboration between Annalisa and Marco Mengoni, two artists who define a generation of Italian pop music. The song successfully bridges the gap between classic Italian balladry and contemporary Gen-Z/Millennial relationship anxieties, making it highly relatable to a wide audience.

Upon its release, the track achieved immediate chart success and critical acclaim for its sophisticated songwriting and cinematic production. Furthermore, by utilizing Venice and its iconic Piazza San Marco not just as a backdrop, but as a central character and metaphor, the song has contributed to the modern romantic mythology of the city. The raw honesty of lyrics like 'bella da far schifo' quickly became a popular cultural reference for expressing overwhelming, almost painful beauty on social media platforms.

The lyrics are exceptionally rich with evocative symbolism that underscores the song's theme of a troubled romance. The central metaphor, 'Caramelle mischiate all'arsenico' (candies mixed with arsenic), powerfully represents the dual nature of their relationship: it is intoxicatingly sweet and desirable, yet fundamentally toxic and damaging to their emotional well-being.

The act of 'scaldarsi al fuoco di un accendino rubato' (warming up by the fire of a stolen lighter) symbolizes the desperate attempt to find comfort and warmth in something meager, temporary, and perhaps illicit. The drink—'lacrime nell'acqua tonica' (tears in the tonic water)—acts as a metaphor for consuming one's own sorrow, turning a casual social setting into a vessel of vast, oceanic grief ('sembrava di bere il mare').

Finally, the setting itself, Piazza San Marco, functions as an allegory for their love. Its monumental, almost suffocating beauty reflects the intense, overwhelming nature of their bond, which is tainted by anxiety and the ghosts of past lovers walking on the exact same piers.

The most striking recurring phrase is the hook: 'Piazza San Marco era bella da far schifo'. This paradoxical motif anchors the song, repeatedly contrasting the majestic external environment with the messy internal reality of the couple.

The repetition of 'Caramelle mischiate all'arsenico' serves as a persistent reminder of the relationship's underlying toxicity, a warning that the characters acknowledge but continuously ignore. Another vital recurring motif is the imagery of holding hands: 'Se penso a tutte le ragazze che hai preso per mano su un molo' is directly contrasted with the final resolution, 'E la tua mano è ancora nella mia'. This repetition traces the journey from jealousy and insecurity about the past to the undeniable physical reality of their present connection.

Finally, the phrase 'Ma quanto parli? Mollami' recurs as a conversational anchor, bringing the soaring emotional narrative back down to a gritty, realistic, and somewhat exhausted human interaction.