St Mark's Square
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St Mark's Square
The golden basilica and the campanile
Byzantine mosaics, the Doge's Palace and the only piazza in Venice.
St Mark's Square has been the civic and religious heart of Venice for a thousand years: the golden basilica with its Byzantine mosaics, the Doge's Palace, the campanile and the Procuratie enclosing the only "piazza" in the city — every other square is a campo. It is the natural destination of a first visit and, for those arriving by transfer, the end of a chain that starts at Piazzale Roma and continues by waterbus or on foot.
St Mark's Square
What to see
- St Mark's Basilica: 8,000 m² of gold-ground mosaics, from the 11th century.
- The Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, with the Piombi prison route.
- The 98.6 m campanile: the view that explains the shape of the city.
St Mark's Square
Practical tips
- Book a timed entry to the basilica: in summer it saves a queue of over an hour.
- During acqua alta walkways cross the square; the car journey is never affected, the walk is.
St Mark's Square