Piazza San Marco in Venice can be roughly divided into two parts: piazzetta and piazzo. The Piazzetta is a small area between Saint Mark's Square itself and the Giudecca Canal. She greets guests with an entrance gate in the form of two granite columns. To the right of them stands the Palace of the Doges (rulers of the city), to the left - the Marciana Library, ending with the Piazzetta Bell Tower. The center of attraction is the Cathedral of San Marco - the main attraction of the city. No less interesting are the buildings of the Procuration, the Clock Tower, Lodgett. It acquired its modern appearance, shape, size by 1777. Now it is 175 m long and 82 m wide.
San Marco - the main square of Venice
The heart and business card of Venice. And although there are many other squares in the city, this is the only place called the Piazza or Piazza, which underlines its importance. The rest are called - compo (compo), which translates as a small field. Piazza San Marco is a famous historical and cultural center of Venice. For many centuries, it has been a place of attraction for millions of people from all over the world; city ceremonies, celebrations and the famous Venice Carnival are held here.
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History
The history of this amazing place dates back to 829. The Venetian merchants, who had commercial affairs in Egyptian Alexandria, managed to secretly take out the relics of the great Christian saint, the Apostle Jesus Christ - the Evangelist Mark, hiding them in a sarcophagus among pig skins. Apparently they noticed that Muslims never touch "unclean" cargo. The plan succeeded, customs inspection bypassed them, and the relics arrived safely in Venice.
To accommodate them, the Basilica of San Marco was built, respectively, and the square in front of it was also named. In 976, the building was badly damaged during a fire. A magnificent cathedral was built in its place. The square gradually expanded, became the center of the city, all political events, folk festivals and even executions took place on it.
Architectural landmarks
Familiarization with the sights begins for tourists as soon as they get off the vaporetto (sea taxis). Piazza San Marco is home to a number of historic buildings and structures.
Columns of Saint Mark and Theodore
The first thing that guests see when they step on the piazzetta pavement are two granite columns. They were brought from Constantinople in 1125, and installed only in 1196. The columns are monolithic and very heavy, each weighing more than 100 tons, precisely because of this, they could not be installed for a long time. One of the columns is crowned with a marble statue of Saint Theodore with a spear trampling a dragon underfoot. This scene symbolizes the power of Venice over the sea. Saint Theodore was the first patron saint of the city and is still very much loved and revered by the Venetians.
On the capitals of another column is a bronze winged lion holding a paw on the open Gospel. The lion is the biblical symbol of Saint Mark. He is depicted on the coat of arms of Venice. This figure is more than 2500 years old, according to one version it was brought from China, while others see it as an example of Assyrian art. In former times, the space between the columns served as a place for executions. Until now, the Venetians consider it a bad omen to pass where death sentences were carried out.
Cathedral of San Marco
According to the existing legend, the evangelist Mark preached Christianity in the Venetian lagoon. Once, having got into a terrible storm, he waited it out. An angel appeared in a dream and announced that he would find eternal rest on this earth. And now, for 12 centuries the relics of the saint have been buried under the arches of the cathedral named in his honor. From the first glance, the Cathedral of San Marco is striking in its magnificence. The basilica, built in 829, was badly damaged by a fire in 976, so they decided to build a new building in its place. The cathedral acquired its present appearance in 1094.
During that period, the influence of Constantinople on Venice was great. Therefore, the building was erected in the Byzantine pompous style, with a luxury uncharacteristic for temple structures in Western Europe. The marble facade is decorated with numerous columns, towers, bas-reliefs, sculptures. The mosaic compositions with scenes from the Last Judgment and the Abduction of the Relics of St. Mark are extraordinarily beautiful.
The cathedral has five entrance portals. Above the main one there is a majestic bronze quadriga (four horses). The sculptures are attributed to the work of an ancient Greek master of the 4th century BC. They decorated the triumphal arch of Nero in Rome, and then the Arch of Troyan. The Venetians got it as a trophy of war. The temple is crowned with five domes lined with silver rectangular plates.
