Piazza San Marco (St. Mark) is the central square of Venice. Together with the surrounding Piazzetta (from the Grand Canal to the Campanile) it forms the religious, administrative and tourist center of Venice. The length of the square is 175 meters, width is 82 meters. There are always a lot of tourists in the city square. Excursions around Venice often start from here. About 20 million people visit St. Mark's Square every year. Tourists here are greeted by many pigeons, which, according to legend, were once brought from Egypt as a gift to the Doge's wife.
The decoration of the square began in the IX century around the already built St. Mark's Cathedral. It was expanded to its current size in 1177 - the reconstruction was dedicated to the historical meeting of Pope AlexanderIIIand Frederick "Barbarossa". From the middle of the XII century, the square in front of the cathedral became the venue for the Venice Carnival and this tradition still preserved.
Napoleon once said: “This square is the most elegant hotel room in Europe.” It really looks like a noble salon. It is surrounded on three sides by galleries, and on the fourth you can see the amazingly beautiful St. Mark's Cathedral.
When darkness falls, electric lighting is turned on in the square. The sounds of violins can be heard from old cafes. Such an extraordinary situation is created that it is impossible not to agree with Napoleon.
Piazza San Marco is home to legendary cafes. The most famous is the Florian cafe, opened in 1720. Goethe, Byron, Casanova, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Dickens, Hemingway and other famous people visited here. If you decide to enter, know that you will be greeted with incredibly high prices.
It should be noted that this square is the lowest place in Venice and is filled with water during floods.
Piazza San Marco has a branch on the south side - the so-called “Piazzetta” (small square). It is bordered on the east by Doge's Palace on the west by the Marciana (i.e. St. Mark's) Library, on the south by the canal Bacino San Marco.
The Piazzetta is decorated with two large columns (St. Mark and St. Theodore of Tiron), which were brought to Venice in 1125 as a trophy during the provision of military assistance to Constantinople.
On the left is the column of St. Mark, on the right is St. Theodore. At the top of the left column is a bronze winged lion (probably created in Assyria in the 5th century BC).
At the top of the right column is the body of a Roman from the time of Emperor Hadrian with the head of Mithridates Pontoel. The figure stands on a crocodile, which signified the naval power of Venice (the crocodile and the man standing on it are a copy, the original is kept in the Doge's Palace).
Both saints are considered patrons of Venice and are very popular among Venetians. According to superstitious people, walking between these pillars is a bad sign, since executions and other less severe punishments were carried out in this place in the past.
Main attractions of Piazza San Marco:
St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica Can Marco):
In this form it was built at the end of the XI century. This is a unique temple: it combines Byzantine and Oriental styles, Gothic and antiquity. As one specialist said, it is hideously beautiful and beautifully ugly, impossible and real - an architectural paradox. Its length is 76.5 meters, width is 62.5 meters, height (central dome) is 43 meters.
In the church lie the remains of Saints Mark and Isidore, the head of the Apostle James the Younger.
The temple has 5 domes, forming the shape of a cross. The portals of the central façade are decorated with beautiful and rich mosaics from the 18th century. The walls, arches and even the floor of the temple are decorated with mosaics, which creates a shimmering effect.
The mosaics depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments, scenes from the life of the Apostle Mark and John the Baptist. You can freely study the Bible using the mosaics of St. Mark. To get a better look at the mosaic, you need to go up to the second floor, and for this you need to buy a ticket to the museum.
Address: Piazza San Marco.
The Basilica of San Marco is a functioning temple. Entrance ticket costs 6 euros for adults, children under 7 years old are free.
Campanile:
The Campanile, or bell tower, is located directly in front of St. Mark's Basilica in Piazza San Marco. This Venice landmark, topped with a statue of the Archangel Gabriel, was built in the 9th century and is the oldest building on the square. Once upon a time, the Campanile served as a beacon and watchtower, from where announcements of the next execution were heard. The Campanile, 98 meters high and 11 meters wide, stood peacefully in its place for more than a thousand years until it suddenly collapsed on July 14, 1902, without damaging anything around it. The city council restored it to its old form. Venetians call the bell tower of San Marco the mistress of the city.
The Campanile has a panoramic square from where the city is visible at a glance. The 98.60 meter high Campanile by high-speed elevator costs 12 euros for adults, free for children under 7 years old.
The ancient Sansovino library is located on the Campanile. It contains a geographical map of 1459, which was created by the monk Saint Christopher.
For detailed information about the Cathedral of San Marco, as well as tickets, visit the official website: http://www.basilicasanmarco.it.
Doge's Palace (Palazzo Ducale):
As you know, the Doge was the elected ruler of the Venetian Republic for more than ten centuries, in the VIII-XVIII centuries. This magnificent example of Gothic architecture was built between 1309 and 1424 and was the residence of the Doge. The Grand Council and the Senate, the Supreme Court and the secret police, the chancellery, the censorship and the naval department worked here.
More about the Doge's Palace =>>
Clock tower (Torre dell'orologio):
This is a five-story building. It was built in 1496-1757. The ground floor features the majestic Merceria arch(Merceria)that leads to the intricate streets of the Rialto. On the second tier there is an astrological dial made of lapis lazuli. There is a curved balcony on the third floor. It depicts the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. Twice a year - on the Annunciation (January 6) and on the fortieth day of Easter, dolls depicting angels and the Three Wise Men appear on this balcony. On the fourth tier is the winged lion of St. Mark with a book (symbol of Venice), and on the fifth is the so-called “Moors”. These two figures are ringing the bells.
Old and new Procuration:
This is a complex of historical buildings surrounding the square on three sides. On the north side is the New Procuration (built in 1640), on the south - the Old Procuration (built in 1480-1517), and on the west - Ala Napoleonika, which was built in 1810 as Napoleon's residence. Now it houses the Corer Museum and displays a collection of paintings, most of which were collected and given to the city by Abbot Teodoro Corer. The Florian cafe we mentioned is located in the old prosecutor’s office building. The procuratorates took care of orphans and the mentally ill, distributed donations, executed wills, managed the Basilica of San Marco, etc. This is partly what is happening now: the procuration works closely with architects and engineers to preserve the interior and exterior of the Basilica of San Marco.
Address: Piazza San Marco. If you are at Santa Lucia train station, the square can be reached by vaporetto in 15 minutes. Route №2 will take you to the Rialto C pier, from there you will walk for 5 minutes. The Piazzetta can be reached via the Grand Canal. If you decide to walk, you will have to walk for 30-40 minutes.
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