Basilica di San Marco, Venice

Basilica di San Marco

You're Reading

Synopsis

As Venetian as a gondola, the Basilica at the eastern end of the piazza has no defined age. Originally constructed in the 9th century to house the stolen body of St Mark the Evangelist, the building burnt down 150 years later and … Read more

Piazza San Marco is home to some of the most impressive and unmissable sights in Venice, and the Basilica di San Marco is one of them. The historic San Marco Basilica is the pinnacle of the Byzantine architecture, whose power to impress is equaled only by its extraordinary symbolism. With its distinctive, highly elaborated façade and striking domes, the Basilica di San Marco is one of the most iconic sights in Venice that tempts you to approach and explore its outstanding interior of gilded walls, marble floors and an enormous collection of works of art.
Don’t miss the far-left portal’s mosaic, which illustrates how the relics of the city’s principal patron saint arrived at the Basilica; also pay attention to the St. Mark’s Horses in the basilica’s museum and to the extraordinary story that followed such an outstanding sculptural composition on its journey between Constantinople (now Istanbul), Paris and Venice.

If you want to gain a deeper understanding about the Basilica di San Marco and visit after the crowds have left, take a guided tour.