Piazza San Marco in Venice. Piazza San Marco. Heart of Venice

To slowly see everything sights of Venice, to visit its most remote corners and in order to feel and at least understand this city a little, you need to spend at least a week here.

Almost all travelers begin to get acquainted with Venice with the famous Piazza San Marco when numerous boats disembark them, mooring on a noisy embankment. And we were no exception - we were taken to the pier, and we, passing by endless souvenir shops, bought an umbrella with views of the city just in case and went for a walk around San Marco.

The square is definitely worth a visit. Firstly, the most famous sights are concentrated on San Marco, and, secondly, the square is simply very beautiful. For the first time in our lives, being here, we experienced a feeling of deja vu, because this place has repeatedly become a filming site, and so many times we have seen the area in the photo and on TV.

The most important architectural objects of Piazza San Marco in Venice are considered to be Campanile of St. Mark's Basilica- a bell tower about 100 meters high. Despite the fact that the line in front of the tower was impressive, it moved quite quickly. Entrance is paid - approximately 5-6 euros, but for this amount we were lifted up by an elevator (albeit not very fast), and not by our own legs). The view from the top of the bell tower is great!

Tourists at the top are reliably protected by a mesh fence. The grid is large, so you can adapt to take good pictures. By the way, you can buy a combined ticket for 11 euros, which allows you to visit the Doge's Palace and many other museums in Piazza San Marco.

Impossible not to notice on the square Torre dell'Orologio clock tower, erected at the end of the 15th century by the architect Coducci. A true masterpiece astronomical clock on the tower, showing the seasons, lunar phases, hours and the transition of the Sun from constellation to constellation.

The Doge's Palace is perhaps the most magnificent building in all of Venice. Meetings of the Senate and the Grand Council were held here, the court and the secret police worked. In my opinion, the palace looks more like a carved box than a fortress. After all, the main goal of the creators of the palace was to impress foreign ambassadors, to amaze them. The facade of the building seemed to say that Venice was able to conquer new territories not with fire and sword, but with trade. This may well explain the luxurious interior spaces created by famous artists - Bellini, Titian and others. Well, we certainly liked the Doge's Palace.

Seeing Cathedral of St. Mark, we gasped in surprise - it turned out to be so beautiful. Outside, the cathedral can be divided into three levels: the lower tier, then the terrace and domes.

It is said that the sarcophagus, which stands at the altar, contains the relics of St. Mark.

Behind a small door near the main entrance there is a staircase leading to an outer gallery. Here you can stay next to the equestrian quadriga from Constantinople. The originals, however, are stored in the museum of the cathedral, and here are their copies.

And from the roof of St. Mark's Cathedral you can admire beautiful view to the Venetian lagoon.

Previously, the numerous pigeons for which Piazza San Marco is famous could be fed with grits. Having bought a bag for one euro, people indulged in close communication with these cute birds: clouds of pigeons immediately flocked, sitting on the hands and heads of happy tourists. But now, for some reason, they no longer sell cereals, but pigeons remain. For example, I had a question: there are a lot of birds in the square, but everywhere is very clean! Where do pigeons do it?

After long walk we decided to relax in the Florian cafe located here. By the way, this is one of the oldest cafes in Venice, opened back in 1720. Over the past centuries, many great people managed to visit here - Rousseau, Byron, Brodsky, Hemingway, Goethe and others.

Sitting in the famous cafe is nice, of course, but expensive. For a cup of aromatic coffee, you will have to pay at least 6 euros. And the bill will definitely include supplemento musica, i.e. surcharge for live music, which will be 6 euros per person.

Regardless of the amount, in the end we were satisfied not only with the pleasant atmosphere of the Florian, but also with a wonderful walk along St. Mark's Square in Venice!

It is rightfully considered one of the visiting cards of Italy. Architectural ensemble squares create the Cathedral of San Marco, the columns of St. Mark and St. Theodore, Campanile, the Doge's Palace, clock tower, the library of the apostle, as well as the Old and New Procurations, Ala Napoleonica and Logetta. Since, when you come to Venice, you will definitely go to San Marco, we decided to tell you separately about each element of the square, so that you feel at home here.

