Search for the town, the city, the area where you want to go and consult the contents of VisitItaly
Search for the town, the city, the area where you want to go and consult the contents of VisitItaly

Piazza san Marco

The eastern part of the square is dominated by two of the most important historical attractions of the city: the Basilica of San Marco and the Campanile. It is today a meeting and entertainment place.

Piazza san Marco - Venice

 

Piazza san Marco

Piazza San Marco, one of the most beautiful squares in the world

Visiting Venice, how many opportunities for a single trip! Carnival, shopping, relax, a honeymoon or a romantic getaway. A trip to Venice offers endless possibilities of tourism, each of them thrilling and exciting! Piazza San Marco is undoubtedly the most famous symbol of Venice in the world, the beating heart of this magnificent city.

Great and magnificent, Piazza San Marco remains forever in the memory of those visiting Venice, with its magnificent Basilica so loved by all the Venetians Many international artists have made their home of Venice: Lord Byron, for example, used to eat at the Cafe Florian, a prestigious and expensive coffee in City center.

Piazza San Marco offers, of course, many eating solutions to the tourists such as cafes, bars, restaurants that can break your gondola rides, museums, monuments visits: be patient in dealing with long queues and be prepared for unexpected and important expenses, the magic of Venice will be able to pay you back for your efforts! If you have not so much time try instead to visit the Basilica and the Palace shortly before closing time: you might be able to enter in time making just a short queue and fully enjoy your visit. 

Piazza San Marco is the heart of Venice. It provides the setting for two of the city's foremost buildings - Basilica San Marco and the Doge's Palace. The piazza's most distinctive monuments are the two columns near the waterfront, brought from the eastern mediterranean in 1170. One is topped with the lion of San Marco while the other with St Theodore, one of Venice's patron saints.
The area between the pillars was once a place of execution. 

Its appearance is the result of projects more and more consciously by the City itself over the centuries. Here was located the high power for over a millennium. At the same time, it was the meeting point between different people, sharing the history of the Serenissima.
This is the largest and actually the only Town Square; by definition, the squares of Venice are called "fields" (campi).

The Piazza San Marco was a field at the beginning of the city, where the population grew vegetables and it was bordered by the Rio Batario, buried in the twelfth century. With the arrival of the relics of San Marco in Venice in 828, the Piazza starts to assume the role of the "heart of the City".

Where today stands the Piazzetta San Marco, next to the Palazzo Ducale, the Piazza was the basin. An architectural proof of this fact is the ancient walled port of water, access turned on the water, typical of Venetian buildings. In the twelfth century, after the burial of the Rio Batario, also the basin was buried to build the Piazzetta, where the columns coming from Constantinople were placed in San Teodoro and San Marco.

These changes were characterized by the awareness of the monumentality and superiority of the Venetian Republic. This had to be the "facade" of Venice: it had to welcome newcomers and salute those heading back home, leaving them with their mouths open. In the mid-15th century the Old Procuratie were built and, at the beginning of '500, the famous clock tower was built by Codussi. The architect Jacopo Sansovino, the builder of the Library, then completed the monumental aspect of the square.

The bell tower, another symbol of the city, was completed in 1514. Towards the end of '500, the city council decided to beautify the south side of the square; the work was entrusted to Scamozzi. These were the New Procuratie. The domination of Napoleon gave its final appearance to the Square. The New Procuratie were built, also known as the Napoleonic Wing, the symbol par excellence of the fall of the millennial power of the Serenissima.

Written by Dave Mitchell - Last update: 05/11/2021
Calculate the route

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the address of Piazza san Marco?

The address of Piazza san Marcois Piazza san Marco - Venice

How to reach Piazza san Marco?

You can calculate the route on Google Maps by clicking here
Hotel Condor - >Jesolo
Jesolo (21 Km) - Via Padova, 35
Locanda Ca' Zose - >Venice
Venice - Dorsoduro 193/B
We would be happy to welcome you to our 17th century Locanda. The building has been completely restored in 2003 and is situated in one the most prestigious and central positions in Venice.Right near the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Church of the 'Salute' which overlooks the basin facing St. Mark's Square. Since ever it is the most celebrated square, witness of romantic promenades and model, immortalised by many famous painters and film directors. In 5 minutes you can reach the waterbus stops but if you wish to reach St. Mark's Square in a striking manner you can take a gondola and cr
Hotel Palazzo Sant'Antonin - >Venice
Venice - Fondamenta Dei Furlani 3299
The Sant'Antonin Palace is in a medieval court and the 3rd largest private gardens of Venice both owned. Waking up to the sound of birds that inhabit its big shady trees is a happy opportunity to point out to guests. It is plausible define the 3-star Superior Sant'Antonin Palace as one of the most quiet and picturesque hotels in Venice.
Biennale - >Venice
Venice - Castello, S.Elena - Campo Campo Grappa1
Oasis B&B - >Venice
Venice - Riviera San Nicolò, 4
Twelve kilometers in length,from the breakwater of San Nicolò to that of Malamocco,the two extreme ends of the beach are left untouched.Over one-hundred meters wide in parts,the beach has made the Lido’s fortune thanks to the very fine velvet golden sand.The finest names in world have been walking on this sand since the time of luxurious pavilion,built for the exclusive use of the royal family in the second half of the 19th century. The Lido has resisted chaos,scuffles around the beach umbrellas,the noisy throngs.Washed by a warm calm sea,thanks to the strict measures taken it has become so clean again as to earn the applauso of enviromentalists. Our property is 300 meters from “ Venezia Spiagge” beach,where is possibile to rent umbrellas and long-chairs,daily or weekly. The cost fora n umbrella with long-chair is Euros 15,70 per day in high season.
OUR GUIDES

Guida ufficiale di Visit Italy

Visit Italy Official Guide

Guide officiel de Visit Italy

Guía oficial de Visit Italy

Offizieller Reiseführer von Visit Italy

OTHER LANGUAGES

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Contacts

Terms of use

Covid-19 updates: information for tourists from italia.it

NEWSLETTER