Piazza San Marco. San Marco in Venice - a square with a thousand-year history Temple of St. Mark in Venice

St. Mark's Cathedral is an architectural pearl of Venice and Italy, a unique creation recognized throughout the world as a classic of Byzantine church architecture. It amazes with its majesty, unique architecture, skillful facade decoration, luxurious interior design and fascinating centuries-old history.

History of St. Mark's Cathedral

The location of the relics of the Evangelist St. Mark until 828 was the city of Alexandria. When suppressing the peasant uprising that broke out there, Muslim punitive forces destroyed many Christian churches and destroyed shrines. Then two merchants from Venice sailed to the shores of Alexandria to protect the relics of St. Mark from vandalism and take them home. To get through customs, they resorted to a trick by hiding the basket with the remains of St. Mark under pig carcasses. Their hope that Muslim customs officers would disdain to lean against pork was justified. They successfully crossed the border.

Initially, the relics of the apostle were placed in the Church of St. Theodore. By order of Doge Giustiniano Partecipazio, a basilica was erected near them to store them. The city gained the patronage of St. Mark, his sign in the form of a golden winged lion became the symbol of the capital of the Venetian Republic.

The fires that engulfed Venice in the 10th-11th centuries caused several reconstructions of the temple. Its reconstruction, close to its present appearance, was completed in 1094. A fire in 1231 damaged the church building, resulting in restoration work that ended with the creation of the altar in 1617. The majestic temple, outside and inside, appeared more beautiful than before, decorated with statues of saints, angels and great martyrs, and amazing carved decoration of the facades.

The cathedral became the main place of worship of the Venetian Republic. The coronations of doges were held there, famous sailors received blessings when setting off on long journeys, and townspeople gathered there on days of celebration and trouble. Today it serves as the residence of the Venetian Patriarch and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Architectural features of the cathedral

The prototype of St. Mark's Cathedral was the Church of the Twelve Apostles. Its architectural design is based on a Greek cross, completed by a voluminous dome in the center of the intersection and four domes above the sides of the cross. The temple, with an area of 4 thousand square meters, rises 43 meters high.

Numerous reconstructions of the basilica harmoniously combined several architectural styles.

The facades harmoniously combine details of oriental marble with bas-reliefs of Romanesque and Greek styles. Ionic and Corinthian columns, Gothic capitals and many statues give the temple a divine majesty.

On the central western façade, 5 portals, decorated with mosaic tympanums of the 18th century and sculptural masterpieces from ancient to medieval eras, attract attention. The top of the main facade is decorated with thin turrets added 6 centuries ago, and in the center above the entrance rises a statue of St. Mark, surrounded by figures of angels. Beneath it, the figure of a winged lion shines with a golden sheen.

The southern facade is interesting with a pair of 5th century columns with carvings made in the Byzantine style. At the outer corner of the treasury, the statues of four tetrarch-rulers of the 4th century, brought from Constantinople, attract the eye. Exquisite Romanesque carvings, preserved from the 13th century, decorate most of the outer walls of the temple. Over the centuries, the building was completed with a narthex (XII century), a baptistery (XIV century) and a sacristy (XV century).

Luxury interior decoration

The decoration inside St. Mark's Cathedral, made in the traditional Venetian style, evokes delight and unprecedented spiritual uplift. The photos inside amaze you with the huge area and beauty of the mosaic paintings covering the vaults, the surface of the walls, domes and arches. Their creation began in 1071 and lasted almost 8 centuries.

Mosaics of the narthex

The narthex is the church porch that precedes the entrance to the basilica. Its extension with mosaic paintings illustrating Old Testament scenes dates back to the 12th-13th centuries. What appears before your eyes is:

A dome about the creation of the world, decorated with gold flakes and an eye-catching image of the 6 days of the creation of the world from the book of Genesis.
The arches of the doors opening the entrance to the temple attract attention with a cycle of mosaics about the lives of the ancestors, their children, the events of the global flood and some biblical scenes.
The three domes of Joseph on the north side of the porch introduce 29 episodes from the biblical biography of Joseph the Beautiful. On the sails of the domes, figures of prophets appear with scrolls, where prophecies about the appearance of the Savior are written.
The dome of Moses is painted with a mosaic of 8 scenes of acts committed by the prophet Moses.

