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Piazza San Marco, located in Venice in the Veneto region, is one of
the most important Italian monumental squares, renowned throughout the
world for its beauty and architectural integrity.
It is the only
urban space in Venice that properly assumes the name of "piazza", as all
the other spaces in the form of a square are properly defined as
"campi". Its main body has a trapezoidal shape, on which other areas are
grafted, and is about 170 meters long. It is also known as "the Piazza"
or "the living room of Europe".
Piazza San Marco is made up of the square of the same name, as well as the small square of San Marco located between the Doge's Palace and the bell tower of San Marco. Going towards the sea there is the Palazzo Ducale pier with the Ponte della Paglia. To the north of the Basilica of San Marco is the Piazza dei Leoncini.
SAN. Marco Giardinetti. A B to the airport.
San Marco Vallaresso.
1 No
In Piazza San Marco you can only move on foot, no other means of transport are allowed.
1 Basilica di San Marco (Basilica
Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco), Piazza San Marco (Vaporetti 1, 52
and 82 from Santa Lucia (the train station) or from Piazzale Roma), ☎
+390415225205. Entrance to the basilica is free, while the museum
upstairs costs €5 and to see the high altar and the treasury costs €2
and €3 respectively. 1 October-31 March: 09:45-16:45; April 1-September
30: 09.45-17.00. It is one of six symbols of Italy and a rare example of
Byzantine architecture in Western Europe. The basilica was built in 829
to contain the remains of San Marco, patron saint of the city and was
consecrated in 1024. It has been renovated and decorated several times
over the centuries and the Basilica is certainly the most spectacular
church in the city. The construction of the modern basilica began in
1063 under the reign of Doge Domenico Contarini. In 1071, in the still
unfinished cathedral, Domenico Selvo was elevated to the position of
Doge, under whom the mosaic decoration of the basilica began in
1071-1084. The consecration of the temple took place in 1094 under the
doge Vitale Fallier. The five-domed cross-domed church was erected on
the model of the Church of the Apostles in Constantinople. In the
following centuries the church was continuously enlarged and decorated:
in 1159 work began on the marble covering of the cathedral, in the XII
century the mosaics of the central domes and vaults were made, in
1343-1354 the baptistery and the chapel of S Isidore. in the 15th
century - the Mascoli chapel and sacristy (1486-1493), in 1504-1521 the
Zen chapel. The external decoration of the cathedral was completed by
the end of the 15th century. The title of the main builder of the
cathedral at different times was carried by such architects as Jacopo
Sansovino and Baldassar Longena. Many ancient relics ended up in the
cathedral after the sack of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204.
These include the quadriga on the western facade, the Byzantine "golden
altar", the image of Our Lady of Nicopeia. Built as a classical Greek
basilica with a harsh Romanesque facade, the cathedral, during the years
of reconstruction, acquired its modern image, in which various styles
were mixed. This is also explained by the fact that oriental marbles
brought to Venice at different times, columns of various orders, Greek
and Romanesque bas-reliefs, Byzantine and Italian sculptures, Gothic
capitals were used in its decoration. All this was combined by the
masters into the harmonious architecture of the cathedral.
The
main facade is unique. It has five arched doors, a terrace on which are
home, four bronze horses from the spoils of the 4th crusade. During the
period of the Venetian Republic, it was the Doge's personal chapel and
was built with various artifacts mostly from Asia Minor and donated by
Venetian merchants. It is 76 m long and 62 m wide. Inside it is
embellished with splendid golden mosaics and various works of art. The
marble floor has a striking geometric pattern and there are beautiful
mosaics on the walls that tell stories from the New Testament.
The
vaults, domes and upper tier of the cathedral walls are covered with
mosaic canvases with a total area of about 4000 sq m. The mosaic
decoration of the cathedral began in 1071 (mosaics in the apse) and
continued for more than two hundred years (the mosaics in the narthex
were completed in 1280). The first mosaics were created by unnamed
masters who exclusively followed the tradition of the icon painting
canon. In the 11th century, Byzantine masters were involved in creating
mosaics; later, Venetian mosaicists began doing the work. In the
following centuries, during the restoration and reconstruction of the
mosaics, the cartoons were made on which the compositions by Jacopo
Bellini, Paolo Uccello, Mantegna, Tiziano and Tintoretto were arranged.
