400AD-1400AD-Middle Ages Europe Italy Monuments, landmarks

Piazza San Marco – The most famous square in Europe

Piazza-San-Marco-Venice-Italy
Image by Nicola Giordano from Pixabay
Piazza San Marco is dominated on the eastern side by St Mark's Basilica. Other buildings from St Mark's Square are St Mark's Campanile, Doge’s Palace, Correr Museum and St Mark's Clocktower.

Tourist Information

TypeSquare
YearThe first chapel of the Doge was dedicated to  St Theodore and it was probably built about 819
Age1200 years
Getting thereWater taxi
The best way to get to St Mark’s Square is by water transport
Walking
an hour’s walk from the railway station, car parks, bus stations, and cruise terminals of Venice.
LocationVenice, Italy, Europe

Map

Venice – the city of gondolas

Venice is a city of gondolas that float along the endless canals that fill the city. Venice is a beautiful city, romantic and full of culture. Everyone wants to get to Venice at least once in their life.

St Mark’s Square – Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square) is the principal public square of Venice, Italy. It is Venice’s only square named “piazza” (the square) since the rest are called “piazzales” or “campos” (fields).

St Mark’s Basilica – Basilica di San Marco

Piazza San Marco is dominated on the eastern side by St Mark’s Basilica.

Originally it was the chapel of the Doge.

It was founded in the 9th century to house the remains of St Mark the Evangelist one of the four Apostles. The body of St Mark was stolen from Alexandria, Egypt.

The Horses of Saint Mark were installed on the balcony above the portal of the basilica in about 1254.

The Tetrarchs statue was taken from Constantinople (the south-west corner of the basilica)

The Basilica’s interior is covered by 8 000 square meters of mosaic. The mosaics were done over 8 centuries, mostly in gold.

St Mark’s Campanile

Is the bell tower of St Mark’s Basilica. The tower is 98.6 meters high, it is the tallest structure in Venice, and is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city.

Doge’s Palace – Palazzo Ducale

The Doge’s Palace was originally a fortified castle founded between the tenth and eleventh centuries.

doges-palace-piazza-san-marco
Image by Neil Morrell from Pixabay 

Correr Museum – Museo Correr

The Museo Correr extends along the south side of the square on the upper floors of the Procuratorie Nuove.

St Mark’s Clocktower – Torre dell’ Orologio

The Clock Tower in Venice is an early Renaissance building on the north side of the Piazza San Marco, at the entrance to the Merceria.

Napoleon and Piazza San Marco

Seems that Napoleon said that the Piazza San Marco is “the drawing room of Europe”.

About the author

Catalina

I am Catalina, and my passion for travel, mysteries, legends and archaeology drives me to explore the world and uncover its hidden wonders.