St. Mark’s Basilica, also known as the Basilica di San Marco (Italian: Basilica di San Marco), is the main cathedral of Venice and perhaps one of the most famous cathedrals in Italy. It is located in St. Mark’s Square in the southern part of the city. St. Mark’s Basilica is a rare example of Byzantine architecture in the Old World. However, it is so unique that its own architectural style has gone far beyond a single style. In 1987, UNESCO included St. Mark’s Basilica in the list of protected sites, along with other monuments of Venice.
St. Mark’s Basilica (San Marco)
The history of St. Mark’s Basilica began in 829 AD when the relics of the Evangelist Mark were transported to Venice from Alexandria. The reason was that at that time, Muslims in Alexandria began demolishing Christian churches to build mosques in their place. Venetian merchants, learning of this, stole the relics of St. Mark and secretly transported them to Venice.
After the transfer of the relics, St. Mark replaced St. Theodore as the city’s heavenly patron, and the winged lion—the symbol of the Apostle Mark—has adorned the coat of arms of Venice ever since.
The very first basilica, built to house the relics, was destroyed by fire in the 9th century. In 1094, the new cathedral that we see today was completed and consecrated. Since then, it has been expanded several times, with changes made to its external decoration and its interior vaults richly adorned; however, its fundamental plan has remained unchanged.
The dimensions of St. Mark’s Basilica are 76.5 meters in length and 62.5 meters in width. The height of the cathedral (central dome) is 43 meters.
St. Mark’s Basilica played a huge role in the life of the Venetian Republic. The Doges of Venice were crowned here, and from here they addressed the citizens. Troops were blessed in the square in front of the basilica, and the banners of defeated enemies were paraded.
Today, St. Mark’s Basilica is an active religious center not only for Italy but for all of Europe, thanks to the Christian relics housed here: the relics of St. Mark, the head of the Apostle James the Less, and the relics of the martyr Isidore.
Architecture of St. Mark’s Basilica
St. Mark’s Basilica was modeled after two Christian temples simultaneously: the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The Basilica of San Marco has the shape of a Greek cross. It is adorned with 5 domes: one above the crossing and the others above the ends of the cross.
The portals of the central (western) facade, facing St. Mark’s Square, are decorated with stunningly beautiful and rich 18th-century mosaics. The cathedral was expanded over many consecutive centuries, resulting in a collection of various architectural styles: besides the classic Greek basilica with a Romanesque facade, you can see marble cladding on the facades, bas-reliefs, columns in various styles, Gothic pinnacles on the main facade, and Gothic spires. Even the sculptures of horses installed above the facade, which are uncharacteristic of Byzantine architecture, look entirely appropriate here.
Altar
The “Golden Altar” (Pala d’Oro) is the altarpiece of the high altar of St. Mark’s Basilica. An altarpiece is a work of art (painting, icon, mosaic) placed behind the altar in Catholic churches. The dimensions of the Pala d’Oro are 3.34 by 2.51 meters. The miniature paintings (icons) of the altarpiece are enamel images (250 in total), set in a Gothic frame of gilded silver, adorned with two thousand precious stones. Some of the enamels were brought from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. The altar itself is housed in a marble tabernacle.
Mosaics
The mosaic cycle of St. Mark’s Basilica is one of the most significant examples of this art form. In the 11th century, Byzantine masters were involved in creating the mosaics; later, Venetian mosaicists took over the work.
Not only the walls but also the vaults of the cathedral and even the floors are decorated with mosaics, which, thanks to the golden tesserae, create a unique shimmering effect.
The mosaics depict scenes from the stories of the Old and New Testaments, episodes from the lives of the Apostle Mark and John the Baptist. Essentially, one can study the Bible through the mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica. This makes the interior decoration of the Cathedral absolutely unique.
Please note: the lighting for the cathedral’s mosaics is only turned on from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM (to preserve them); at other times, the cathedral is quite dark. The best view of them is from the second floor of St. Mark’s Basilica, for which you need to purchase a ticket to the museum.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of St. Mark’s Basilica and all its monuments depend on the season. There are two seasons: high season from April 16 to October 28 and low season from October 29 to April 15.
High Season:
St. Mark’s Basilica is open
- on weekdays from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:45 PM);
- on weekends from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:45 PM).
Cathedral Museum open daily from 9:35 AM to 5:00 PM.
Access to the Altar (Pala d’Oro):
- on weekdays from 9:35 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:45 PM);
- on weekends from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:45 PM).
Treasury:
- on weekdays from 9:35 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:45 PM);
- on weekends from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:45 PM).
Campanile (bell tower) operates on its own schedule:
- October 1 – March 31: from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:45 PM)
- January 7 – 24: always closed for maintenance work
- April 1 — 15: 9:00 AM — 5:30 PM (last entry 4:45 PM)
- April 16 – September 30: 8:30 AM – 9:00 PM (last entry at 8:45 PM)
Mass times are available on the official website.
Code of Conduct
Do not forget that St. Mark’s Basilica is an active Catholic church where believers regularly come and masses are held, so appropriate standards of behavior are expected. Furthermore, the basilica, like all of Venice, has a huge number of tourists, so there are time limits for staying inside.
- The visit should last no more than 10 minutes;
- Appropriate dress is required (shoulders and knees must be covered);
- Entry with luggage is prohibited (luggage storage is available at the north facade);
- Photo and video recording are prohibited;
- Silence must be observed.
Ticket Prices
Entry to St. Mark’s Basilica itself is free. The cost for viewing individual treasures of the cathedral:
- Entry to the St. Mark’s Museum – 5 euros, children – 2.50 euros.
- Entry to the Pala d’Oro (the miniature altarpiece of the cathedral) — 2 euros, children — 1 Euro.
- Entry to the Treasury – 3 euros, children – 1.50 euros.
- Entry to the Campanile (bell tower) — 8 euros, children — 4 euros.
- Prices do not depend on the season.
How to Get There
Venice is an absolutely unique city in terms of public transport. In the sense that there is none, except for water buses—vaporetti. Therefore, everywhere in Venice you must walk. However, the city is not very large. You can walk across the entire historic part of Venice in about 45 minutes. If you don’t get lost.
On Foot
Throughout the historic part of the city, there are white signs pointing to three main landmarks/tourist attraction zones: Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto), Grand Canal (Canal Grande), and, of course, St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica San Marco). So, to get to St. Mark’s Basilica, you simply need to follow these signs, which are posted in sufficient numbers at intersections and on house walls.
The journey from the railway or bus station (they are located next to each other) will take about half an hour. And from the Rialto Bridge—only 8 minutes.
By Vaporetto
The only public transport in Venice is the river trams, called vaporetti here. They, like buses, run on a schedule and fixed routes. Boarding and disembarking take place at stops—piers. The nearest stop to St. Mark’s Basilica is the San Zaccaria pier. Vaporetto lines No. 1, 2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2, N stop here. The cost of a vaporetto ticket is 1.5 euros. You can plan your route on the website of the public transport for Venice and surrounding cities.
The walk from the pier to St. Mark’s Basilica takes only 5 minutes.
By Taxi
Since there are no cars in the city, taxis are also boats. It is almost impossible to hail one freely on the canal; it’s easier to call by phone or pick one up at a taxi stand. The most famous stands are located right at St. Mark’s Square (where the basilica is) and near the Rialto Bridge.
The cost of a taxi, for example, from the station to San Marco is 60-90 Euros. However, more often, taxis are hired as a private boat driver with an hourly rate of 120 euros for a group of 1-4 people.
Video about St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice
