Attraction: St. Mark's Basilica

St Mark’s Basilica (commonly known as the Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco) is the principal cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, Italy. There are several well-known examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture in Rome, including the Basilica di San Clemente and Santa Maria Maggiore, respectively.

The basilica sits in the northeastern end of the Piazza San Marco, with buildings linked to it via a connecting bridge. The cathedral was formerly the chapel of the Doge, and has only been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, since 1807, when it became the Patriarchate of Venice, Archdiocese of Venice, and the See of San Pietro di Castello.

This structure was built between the later part of the 11th century and the 12th century, and it is more likely that the influence on the building’s architecture and design was the Hagia Sophia. Much effort has been put into making this attractive, and the most famous façade has a Gothic-inspired roofline that is mostly elaborately decorated.

The current gold ground mosaics that cover almost all the interior of the building, including the upper floors, were painstakingly created over several centuries. Although domes have always been slightly domed, during the 13th century the external height of the domes was increased greatly by hollow drums raised on a wooden framework and covered with metal; original domes are shallower, as can be seen on the inside.

Together with St. Mark’s Square, Basilica is the main landmark in Venice and one of the top attraction in Italy.