Piazza San Marco in Venice

St. Mark's Square known not only for its sights, but also for the numerous films shot here and, of course, for the pigeons.

For many years, feeding tame pigeons in the Square has been one of the main tourist attractions cities, food for them was sold here. The tradition was interrupted only in 2008, when, due to the bird flu epidemic, it was decided to suspend the sale of feed.

The first mention of the square dates back to the 9th century.

The first information about the square dates back to the 9th century: then one of the main modern attractions of Venice was just a small area in front of the entrance to the Cathedral of San Marco. And only in the XII century (in 1177) it was expanded to its current size.

Piazza San Marco consists of two parts: the Piazzetta (the distance from the Grand Canal to the Campanile) and, in fact, the Piazza itself (the square).

The columns of Saints Mark and Theodore are the first thing you see when you step on the piazzetta adjoining Piazza San Marco in Venice. In 1125, Venice received them as a trophy after a victorious war against the King of Tyre, which she waged in alliance with Constantinople.

Columns of St. Mark and Theodore - the first thing tourists see when they step on the piazzetta

Although tourists are shown two columns, in fact, there were originally three. The third column, while unloading from ships, fell into the sea and still lies somewhere on the muddy bottom of the Laguna.

Cathedral of San Marco

The Cathedral of San Marco is known for its unusual for a Catholic church Byzantine architecture. The Basilica was built back in 832 to store the relics of the apostle, but what travelers can see today is, conditionally, a “new” cathedral, which was restored after a fire that happened in 976.

With the general dominance of the Byzantine style, Romanesque, Gothic and Oriental styles are also inherent in various elements of the Cathedral.

The Basilica San Marco is famous for its unusual Byzantine architecture.

Inside the cathedral, not only the relics of St. Mark are of interest: the Golden Altar (Pala d'Oro), brought from Constantinople, the Baptistery, the Chapel of St. Isidore, the Sacristy and, of course, numerous mosaics.

Entrance to the Cathedral of San Marco is free, but you should avoid provocative clothes with open knees and shoulders when visiting. Also, photography is not allowed in the Cathedral.

Clock tower

Orolodzho (clock tower) - is famous primarily for the fact that its clock shows not only the time, but also the current sign of the zodiac and even the phase of the moon.

It is simply impossible to pass by a luxurious blue-green clock and not pay attention to them. They are decorated with enamel and gilding, bronze statues and the symbol of Venice - a lion with an open book. Orolodgio was built in just a year - construction lasted from 1496 to 1497.

Orolojo watch shows time, current zodiac sign and moon phase

Those wishing to visit the tower should plan ahead, as tourists are allowed into the building in groups of 12 people and only 4 times a day. The tour is available in three languages: English, French and Italian. It is quite possible to buy tickets in advance via the Internet. Do it .

Library of San Marco

In the 16th century, the largest library in Venice was opened on the site of the former Doge's Zoo. Today, within its walls there are more than 13,000 ancient manuscripts and about 500,000 books, including 2 lists of the Iliad of the 5th and 6th centuries.

The library is open every day from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm, except Sunday. On Saturday, the library is open from 8:00 to 13:30.

For many centuries of its existence, the Doge's Palace managed to serve as the seat of the Venetian government, and the Senate, and Supreme Court, and the Ministry.

The very first Doge's Palace was built on this site in 810. For a thousand years, the building was repeatedly destroyed, burned, suffered from cataclysms and rebellions, until, finally, in the 16th century it acquired modern look. Today, the three-story Doge's Palace is the most tourist place in Venice.

Doge's Palace - the most touristic place in Venice

Old and New Procurations

The building of the first procuration in Venice was built back in the 12th century, and in the 16th century, after a strong fire, it was restored, giving it a modern shape.

The main duty of the procurators was to manage state-owned real estate. And the Cathedral of San Marco was just part of this control group, so the place for the construction of the procuration was chosen near the cathedral.