Glass produced on the island of Murano was used as a material for the
mosaics. The mass of glass of various colors was laid out against a
background of gold foil, thereby creating a shine, despite the poor
lighting of the cathedral. The mosaics depict stories from the Old and
New Testaments, scenes from the life of the Mother of God, the Apostle
Mark, John the Baptist and St. Isidore.
You must be dressed
appropriately to enter; that means no short skirts or bare shoulders. It
is not allowed to bring large bags or backpacks inside, sometimes it may
be necessary to deposit small backpacks as well. Storage is available
just around the corner from the main entrance (free of charge). Filming
and photography are prohibited. The visit inside the basilica lasts ten
minutes. The wait to enter the basilica can last up to about five hours
and it may be advisable to use a ticket service.
2
Campanile di San Marco, Piazza San Marco
(vaporetto line 1 for San Marco), ☎ +39 041 5224064. €8. Nov-Mar:
09:30-15:45; Apr-Jun, Oct: 09:00-19:00; Jul-Aug: 09:00-21:00. The bell
tower of San Marco was built in the 9th century. It was originally used
as an observation tower and as a lighthouse. It was rebuilt in 1100 and
then completed in the 16th century under the guidance of the architect
Bon. It was rebuilt in Renaissance style, while maintaining the original
structure. In 1902 the bell tower fell, but fortunately there were no
tragic consequences. Venice decided to rebuild it, "as it was and where
it was", and 10 years later the new bell tower was ready, an exact copy
of the original: the tower is square, built in brick. It is 12 meters
wide and 98.6 meters high and is closed at the top with a pyramid-shaped
tip. At the top is a golden angel about 2 meters high. The bell tower
has played an essential role in the political and social life of the
city for centuries. The bells were rung to inform the inhabitants of the
city of all the main events organized in Venice. At the foot of the bell
tower were famous wine sellers who moved to sit in the shade of the bell
tower, depending on the time of day. From this ancient custom derives
the term used by the Venetians for a glass of wine: Ombra. The top of
the tower offers a splendid view of Venice and the lagoon.
3
Marciana National Library, Piazzetta San Marco (vaporetto line 1 or 2
for San Marco), ☏ +39 041 2407211, biblioteca@marciana.venezia.sbn.it.
€4, reduced €2. 08:15-10:00, 17:09-19:00. The largest library in Venice,
its collection includes some 13,000 manuscripts, 2,883 old-print books,
and 24,055 16th-century books. In the 1530s, the influential Pietro
Bembo ran the library. Not without his participation, funds were
allocated for the construction of a library building in the San Marco
district. Construction began in 1537, based on a project by Jacopo
Sansovino, and completed in the 1580s by Scamozzi. For the first time in
Europe, new Renaissance ideas were applied during the construction of
the building: pay attention to the columns between the arches, which at
the same time give the facade lightness and depth. The Piazzetta is
dominated by the iris of the main entrance: the one on the left leads to
the functioning library, the middle entrance is the main one, and the
right entrance leads to the archaeological museum. The building has a
magnificent entrance staircase. On the ceiling is Titian's Wisdom. Paolo
Veronese, Francesco Salviati, Andrea Meldolla and other famous masters
of the time worked on the decoration of the vault of the Golden Hall of
the library (it is adorned with 21 medallions). As the library grew, it
also occupied neighboring buildings, including the Mint, built by
Sansovino in 1537-1547, with rooms for minting and storing coins. A
large internal courtyard was covered by a glass canopy in the 20th
century and transformed into a reading room.
4
Clock Tower,
Piazza San Marco (vaporetto lines 1-2-5 for San Marco), ☎ +39 041
5209070. Adults €12, concessions €7. Advance booking required online or
by telephone. Built in Renaissance style, it offers a beautiful view of
Piazza San Marco. The tower and the clock date back to the last decade
of the 15th century and are the work of the architect Mauro Codussi,
although significant changes were made to the mechanism later. The
position of the tower was chosen so that the clock was visible from the
waters of the lagoon and showed everyone the wealth and glory of Venice.