Subjects of mosaics of the cathedral interior

The mosaics of the cathedral continue the mosaic narratives of the narthex, associated with the expectation of the appearance of the Messiah. They illustrate the lifetime acts of Jesus Christ, the lives of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Evangelist Mark:

From the dome on the central nave (the elongated room of the cathedral) the Virgin Mary, surrounded by prophets, looks out. 10 wall mosaic paintings and 4 scenes above the iconostasis, made according to sketches by the famous Tintoretto in the 14th century, are dedicated to the theme of the fulfillment of prophecies.
Mosaics of the transverse nave (transept), telling about the events described in the New Testament and the good deeds of Jesus, became the decoration of the walls and vaults.
The picturesque canvases of the arches above the central dome show pictures of the torment experienced by Christ, from the crucifixion to the Resurrection. In the center of the dome, the parishioners see a picture of the Ascension of the Savior into heaven.
In the sacristy, the top of the walls and vaults are decorated with a number of 16th-century mosaics, made according to sketches by Titian.
A floor made of multi-colored marble tiles arranged in geometric and floral patterns depicting the inhabitants of the earth's fauna looks like a work of art.

A priceless relic of the Cathedral of St. Mark and Venice is considered to be the “golden altar” - Pala D'Oro, which took about 500 years to create. The height of the unique cult creation is more than 2.5 meters, and the length is approximately 3.5 meters. The altar attracts attention with 80 icons framed in gold, decorated with many precious stones. It stuns the imagination with 250 enamel miniatures created using a unique technique.

The center of the altar is dedicated to Pantocrator, the heavenly king seated on the throne. On the sides it is surrounded by round medallions with the faces of the apostle-evangelists. Above his head are medallions with archangels and cherubs. On the upper rows of the iconostasis there are icons with gospel scenes, while forefathers, great martyrs and prophets look from the icons on the lower rows. On the sides of the altar there are vertical images of the biographies of St. Mark. Free access to the treasures of the altar allows you to examine all the details and enjoy the divine beauty.

Near St. Mark's Cathedral rises the Campanile, a cathedral bell tower in the form of a square tower. It is completed by a belfry, topped with a spire on which is installed a copper figure of the Archangel Michael. The total height of the bell tower reaches 99 meters. Residents of Venice lovingly call the bell tower of St. Mark's "mistress of the house." Throughout its long history, dating back to the 12th century, it managed to serve as a watchtower, lighthouse, observatory, belfry and a magnificent observation deck.

In the autumn of 1902, the bell tower building suddenly collapsed, after which only the corner part and the 16th century balcony with marble and bronze decoration survived. The city authorities decided to restore the Campanile to its original appearance. The renovated bell tower was opened in 1912 with 5 bells, one of which is original, and four were donated by Pope Pius X. The bell tower offers an amazing panorama of Venice with the nearby islands.

Interesting facts about St. Mark's Cathedral

About a hundred thousand larch logs were used for the large-scale construction of the Church of San Marco, which only became stronger under the influence of water.
More than 8,000 square meters are covered with mosaic images on a golden background. m of vaults, walls and domes of the temple.
The “Golden Altar” is decorated with 1300 pearls, 300 emeralds, 300 sapphires, 400 garnets, 90 amethysts, 50 rubies, 4 topazes and 2 cameos. Below him in a shrine lie the relics of St. Mark.
The enamel medallions and miniatures that decorated the altar were selected by the crusaders from the Pantocrator monastery in Constantinople during the fourth campaign and donated to the temple.
The treasury of the cathedral exhibits a collection of Christian relics, gifts from the popes and about 300 objects obtained by the Venetians during the defeat of Constantinople at the beginning of the 13th century.
A quadriga of bronze horses, cast in the 4th century BC by Greek sculptors, is preserved in the treasury of the basilica. At the top of the façade there is an elaborate copy of them.
Part of the basilica is the chapel of St. Isidore, revered by the Venetians. In it, under the altar, lie the remains of the righteous.