The interior decoration is no less mesmerizing. Due to the abundance of gold, the Cathedral of San Marco is often called the "Golden Cathedral". Vaults, walls, domes are covered with a mosaic of multi-colored Murano glass. The dome is painted with scenes from the Creation of the World. But the main jewel is under the altar: this is a cancer with the relics of St. Mark.
The Golden Altar is a great work of Gothic art made in 1345. Its dimensions are 3.50 * 1.4m. It depicts episodes from the Holy Scriptures, the life of St. Mark. The precious setting contains enamels and 2500 stones: amethysts, emeralds, sapphires, rubies. The iconostasis is made of silver, covered with a layer of gold, decorated with many enamel plates and precious stones.
Clock tower
The building was built in 1499 under the direction of the architect Koducci. The composition consists of four parts. Its main element is a blue and gold astronomical clock. The dial has two circles: outer and inner. The gold hand shows the time in the outer circle. On the inside - the signs of the zodiac and the phases of the moon are depicted. Above the clock is a brass statue of the seated Madonna with the Christ Child. Twice a year, on Epiphany and Ascension, the Magi appear before her, bowing down.
On either side of the statue there are small rectangular apertures where the current hours and minutes are indicated. Above, there is a sculpture of a winged lion holding an open Gospel in its paws. The tower is crowned with statues of two Moors made of bronze: an old man and a youth. In their hands they have long hammers, with which they periodically strike the bell: 5 minutes before a whole hour and after 5 minutes. This is a symbol of the passing forward time.
Library of San Marco
The library is on the north side of the piazzetta. The building is 80 m long. It was built in 1537-1545. designed by the architect Sansovino. The library was originally intended to store ancient Greek, Latin early printed books and manuscripts (handwritten scrolls) presented to the city by Cardinal Bressanone.
In subsequent years, it was replenished with war trophies, monastic and family collections. Now the library of San Marco (Marciana) has about 40 thousand unique copies. The white marble facade is very ornate, decorated with a balustrade of statues and columns. The interior decoration is no less sophisticated: on the walls there are portraits of famous thinkers and philosophers, and manuscripts in exquisite bindings are kept in the gilded hall.
Doge's Palace
The building in the Venetian Gothic style, decorated with columns, openwork arches, creates an impression of airiness and lightness. It is located on one side to the sea, with a facade to the square. The Staircase of the Giants leads to the palace, on either side of it there are two huge statues symbolizing war and the sea: Mars and Neptune. Between them at the top is a bas-relief of a winged lion. Here the selected doges took the oath.
The Doge's Palace was built in the XIV century and had several purposes:
- Private apartments of the Doge (ruler of Venice). There they lived and ruled
- Master's degree, where the Senate, Council sat, various Collegiums were located
- Civil and ecclesiastical Court
- Tribune - from the balcony of the second floor, the Doge addressed the inhabitants of Venice
- Jail
In the halls of the magistracy, laws were discussed, political and church issues were resolved, ambassadors and diplomatic missions were received. The court was held in the Senate hall, and the court tribune of the 18th century has survived to this day. The interior of the palace is striking in its luxury. The walls and ceiling are clad in marble, tapestries, leather with gold trim.
Canvases of brilliant artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, Pordenone, frescoes by Paolo Veronese serve as decoration. Some depict scenes glorifying Venice: victorious battles, the formation of the fleet, naval battles. Others - episodes from the Holy Scriptures, the gods of the ancient world. The unique collection of weapons deserves special attention: combat, decorative, trophy. In total, the exposition includes 2031 items, including the armor of the French king Henry IV, knights-crusaders, the Turkish standard, sabers, muskets.
Old and New Prosecutions
Prosecutors' offices were built to accommodate the highest officials of the executive branch - the procurators. Their duties included the execution of decisions of the Doge and the Senate in financial, legal, property, political and other spheres. The first Prosecutor's Office - the Old One - was built on the north side of the square in 1532. It is a long three-story building with arches, loggias, and columns. Due to the sprawling bureaucracy, one building was not enough.