In 1640, opposite the first building (Old Procuration), a second building was built - New Procuration. To figure out where the old and where the new Procuration is, focus on the Florian cafe - it is located on the first floor of the New Procuration.

Cafe "Florian" is located in the building of the New Procuration

It is noteworthy that under Napoleon, his residence in Venice was located in the New Procuration. Over time, it was decided to build a ballroom here, but since the building was not suitable for these purposes, another one had to be erected - Ala Napoleonica. For this, on the orders of Napoleon, the church of San Gemignano was demolished. Now this building connects two procuratories in Piazza San Marco.

In 1540, in Piazza San Marco in Venice, right next to the Belfry, instead of a stable, a Loggetta was built. A building that looks like triumphal arch, over the centuries, the purpose has also changed: a place of solemn meetings, the guardhouse of the Doge's Palace and even the headquarters of the city lottery.

Loggetta Sansovino

In 1902, the Belfry collapsed and destroyed Loggetta. The building that stands on the square now is a restored and newly decorated version.

Campanile

The first mention of the Campanile (bell tower) dates back to the 9th century, but its current appearance is the version of the architects of the 16th century. However, this is not the original: as we have already mentioned, in July 1902 the original structure collapsed.

It took 10 years to restore the exact copy of the Campanile, and what travelers see today in Piazza San Marco is a building built in 1912.

The 99-meter tower consists of a bell platform, where 5 bells, shafts and viewing platforms are located. By the way, in ancient times each of the bells had its own special purpose. For example, in one of them - "Marañona" - they called, urging residents to go to work.

The height of the Venetian Campanile - 99 meters

The huge tower was used not only as a bell tower. It was also successfully used as a beacon for ships, and sometimes even a gallows.

The cost of climbing Campanile is 8 Euro; For excursion group more than 15 people - 4 Euro (2018). You can go upstairs either by stairs or by elevator.

Working hours:

From September 5 to September 18: 08:30-20:15;
From September 19 to September 30: 08:30-19:45;
From October 1 to October 9: 09:30-19:00;
From October 10 to April 9: 09:30-17:30;
From April 10 to June 12: 09:00-19:00;
From June 13 to September 4: 08:30-21:30;
The bell tower is closed: from 9 to 27 January and in case of bad weather.

How to get to Piazza San Marco in Venice

As a rule, the starting point for exploring Venice is (if you arrive in the city by train) or Piazzale Roma (if you arrive by bus). Within walking distance from both starting points are the stops of the Vaporetto river buses, which perform the functions of public transport in Venice.

For a trip to Piazza San Marco, you should choose numbers 1 or 2 and go to the stop S.Marco Vallaresso. A ticket for the Vaporetto will cost 7.5 Euros (2018), and the routes themselves run quite often - in the daytime, the average interval is about 10 minutes. More about this mode of transport and others popular routes water trams in Venice are possible.

San Marco - the main square of Venice

It is customary to divide its territory into two sections. Piazza is the main and largest part of it. Piazzetta - a plot overlooking the embankment. We can say that this is the gate from the sea. It is they who are first seen by tourists arriving in Venice by water. At the entrance, two majestic marble columns with symbolic sculptures at the top immediately come into view.

San Marco is a square shaped like a trapezoid. Its length is 175 m, the minimum width is 56 m, and the maximum width is 82 m. Earlier, during its formation (IX century), it was much smaller. Only a small platform opposite was mentioned. Just at that time, the relics of the saint arrived in Venice. The cathedral was erected in his honor, and he also began to patronize the city. Over time, the shrine was rebuilt and expanded, adding new decorations and architectural details to the already majestic structure.

Story

The place has acquired special importance and significance since 829, when the relics taken by merchants from Alexandria were buried in the built basilica. Since then, San Marco, the square in front of the religious shrine, has also become an important place of pilgrimage. In 1267 it was paved using masonry.

Next to the cathedral, a majestic bell tower was erected for several centuries, which was completed only in the 16th century. Back in 1177, Pope Alexander III and Emperor Barbarossa reconciled on this square. It traditionally held important ceremonial processions, tournaments and symbolic bull hunts. On the square, after taking the oath, the Venetians carried the great doges who had entered into rights and sat on the throne.