Cathedral of San Marco (Italy) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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The Cathedral of San Marco is perhaps the most visited temple in Venice and one of the most popular attractions among tourists. It is located in the city center - on St. Mark's Square near the Doge's Palace. The Cathedral of San Marco is famous not only for its stunning Byzantine-style architecture, but also because it is in this temple that the relics of the Apostle Mark are located. In addition, here you can see many objects of art brought from Constantinople during the Crusades.

The architects used several tens of thousands of larch piles to build the Cathedral of San Marco. The fact is that this tree, when in contact with water, becomes very durable, which is ideal for the construction of buildings in Venice.

The history of the Cathedral of San Marco began in 828. Two Venetian merchants Buono and Rustico, while in Alexandria, decided to save the relics of the Apostle Mark at all costs and deliver them to their hometown. The fact is that the Italians became aware of the impending construction of mosques on the site of Christian churches. When the merchants realized that there would simply be nothing left of the churches, they decided to take such a serious step. It is worth noting that Buono and Rustico developed a cunning plan. They hid Mark's body in a basket under pig carcasses and thus transferred the relics to their ship. After the body of the evangelist was brought to Venice, Saint Mark became the patron saint of the city, and the winged lion became the symbol of Venice.

The temple was built in the shape of a Greek cross. The height of the cathedral is 43 meters, the area is 4000 square meters.

Construction of the church began in 829. The construction of the Cathedral of San Marco took only three years. Unfortunately, the original appearance of the building has not been preserved - the building was badly damaged during the fire. The modern temple was built in 1063. In subsequent years, the cathedral became larger and more beautiful. The architects used several tens of thousands of larch piles to build the basilica. The fact is that this tree, when in contact with water, becomes very durable, which is ideal for the construction of buildings in Venice.

By the way, the prototype of the temple is considered to be the Church of the Twelve Apostles in Constantinople. The basilica played an important role in the life of Venice. Doges were crowned in the cathedral, famous sailors were sent on long journeys, and city residents gathered here on holidays and days of national disaster.

The Cathedral of San Marco is still active today - as in any temple, services are held here. The basilica houses one of the main Venetian shrines - the golden altar, or Pala D'Oro. It consists of 80 small icons, richly decorated with gold and stones. The altar is unique - it took almost 500 years to create.

The Cathedral of San Marco is richly decorated with mosaics, statues of saints, columns, numerous decorative elements and marble.

Practical information

The tour of San Marco Cathedral lasts about 10 minutes. Visitors should be dressed appropriately - you should not visit the temple in provocative outfits. Photo and video shooting is prohibited. Entrance to the basilica is free.

Opening hours from November to April: 9:30-17:00, Sunday and holidays: 14:00-16:00. Museum opening hours: 9:45-16:45, ticket price - 5 EUR. Pala D`Oro opening hours: 9:45-16:00, Sunday and holidays: 14:00-16:00, ticket price - 2 EUR. Opening hours of the treasury: 9:45-16:00, Sunday and holidays: 14:00-16:00, ticket price - 3 EUR.

Opening hours from April to November: Basilica: 9:45-17:00, Sunday and public holidays: 14:00-17:00. Museum: 9:45-16:45, Pala D`Oro: 9:45-17:00, Sunday and holidays: 14:00-17:00. Opening hours of the treasury: 9:45-17:00, Sunday and holidays: 14:00-17:00.

Bell tower opening hours: October - 9:00-19:00, November - April: 9:30-15:45, April - June: 9:00-19:00, June 13 - September: 8:30-21:30 . Ticket price - 8 EUR.

Prices on the page are as of September 2018.

Beautiful, sublime and one of the most popular attractions in Venice is St. Mark's Basilica. The monument has become the embodiment of the religious, political and social history of the Venetian Republic.

St. Mark's Cathedral was built in 829 to store the relics of the evangelist, who became the only patron of the city. However, in 927 there was a fire that completely destroyed the basilica, and only in the period from 1043 to 1071 was it rebuilt again.

The architectural mastery of St. Mark's Cathedral

The lower part of the facade consists of five arched bays with columns and is decorated with oriental capitals. Each semicircle of arches is covered with magnificent mosaics, and between them are Byzantine bas-reliefs that date back to the 12th century.

In front of the glazed central bay, on the terrace there are four bronze horses made by the Greek master Lysippos. The horses were brought from Constantinople in 1204, at that time they were covered with gold.

The atrium is a magnificent gallery, decorated with colorful mosaics and divided by arched bays with domes, accessible from the central portal. Here, marble columns line the walls, some of them brought from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Almost all the mosaics decorating the arches and domes are dedicated to episodes from the Old and New Testaments, and also talk about Noah’s Ark and the Flood.

According to Eastern custom, the choir is separated from the temple by an iconostasis, which was decorated with polychrome marble. Eight columns support an architrave with statues of the Apostles and the Virgin Mary installed on them.

Sacred mysteries of the church

In one of the chapels there is the Madonna Nikopea - a Byzantine icon of the 10th century, brought to Venice after the next crusade. An urn behind bars located on the main altar of the cathedral contains the remains of St. Mark. A real medieval masterpiece of jewelry art, the Golden Image (Pala d'Oro), is also installed here. This altar was commissioned in 978 from the master jewelers of Constantinople, and in 1209 it was enriched with Byzantine enamel and gold.

The famous landmark of Italy almost entirely consists of great masterpieces by the most famous masters. The baptismal font, located in the center of the Baptistery, was made by Francesco Segala, Titian Minio and Desiderio da Firenze after designs by Jacopo Sansovino in the 15th century. The statue of St. John the Baptist also belongs to the hand of master Segalo.

While studying the masterpieces of famous masters, it is worth visiting the Correr Museum, where, among the many exhibits, is the famous tombstone of Titian.

Helpful information

Address: Piazza San Marco, 328, 30100 Venezia VE, Italy

Entrance to Basilica San Marco: free

Schedule:

Monday-Saturday - from 09:30 to 17:00;
Sunday and holidays - from 14:00 to 17:00 (from October 29 to April 15 - until 16:30).

How to get there:

From Santa Lucia train station: by vaporetto route 1 (35 minutes), route 2 or 51 (25 minutes). Walking - about 40 minutes.

From Piazzale Roma: by Vaporetto line 1 (40 minutes), line 2 (30 minutes) or line 51 (20 minutes). Walking - about 35-40 minutes.

St. Mark's Basilica on the map of Venice

The main purpose of St. Mark's Cathedral (San Marco) is to demonstrate the power and greatness of Venice. The temple, dedicated to the city's heavenly patron, stores a huge amount of treasures and trophies brought by the Venetians from neighboring states. Throughout the history of its existence, it was not only the religious center of the republic and a repository of Christian treasures, but also an important center of the secular life of Venice, where great political events took place.

History of the cathedral

Initially, in the 9th century, it was decided to build a basilica on the site of the current cathedral building as a place to house the relics of the Apostle Mark. According to legend, it was through him that Christianity came to the territory of the Venetian Lagoon. Wanting to save the relic from the Muslims, Venetian merchants in 829 decided to transport it from Constantinople to their hometown.

To ensure the safety of the relics during inspection at the border, the Venetians placed the relic in a huge basket and covered it with pork carcasses. The Saracens, being Muslims, could not touch the contents of the carts.

Since the body of the Apostle Mark came to Venice, this saint began to be considered the patron saint of the city. At the same time, the winged lion, the symbol of this evangelist, was established as a symbol of Venice.

The first building was significantly damaged by fire. Construction on this site of the modern basilica began in the 11th century and continued until the 15th century. The temple played an important role in the life of the republic. Here rulers were publicly proclaimed and fateful negotiations took place. The best booty taken from battles with the Muslims was kept in the temple.

Until now, St. Mark's Cathedral functions as a functioning temple. The large number of Christian relics housed there make it a popular center of Christian pilgrimage.

Architectural features of the cathedral

Researchers cannot unambiguously attribute the cathedral to a specific architectural tradition. On the one hand, the influence of the Byzantine school is great, it is expressed in the general outline of the building, in the domes and mosaics. However, the Gothic spirit in the construction is also noticeable, manifested in numerous turrets, elongated statues and columns. The building can be considered unique: being an interweaving of different architectural movements, it does not give the impression of fragmentation and eclecticism, but, on the contrary, seems very holistic and original.

The cathedral was built in a traditional cruciform shape. Five 13th-century domes rise above each part of the cross.

The marble cladding of the main facade dates back to the 13th century. It is lavishly decorated with columns, statues and mosaics. The mosaic composition above the main entrance tells about the Second Coming of Christ, others tell about the path of the relics of the Evangelist Mark to Venice.

The mosaic, detailing the biblical story of the creation of man, has amazed visitors for centuries and still does today. The artist Vasily Surikov was so delighted with it that he wrote that he had never seen such psychological depth in the rendering of a Christian legend.

A grandiose four bronze horses are placed above the main entrance. Its creation dates back to the 3rd century; it is the only surviving example of a multi-figure horse statue from ancient times. It is believed that these statues are the creation of the famous sculptor Lysippos. At the beginning of the 13th century, Doge Enrico Dandolo took her from Constantinople to his city.

Quadriga spent eighteen years in Paris. This happened thanks to Napoleon, who ordered the statues to be taken to Paris to decorate his capital. In 1815, the symbol of Venetian power returned to its place.

The bronze entrance doors are interesting. The doors at the edges are the work of Bertucci, created in 1300. They are dated and bear the master's signature.

Interior decoration

The mosaic painting in the Church of St. Mark is one of the best examples of this type of art. The raw material for the mosaic was glass from the island of Murano. Glass fragments were laid out on gilded foil and this created a radiance that, even in the dim atmosphere of the cathedral, created an association with the sphere of the divine. The earliest mosaic depicting Saints Mark and Nicholas dates back to the 9th century.

Before modern times, literacy was not widespread in Europe, so wall paintings and mosaics with biblical scenes served the function of education. They told the Bible story and introduced the parishioners to the faith.

Venice became acquainted with the technique of mosaic art from the Byzantines. They knew all the secrets of light transmission and reflectivity of stone and were able to achieve extraordinary effects using different combinations of materials. In Venice, Byzantine masters found worthy students who were able to appreciate the splendor of mosaics.

The sparkle of the mosaic and the marble shimmer of the walls are combined with the pattern on the floor. In the atrium, stone slabs of different colors are laid out in the shape of intertwining circles.

When the water rises and floods the city square, the water often falls on the floor of the atrium and then the wetted stones create amazing play of colors.

In the center of the temple there is a marble altar barrier, separating the general space of the cathedral from the altar. The most impressive decorations of the barrier: a crucifix made of precious metals in the center, as well as statues of Mary, John the Evangelist and the apostles.

The golden altar of this cathedral (Pala d'Oro) is considered one of the most luxurious altars preserved to this day. It acquired its modern appearance in the middle of the 14th century. It is decorated with an abundance of precious stones and metals: gold, diamonds, amethysts, rubies and emeralds, as well as a combination of beautiful fine enamels made on gold.

Napoleon's soldiers wanted to take this value from the cathedral. However, the temple servants were able to convince them that the altar had no value: supposedly it was just wood covered with paint, and the valuable stones were actually multi-colored glass pieces. The soldiers, believing the monks, left the valuables in the temple.

Until the mid-20th century, the Pala d'Oro was closed to visitors and opened only during festive ceremonies. Now access to it is open and a large flow of visitors passes near it.

The cathedral has amazing acoustics; this property attracted famous composers and performers. Among them are such names as Monteverdi, Giovanni Vivaldi, Adrian Willart. An interesting acoustic property of the cathedral is the ability to use several places for musical performance. Antiphonal choral singing (two or more choirs alternately) originated here, which later spread throughout Catholic Europe.

Treasury

The cathedral contains a treasury containing objects brought from the plundered East or received as gifts from the popes. The most significant exhibits were received from Constantinople. At the moment, just under 300 items are stored here. The main part of the collection consists of church utensils intended for storing valuables and religious attributes.

The treasury is divided into several sections:

Department of Middle Ages and Antiquity,
department of Byzantine art,
department of Islamic art,
Western Art Department.

Cathedral Museum

Since the end of the 19th century, a museum has been located here, combining objects telling about the history of the cathedral. Since 2003, it has been located in the upper rooms of the narthex. Here are fragments of the first mosaics, precious fabrics, icons, as well as a number of paintings.

The museum houses the original quadriga located at the entrance. For safety purposes, a copy of the sculpture is placed on the façade of the attraction.

Library

Until the 16th century, the Library of St. Mark was kept in the cathedral. Its halls are decorated with works by Veronese, Salviati, Meldoll and other outstanding artists of that era. Part of the collection was received from Francesco Petrarch.

Campanile

Next to the cathedral there is a separate bell tower, made in the form of a tower about 98 meters high. From the top platform, where you can take a photo, you have a panoramic view of the city.

Location, opening hours and cost

Address: San Marco, 328. Venezia, Italy.

Operating mode:

November - before Easter - from 9:45 to 17:00;
on Sunday and holidays - from 14:00 to 16:00;
from Easter to November - from 9:45 to 17:00;
on Sunday and holidays - from 14:00 to 17:00.

Entrance to the cathedral free. The ticket fee is charged only for visiting the following premises:

Museum - 5 euros;
Golden Altar - 2 euros.

How to get there

You can get there by water transport on routes 1, 2, 51. On foot from the railway station the journey will take about 25 minutes.

In contact with

Piazza San Marco in Venice can be roughly divided into two parts: the piazzetta and the piazzo. The Piazzetta is a small area between St. Mark's Square itself and the Giudecca Canal. It welcomes guests with an entrance gate in the form of two granite columns. To the right of them stands the Doge's Palace (the rulers of the city), to the left is the Marciana Library, and the piazzetta ends with the Bell Tower. The center of attraction is the Cathedral of San Marco - the main attraction of the city. No less interesting are the buildings of the Procuration, the Clock Tower, and the Loggett. It acquired its modern appearance, shape, and size by 1777. Now its length is 175 m, width 82 m.

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The heart and calling card of Venice. And although there are many other squares in the city, this is the only place called a square or piazza, which emphasizes its importance. The rest are called compo, which translates as a small field. Piazza San Marco is the famous historical and cultural center of Venice. For many centuries, it has been a place of attraction for millions of people from all over the world; city ceremonies, celebrations and the famous Venice Carnival are held here.

Story

The history of this amazing place dates back to 829. Venetian merchants who had trade business in Egyptian Alexandria managed to secretly remove the relics of the great Christian saint, the Apostle Jesus Christ - the Evangelist Mark, hiding them in a sarcophagus among pig skins. Apparently they noticed that Muslims never touch “unclean” cargo. The plan was a success, customs inspection bypassed them, and the relics arrived safely in Venice.

To house them, the Basilica of San Marco was built, and the square in front of it was named accordingly. In 976, during a fire, the building was severely damaged. A majestic cathedral was built in its place. The square gradually expanded and became the center of the city, where all political events, public holidays and even executions took place.

Architectural landmarks

Acquaintance with the sights begins for tourists as soon as they get out of the vaporetto (sea taxis). Piazza San Marco is home to a number of historical buildings and structures.

