St. Mark’s Basilica

St. Mark’s Basilica is an iconic church cathedral with gilded domes, located on the St. Mark’s Square. It is featuring opulent interior, myriad mosaics and a museum. It is a must when visiting Venice to visit.

Since this place is full of history and artifacts, we recommend you use guided tour when visiting, as this will paint the full picture of this magnificent attraction.

Quick facts

• Name: St. Mark’s Basilica
• Location: Venice, Italy
• Built: 9th century
• Type of attraction: Architectural/Churche
• Ticket price: From $18

Originally, this structure was intended to be an extension of the Doge’s Palace; however, the Basilica of St. Mark, whose construction began in 828 and was completed in 832, was built to house the body of St. Mark the Apostle, who had been brought from Alexandria and had been named protector of the city. This was a necessary condition for the establishment of Venice as an independent episcopal seat.

The construction of the current basilica, which is designed in the Byzantine style, began in 1063 to symbolize the power of the prosperous Venetian Republic.

In accordance with the model of two basilicas in the ancient imperial city of Byzantium, this basilica features a central plant in the shape of a Greek cross, five large domed roofs, and a unique combination of ancient and oriental art.

The Basilica has undergone numerous modifications over the years, particularly in terms of decoration, which includes pointed Gothic arches, the Sant’Alipio arch, sculptures and mosaics from the 17th and 18th centuries on the main façade, bas-reliefs representing the professions and zodiac signs on the central gate, marbles from the East, the Porphyry figures of the Tetrarchs, and the horses of St. Mark. As a result, there is a stunning and beautiful fusion of aesthetics.

Basilica is used as place of worship and visits can be suspended based on religious holidays and schedule, so please plan ahead. You can find out about interruption times by clicking on this link.

Interesting facts about St. Mark’s Basilica

Here are some interesting facts about this amazing landmark:

• The basilica was originally built to store stolen relics from Alexandria, Egypt.
• The basilica has more than 500 columns.
• There are more than 8,000 square meters of painted mosaics in the basilica.

Read more: Interesting facts about St. Mark’s Basilica