The lower two floors of the tower create a monumental arch that leads to
the main street of the city, the Merceria, which connects the political
and religious center (Piazza San Marco) with the commercial and
financial center (Rialto). On the terrace at the top of the tower are
two large bronze statues (the Venetians call them the Moors, because the
bronze has blackened over time) who ring the bell every hour, and below,
against a blue background with gold stars, there is is a winged lion
with an open book - the symbol of Venice. Further down there is a
semicircular gallery with a seated statue of the Virgin and Child in
worked copper. On each side is a blue panel showing the time: on the
left, Roman numerals indicate the number of hours, and on the right,
Arabic numerals, minutes (at 5-minute intervals). The watch also
displays the phases of the moon and the position of the sun in the
zodiac signs. Twice a year, on Epiphany (January 6) and Ascension
(Thursday, 40th day after Easter), three magi appear at one of the
doors, usually occupied by these numbers, led by an angel with a
trumpet, and marches through the gallery, bowing before the Mother of
God and Child, before hiding in another door. and to the right in Arabic
- minutes (with an interval of 5 minutes). The watch also displays the
phases of the moon and the position of the sun in the zodiac signs.
Twice a year, on Epiphany (January 6) and Ascension (Thursday, 40th day
after Easter), three magi appear at one of the doors, usually occupied
by these numbers, led by an angel with a trumpet, and marches through
the gallery, bowing before the Mother of God and Child, before hiding in
another door. and to the right in Arabic - minutes (with an interval of
5 minutes). The watch also displays the phases of the moon and the
position of the sun in the zodiac signs. Twice a year, on Epiphany
(January 6) and Ascension (Thursday, 40th day after Easter), three magi
appear at one of the doors, usually occupied by these numbers, led by an
angel with a trumpet, and marches through the gallery, bowing before the
Mother of God and Child, before hiding in another door.
5
Doge's Palace (Civic Museum of Palazzo Ducale), Piazzetta San Marco, San Marco
1 (vaporetto line 1 or 2 for San Marco), ☏ +39 041 2715911. Adults €20,
reduced €14. From Nov to Mar 8.30am -5.30pm, Apr-Oct 10am-6pm, closed
Jan 1st and Dec 25th. Pearl of Venetian Gothic (14th - 15th century).
Presumably the architect of the first version of the building was
Filippocalendar. The main construction was carried out in 1309-1424.
This main building in Venice was mainly the residence of the Doges of
the Republic. In addition, the Grand Council and the Senate met in the
palace, the Supreme Court worked, and the secret police conducted their
business. The ground floor also housed law firms, an office, censorship
services and a maritime department. The balcony built on top served as a
sort of festive tribune from which the Doge presented himself to the
people. The guests of the city, who docked at the palace itself on the
side of the Piazzetta, thus found themselves at the feet of the
sovereign of the Republic. A true tribute to Venetian Gothic. The
building dates back to the 9th century although it underwent several
changes over the centuries. It rises in the area of Piazza San Marco,
between the Piazzetta and the Molo; it is currently home to the Civic
Museum of Palazzo Ducale and by visiting the palace it is also possible
to access the Bridge of Sighs. Don't miss the guided tour called the
Secret Itinerary, which will let you discover the part of the building
where the city administration worked, the Casanova prison and the
marvelous five hundred year old roof structure.
6 Correr Museum, Piazza San Marco, Napoleonic Wing (vaporetti
11-2-5, 1-5-2), ☎ +39 041 2405211, mkt.musei@comune.venezia.it.
Single ticket with the National Archaeological Museum and the
Marciana library. €14 (reduced €8), which also includes Palazzo
Ducale. November 1st - March 31st: 10am-5pm, April 1st - October
31st: 10am-7pm, closed December 25th, January 1st. The most
"Venetian" of all museums, with evidence of the city's history and
art. It takes its name from the Venetian nobleman, Teodoro Correr,
who was passionate about art and who, on his death in 1830,
bequeathed his art collection to the city. Inside there is an
interesting collection of globes from the 16th century. There is
also a single library room, an archaeological museum of Roman
antiques and an important art gallery. The museum offers a tour of
Venetian history. Remarkable art gallery with Venetian masterpieces
from the 14th to the 16th century, works by Venetian sculpture
Canova, studies on urban development and social life.
7
National Archaeological Museum of Venice, Piazzetta San Marco, San
Marco 52 (Vaporetti line 1 or 2 to San Marco), ☎ +39 041 5225978,
pm-ven.archeologico@beniculturali.it. €4, reduced €2. 10am-6pm.
Collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures, Egyptian, Assyrian
and Babylonian artifacts.
8 Olivetti Store, Piazza San Marco,
101 (San Marco Station). €8. The ultra-modern building was quite a
provocation when it first appeared under the arcades of the
Procuratie Vecchie in 1958. High-tech pioneer Olivetti commissioned
Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa to transform a cramped and dark
souvenir shop in a demonstration for his typewriters and "computers"
(several 1948-54 models presented). They are of particular interest
to connoisseurs of modern architectural art.
9
Procuratie.
The Procuratie are imposing buildings that wrap around Piazza San
Marco on three sides. They take their name from the fact that the
procurators of San Marco stayed there. They are divided into three
wings which almost entirely delimit the part of the square in front
of the basilica of San Marco: the Procuratie Vecchie to the north,
the Ala Napoleonica to the west and the Procuratie Nuove to the
south.
10 Bridge of Sighs. Built in the 17th century in white
Istrian stone, it is the work of the architect Antonio Contin. The
bridge connects the Doge's Palace to the Prisons and was used to
transport inmates from their cells to the courthouse. The prisons
were built in 1589 and can be visited with a guided tour of the
Doge's Palace. The Bridge of Sighs is visible only from the Paglia
bridge or from the Canonica bridge.
11 Patriarchal Palace,
Piazzetta dei Leoncini.
12 Columns of San Marco and San Todaro
(Piazza San Marco columns).
13
Loggia by Sansovino
14 Mint of Venice
15 Royal Gardens of Venice
(Vaporetto: San Marco Giardinetti)
16
Church of San Basso
17 Straw Bridge.
The Ponte della Paglia is a bridge in Venice across the Rio di
Palazzo near the Palazzo Ducale connecting the pier of the Piazzetta
di San Marco to the Riva degli Schiavoni. It is one of the bridges
that connect the Sestiere of San Marco and that of Castello
Heart of the lagoon city and symbolic place of Venice, the monumental area of Piazza San Marco is made up of three sectors.
The square proper, i.e. the area enclosed between the old and new
Procuratie and the "brand new" ones, presents an architectural
development of rare charm on the monumental complex of the homonymous
basilica and the slightly overlooking, towering bell tower of San Marco.
The Basilica overlooks the square with a marble facade that dates
back to the 13th century, in which mosaics, bas-reliefs and a large
amount of heterogeneous material were inserted. This gave the
characteristic polychromy, which combines with the complex chiaroscuro
effects due to the multiform openings and the play of volumes. The two
entrance doors at the ends (the southern one, dedicated to San Clemente,
dating back to the 11th century and the central one to the following
one) were made with inflected arch tympanums, of Arab inspiration,
perhaps also intended to recall Alexandria in Egypt, where the martyrdom
of the evangelist Mark had taken place. The minor doors are later, made
in the ancient style. The only original mosaic in the lunettes of the
façade is the one above the first portal on the left: the others date
back to the 17th and 19th centuries and imitate the subjects of those
they replaced.
Between the Piazzetta dei Leoncini and the
Procuratie stands the Clock Tower, completed in 1499, which marks the
beginning of the Merceria, a calle along which the main shops of the
city are located. It constitutes the ground access to the Piazza through
a portico. The small church of San Basso, its annex on the right, has
been deconsecrated: designed by Baldassare Longhena, it is used for
exhibitions. The Caffè Lavena has been located at the foot of the tower
since 1750.
Continuing west, we come across the Procuratie
Vecchie, the official headquarters of the Procurators of San Marco at
the time of the Serenissima. They were built in the first part of the
16th century: the ground floor portico is full of shops and restaurants,
while even today the upper floors house offices. Under these arches is
also the Caffè Quadri, founded in 1755 and opposite to the Caffè
Florian, which is located on the other side of the square.
The
so-called Napoleonic Wing closes the square, which connects the
Procuratie Vecchie to the New ones: it takes this name from the fact
that it was restructured in 1810 by Napoleon's will. Originally designed
as a representative office, the Correr Museum is located there.
Opposite the Procuratie Vecchie are the so-called New Procuratie:
designed by Jacopo Sansovino in the middle of the 16th century, they
required a restructuring between 1582 and 1586, which was carried out
first by Vincenzo Scamozzi and then by Baldassare Longhena, who had the
construction site closed only around 1640. As with the neighboring
procuratie, the ground floor portico houses premises, including the
Caffè Florian, initially known as Alla Venezia triumphant, a meeting
place for Venetian enthusiasts at the time of the struggles against
Austrian domination. According to Napoleon, the palace should have
become the seat of Eugene de Beauharnais. The eastern end of this
building touches the Marciana Library, designed by Sansovino,
overlooking the square.
