Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco has been the city center of Venice for hundreds of years. Built in the 9^th century the square was built around St. Mark’s Basilica or the Basilica of San Marco. At the time, the Basilica was just a small chapel that was a part of Doge’s Palace. Within the square you will find the Basilica of San Marco, Doge’s Palace, a bell tower, two columns, a library and the first café called the Florian. The square is used for religious and civil ceremonies. It is now the city’s main tourist attraction.

The Basilica of San Marco is a church done in Venetian-Byzantine style. The Basilica has its own bell tower, or campanile, which stands almost 100 meters tall. The square is also known for two columns that stand at the entrance to the square. They pay homage to two Venetian patrons, St. Mark and St. Teodoro of Amasea, as well as acting as the gateway into Venice.

The Doge’s Palace is a gothic structure that faces the Venetian Lagoon. It was completed in the 1400’s. It is where the government has been placed for centuries, the palace of justice, as well as the home of the Doge, the elected ruler of the city. You can enter the Palace and tour it as a museum. You will see the chambers where prisoners were kept, the salons of the Doge, court rooms, and many weapons.

This is the Venetian version of a suggestion box. They are found around the Doge's Palace as a place for the bourgeois to write suggestions. As long as the notes were not anonymous they would be read.

Where you see two red columns, this is where criminals were executed.

Within the square you will not only see tons of tourists, but also tons of pigeons. You should know that Venice has passed a law that bans feeding the birds.