St Mark's Square

This is the heart of must see Venice; St Mark's Square, or Piazza San Marco as it is known in Italian, has been the centre point of Venetian life for close on a thousand years.

A splendid square indeed; in summer it is so full of light and color that the buildings themselves seem to shimmer and float above it all...beautiful!

San Marco is the most expensive part of Venice but there's some good news, you can stay just around the corner at the great value and superb Hotel Opera. One of the very few hotels in Venice I recommend with confidence. These are the others!

In this one square you will find most of the great sights of Venice – ranging from the famous Basilica through to the bell tower. Despite often being overcrowded St Mark’s Square is truly a magnificent place.

If you can find a Venetian in the piazza they will gladly tell you that this is the most beautiful piazza in the entire world and they aren’t far wrong. It is also strangely enough the only piazza in Venice – all the others are called campi.

The History of the Square

The square dates back to 828 but it was in the twelfth century that the square became recognizably the square of today. Thanks to the fall of Constantinople marble suddenly became available on a massive scale and the rulers of Venice went absolutely crazy with it.

It's great that they did, the result is an immensely beautiful space full of light and color. Even at the height of summer I manage to ignore the tourists and transport myself back in time. It is actually easy to do, the scale of this piazza makes the tourists seem quite insignificant.

Changes were made over the following centuries with the addition of various buildings, new paving and statues but the enchanting nature of the Piazza has never been lost.

What Not To Do in St Mark's?

Don’t buy anything to eat or drink anywhere near here unless money is no concern for you. Yes, the atmosphere is incredible but even a beer is likely to cost you close on ten Euros.

Try to visit in the late evening or better still the very early morning (first light is best) when the crowds are less, enjoy the atmosphere, visit all there is to visit and then go to one of the places in our Venice Italy Restaurant Guide for lunch or dinner.

If you would like to avoid the long lines getting into any of the buildings on the piazza then this just might be the solution.

The Magic Moment You Step Into St Mark's Square

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