In 1586 New Procurations were built opposite it. And in 1810, by decree of Napoleon, another building was built in the west of the square - Ala Napoleonica (Napoleon's wing), connecting the two Procurations. All buildings are built in the same Renaissance style. Now museums are located on the upper floors, the lower ones are given over to cafes.
Loggetta Sansovino
Lodgetta is a small, exquisite Baroque building designed by the architect Sansovino, adjacent to the bell tower. Construction time: 1537-1540 years. The facade is made of white and colored marble, decorated with columns, bas-reliefs with scenes from ancient mythology, statues of gods. For a long time, Lodgetta served as a meeting place for noble patricians. Later it housed the guard of the Doge's Palace. Now through Lodgetta they enter the observation deck of the bell tower.
Campanile
Campanila is the observation deck and bell tower of the Cathedral of San Marco. At the base it has the shape of a square with a side of 12 m, a height of 98.6 m. It is built of bricks, crowned with a marble belfry with five bells, decorated with statues of the goddesses of Justice, Venus, Minerva, and the figure of a winged lion. The bell tower ends with a pyramid-shaped spire, at the top of which is a weather vane with a golden archangel 2 m high.
The first tower on this site was built in the 9th century and served as an observation deck and a lighthouse. At the beginning of the 16th century, a new version of the bell tower was built. It stood for almost 400 years and collapsed in 1902. Work went on for ten years, and the original appearance was completely restored.
San Marco - square of pigeons
Pigeons have become an integral part of Piazza San Marco. According to legend, many guests came to the consecration of the cathedral. Among the gifts were two pigeons, which were set free. They sat on the cornice of the cathedral, which was considered a symbolic sign, the pigeons were recognized as sacred. Since then, a tradition has developed to protect and feed the birds.
Over time, a great many of them bred. For health reasons, and to limit the offspring, pigeons are fed with special food. Until 2008, bags of cereal could be bought on the square, but then the sale was stopped and tourists were forbidden to feed the birds.
Opening hours and ticket prices
The opening hours of the attractions in Piazzo San Marco vary from season to season. The high season is April – October, and the low season is October – April.
St. Mark's Cathedral:
- The entrance to the Cathedral is free. Working hours on weekdays: 9.30 am – 5 pm, on weekends: 2 pm – 5 pm.
- A ticket to the Museum of St. Mark costs 5 €. Open daily: 9.45 - 16.50.
- Visit to the Treasury - 3 €. On weekdays: 9.45 - 17.00, weekends: 14.00 - 17.00
- Entrance to the Golden Altar 2 €. On weekdays: 9.45 - 17.00, weekends: 14.00 - 17.00
Visiting times are reduced by an hour during low season. It is prohibited to enter the Cathedral with luggage, you cannot take photos and videos, speak loudly and be in open clothes.
Doge's Palace:
Opening hours of the palace in high season: 8.30 - 19.00. Low: 8.30 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.
Ticket price - 19 €; for children 6-14 years old, people over 65 years old - 12 €. This ticket also allows you to enter the Correr Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the library.
Campanile San Marco:
October, Easter holiday - June: 9.00 -19.00; November - Easter holiday: 9.30 - 15.45; July - September: 9.00 - 21.00. The ticket price is 8 euros.
Where is it and how to get there
San Marco is the center of Venice. Since the entire city is located on the islands, vaporettos serve as public transport. These are small motor ships plying between the islands along the Grand Canal along the established routes. Venice is connected to the mainland of Italy by a dam. Trains arrive at the Santa Lucia train station, buses at the station at the Piazza Roma. Then you can walk to the center or take a vaporetto (fare 7 €) No. 1, No. 2, No. 4.1, No. 5.1 and N (night route) to the pier "Piazzo San Marco".
Buses run from the airport, which is 12 km from the city. They work from 5.20 am to 24.20 pm, ticket price 8 €. Stops at the Roman square.
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