Columns of St. Mark and Theodore

The first thing guests see when stepping onto the pavement of the piazzetta are two granite columns. They were brought from Constantinople in 1125, and installed only in 1196. The columns are monolithic and very heavy, each weighing more than 100 tons, which is why they could not be installed for a long time. One of the columns is crowned with a marble statue of St. Theodore with a spear trampling a dragon. This scene symbolizes the power of Venice over the sea elements. Saint Theodore was the first patron of the city and is still very much loved and revered by the Venetians.

On the capital of another column is a bronze winged lion holding a paw on an open Gospel. The lion is the biblical symbol of St. Mark. He is depicted on the coat of arms of Venice. This figure is more than 2,500 years old; according to one version, it was brought from China, others see in it an example of Assyrian art. In former times, the space between the columns served as a place for executions. To this day, Venetians consider it a bad omen to pass where death sentences were carried out.

Cathedral of San Marco

According to existing legend, the evangelist Mark preached Christianity in the Venetian lagoon. Once, caught in a terrible storm, he waited it out. An angel appeared in a dream and announced that he would find eternal peace on this earth. And now, for 12 centuries, the relics of the saint have rested under the arches of the cathedral named in his honor. At first glance, the Cathedral of San Marco amazes with its magnificence. The basilica, built in 829, was badly damaged by a fire in 976, so they decided to build a new building in its place. The cathedral acquired its modern appearance in 1094.

At that time, the influence of Constantinople on Venice was great. Therefore, the building was erected in a pompous Byzantine style, with luxury uncharacteristic of temple buildings in Western Europe. The marble facade is decorated with numerous columns, towers, bas-reliefs, and sculptures. The mosaic compositions with scenes of “The Last Judgment” and “The Theft of the Relics of St. Mark” are extremely beautiful.

The cathedral has five entrance portals. Above the main one there is a majestic bronze quadriga (four horses). The sculptures are attributed to the work of an ancient Greek master of the 4th century BC. They decorated the triumphal arch of Nero in Rome, and then the arch of Trojan. The Venetians got it as a trophy of war. The temple is crowned with five domes lined with silver rectangular plates.

The interior decoration is no less fascinating. Due to the abundance of gold, San Marco Cathedral is often called the “Golden Cathedral”. The vaults, walls, and domes are covered with mosaics made of multi-colored Murano glass. The dome is painted with scenes of the “Creation of the World.” But the main treasure is under the altar: this is a shrine with the relics of St. Mark.

The Golden Altar is a great work of Gothic art made in 1345. Its dimensions are 3.50 * 1.4 m. It depicts episodes from the Holy Scriptures and the life of St. Mark. The precious setting contains enamels and 2,500 stones: amethysts, emeralds, sapphires, rubies. The iconostasis is made of silver, covered with a layer of gold, decorated with many enamel plates and precious stones.

Clock tower

The building was built in 1499 under the direction of the architect Coducci. The composition consists of four parts. Its main element is a blue and gold astronomical clock. There are two circles on the dial: outer and inner. The golden hand shows the time in the outer circle. On the inner side there are signs of the zodiac and phases of the moon. Above the clock is a copper statue of a seated Madonna and Child Christ. Twice a year, on Epiphany and Ascension, the Magi appear before her, bowing in bow.

On both sides of the statue there are small rectangular windows where the current hours and minutes are indicated. Above is a sculpture of a winged lion holding an open Gospel in its paws. The tower is crowned with bronze statues of two Moors: an old man and a young man. They have long hammers in their hands, with which they periodically strike the bell: 5 minutes before the whole hour and after 5 minutes. This is a symbol of time moving forward.

Library of San Marco

The library is located on the north side of the piazzetta. The length of the building is 80 m. It was built in 1537-1545. designed by the architect Sansovino. Initially, the library was intended to store ancient Greek and Latin first-printed books and manuscripts (handwritten scrolls), presented to the city by Cardinal Bressanone.

In subsequent years, it was replenished by war trophies, monastery and family collections. Now the library of San Marco (Marciana) has about 40 thousand unique copies. The white marble facade is very elegant, decorated with a balustrade of statues and columns. The interior decoration is no less exquisite: on the walls there are portraits of famous thinkers and philosophers, and manuscripts in exquisite bindings are kept in the gilded hall.