The organizers considered that the territory of the ceremonial place was insufficient and in 1777 it was expanded to the current size. Since 1807, the rebuilt St. Mark's Cathedral has become a cathedral. In 1902, the famous bell tower (Campanile) collapsed on the square. But the majestic building was restored to its original form a decade later.

Attractions

What else is Venice famous for? San Marco is one of the six districts of the city. It is considered the heart of the city and is known, among other things, for the famous square of the same name. Doge's Palace occupies the dominant place on it. He survived the destruction and fires. IN majestic building V different time the Senate, the Great Council, judges and even the secret police met. But above all, it was main residence doge of the republic.

In addition to the aforementioned red brick bell tower, which rises almost 99 meters and is used at night as a beacon for ships, the not so high, but no less famous clock tower as part of the surrounding architectural complex. It is adjacent to the facade of the Old Procurations. Of interest is the building richly decorated with statues and bas-reliefs at the base of Campanile - Loggetta, originally designed as a building for meeting the nobles arriving in the city. Not to mention the exquisite two-tier facade national library San Marco. The area, according to experts, is clearest example medieval architectural architecture.

Modernity

There is an opinion that Piazza San Marco in Venice, together with the city, is gradually sinking under water. It is possible that in the coming decades the surrounding area will become uninhabitable due to rising sea levels. But now all the attractions are open to tourists. There is a unique museum in operation.

It is difficult to say what is the greater attraction of the building - the exterior or its interior. Among the exhibits of the museum are the richest collections, trophies, maps, historical documents. You can buy souvenirs for every taste, view the majestic panorama from observation deck in a chapel or basilica.

San Marco - Pigeon Square

Why do everyone who has been to Venice say so? There is a legend about a pair of birds once presented to the Doge on the occasion of his coronation. Released from the cage, they sat down on the consecrated arch of the newly built basilica. This was considered a good omen, so doves were subsequently released on the occasion of Palm Sunday. The tradition led to the fact that the birds did not fly far, but settled in the area. On the square they were safe, they were constantly fed.

The authorities also had to solve the problem of cleaning the sights from the waste products of pigeons. Their droppings did not allow tourists to fully appreciate the majestic beauty of historical and cultural attractions. On numerous arches and cornices, structures had to be installed to distract the birds. There were periods when restrictions were even introduced on the sale of bird food on the area.

Cathedral of San Marco (Italy) - description, history, location. The exact address and website. Reviews of tourists, 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 tourist attractions. 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 architecture in the Byzantine style, but also because it is in this temple that the relics of the Apostle Mark are located. In addition, here you can see many art objects brought from Constantinople during the time of the Crusades.

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 the best suited 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 at all costs to save the relics of the Apostle Mark and deliver them to their hometown. The fact is that the Italians became aware of the upcoming 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 the pig carcasses and thus transferred the relics to their ship. After the evangelist's body was brought to Venice, Saint Mark became the patron 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.

The 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 a fire. The modern temple was built in 1063. In subsequent years, the cathedral became more 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 the best suited for the construction of buildings in Venice.

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

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 it.

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

Practical Information

A tour of the Cathedral of San Marco lasts about 10 minutes. Visitors must be appropriately dressed - do not visit the temple in defiant outfits. Photo and video filming is prohibited. Entrance to the Basilica is free.

Opening hours from November to April: 9:30-17:00, Sunday and public 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, Sundays and holidays: 14:00-16:00, ticket price - 2 EUR. Opening hours of the treasury: 9:45-16:00, Sundays and public holidays: 14:00-16:00, ticket price - 3 EUR.

Opening hours from April to November: Basilica: 9:45-17:00, Sundays and public holidays: 14:00-17:00. Museum: 09:45-16:45, Pala D`Oro: 09:45-17:00, Sundays and holidays: 14:00-17:00. Opening hours of the treasury: 9:45-17:00, Sundays and public holidays: 14:00-17:00.

Opening hours of the bell tower: 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 for September 2018.