Doge's Palace

The building is in the Venetian Gothic style, decorated with columns and openwork arches, creating an impression of airiness and lightness. It is located on one side to the sea, with the facade facing the square. The Staircase of Giants leads to the palace, on both sides of it there are two huge statues symbolizing war and the sea: Mars and Neptune. Between them at the top is a bas-relief of a winged lion. Here the elected doges took the oath.

The Doge's Palace was built in the 14th century and had several purposes:

Private apartments of the Doge (ruler of Venice). There they lived and ruled
Magistracy, where the Senate, the Council met, and various Collegiums were located
Civil and Ecclesiastical Court
Tribune - from the second floor balcony the Doge addressed the residents of Venice
Jail

In the halls of the magistracy, laws were discussed, political and church issues were resolved, ambassadors and diplomatic missions were received. The trial was held in the Senate hall, and the court tribune of the 18th century has been preserved to this day. The interior of the palace amazes with its luxury. The walls and ceiling are covered with marble, tapestries, leather with gold trim.

The decoration is provided by paintings by brilliant artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, Pordenone, and frescoes by Paolo Veronese. Some depict scenes glorifying Venice: victorious battles, formation of a fleet, naval battles. On others there are episodes from the Holy Scriptures, the gods of the ancient world. The unique collection of weapons: combat, decorative, and captured weapons deserves special attention. In total, the exhibition includes 2031 items, including the armor of the French king Henry IV, the crusader knights, the Turkish standard, sabers, and muskets.

Old and New Procurations

Procuratorates were built to house the highest officials of the executive branch - procurators. Their responsibilities included the execution of decisions of the Doge and the Senate in financial, legal, property, political and other spheres. The first Procuration - the Old - was built on the northern side of the square in 1532. This is a long three-story building with arches, loggias, and columns. Due to the growing bureaucracy, one building was not enough.

In 1586, the New Procurations were built opposite it. And in 1810, by order of Napoleon, another building was built in the west of the square - Ala Napoleonica (Napoleon's wing), connecting both Procurations. All buildings were built in the same Renaissance style. Nowadays there are museums on the upper floors, while the lower floors are used as cafes.

Logetta Sansovino

The Loggetta is a small, elegant building designed by the architect Sansovino in the Baroque style, adjacent to the bell tower. Construction time: 1537-1540. The facade is made of white and colored marble, decorated with columns, bas-reliefs with scenes from ancient mythology, and statues of gods. For a long time, Loggetta served as a meeting place for noble patricians. Later it housed the guards of the Doge's Palace. Now through Loggetta you enter the observation deck of the bell tower.

Campanile

Campanile - observation deck and bell tower of the Cathedral of San Marco. At the base it has the shape of a square with a side of 12 m, a height of 98.6 m. It is built of brick, crowned with a marble belfry with five bells, decorated with statues of the goddesses of Justice, Venus, Minerva, and the figure of a winged lion. The bell tower ends with a pyramid-shaped spire, on top of which there is a weather vane with a golden archangel 2 m high.

The first tower on this site was built in the 9th century and served as an observation deck and lighthouse. At the beginning of the 16th century, a new version of the bell tower was built. It stood for almost 400 years and collapsed in 1902. Work went on for ten years, and the original appearance was completely restored.

San Marco - Pigeon Square

Pigeons have become an integral part of Piazza San Marco. According to legend, many guests came to the consecration of the cathedral. Among the gifts were two pigeons, which were released into the wild. They sat on the cornice of the cathedral, which was considered a symbolic sign; doves were recognized as sacred. Since then, a tradition has developed to protect and feed the birds.

Over time, a great number of them multiplied. For sanitary reasons, and to limit offspring, pigeons are fed special food. Until 2008, bags of cereal could be bought on the square, but then sales were stopped and tourists were prohibited from feeding the birds.

Opening hours and ticket prices

The opening hours of attractions in Piazza San Marco vary depending on the season. The high season is April–October, the low season: October–April.