Near the point of contact between these
two massive buildings is the bell tower of San Marco, built between 1156
and 1173 in a first form, restructured in 1514 and rebuilt without
alterations in 1902 after a collapse. Near the bell tower, in line with
the Porta della Carta, the monumental entrance to the Palazzo Ducale, is
the Loggetta, designed by Sansovino and built between 1537 and 1546.
The Piazzetta San Marco, the southern extension in front of the
Doge's Palace and the Library, is the monumental access to the St.
Mark's area for those coming from the sea through the two columns facing
the San Marco basin, overlooked by the Palazzo Ducale pier, the The only
bank in Venice that bears the name of pier.
The western side of
the area is characterized by the presence of the Sansovino facade of the
Marciana Library, much appreciated by Palladio, begun in 1537 and
completed by 1591 by Vincenzo Scamozzi. As in the case of the
Procuratie, the ground floor portico features premises and shops; the
upper floors house the headquarters of the Archaeological Museum and the
National Library.
The small square on the side of the San Marco
basin is concluded by the Molo, overlooked by the Mint, also designed by
Sansovino and completed in 1547, adjacent to the minor facade of the
Library and today part of it. Along the lagoon you come across the
Columns of San Marco and San Teodoro, dedicated respectively to the
current and the primitive patron saint of the city: they probably lined
the shore when they were erected, given that this was later enlarged.
The facade of the Doge's Palace facing the square was built from
1424 by Francesco Foscari. In the loggia on the first floor, also known
as Loggia Foscara, it is possible to notice two columns made of red
Verona marble: between these two the death sentences were read which
would then be carried out between the columns of San Marco and San
Teodoro. The balcony in the center of the upper order, with the lion of
San Marco, dates back to 1536. It was designed by Sansovino and
Scarpagnino, maintaining the structure of the fourteenth-century balcony
of the Dalle Masegne. The crowning statue of Justice and Mercury are by
Alessandro Vittoria. The sculptural group with Doge Andrea Gritti and
the Lion of San Marco, which had suffered heavy damage during its
transfer from the Esplanade Des Invalides in Paris where it had been
placed in 1797, was restored in 1816. Where this front ends and the
facade begins south of the basilica, particularly short, are the
Monument to the Tetrarchs, two columns, brought to Venice at the time of
the fourth crusade, and a structure known as the "Pietra del Bando".
Piazzetta dei Leoncini
The Piazzetta dei Leoncini, a narrow
north-eastern offshoot to the side of the basilica and overlooking the
neoclassical Palazzo Patriarcale, is so called due to the two statues of
crouching lions delimiting the raised central area. Its official name is
dedicated to John XXIII.
The current shape of the square is the result of successive
modifications and expansions that have affected the area. Originally,
the area was used as a vegetable garden and crossed by the Rio Battario
and the current streams of the Zecca and the Cavalletto. The ducal
palace, a real castle equipped with towers and defenses, was completely
surrounded by a canal and faced, in the area of the current square, by a
dock for loading and unloading goods.
In 826, with the arrival in
Venice of the body of Saint Mark and the building of the first basilica,
the area began to assume its characteristic of monumental heart of the
city. In 976 the whole area, with the basilica and the palace, was
destroyed by a furious fire, but already in 978 a second basilica had
been built and the palace rebuilt. In the same period, the doge Pietro I
Orseolo had a hospice built for sick and needy pilgrims adjacent to the
bell tower, the shape of which is visible in the painting by Gentile
Bellini, Procession in Piazza San Marco.
The current basilica
dates back to the years 1050-1094, with the third foundation of the
building. At that time the square was still limited by the Batario
stream (beyond which stood a church dedicated to San Geminiano and
further on the orchard of the San Zaccaria nuns) and by the Palazzo
basin, evidence of which still remains today , on the side of the
basilica facing the square, an ancient walled "water door", what remains
of an access facing the water typical of Venetian buildings.
In
1156, under the doge of Vitale II Michiel, the rio Batario was filled
in, soon followed by the filling in of the basin in front of the Palazzo
Ducale, where the Piazzetta was built. In 1172, under the Doge of
Sebastiano Ziani, the square was further enlarged to make room for new
monumental buildings: the church of San Geminiano was moved to the edge
of the new square and two huge granite columns were also placed (coming
from Constantinople) facing the pier, as a monumental access to the St
Mark's area. The winged lion, symbol of San Marco, was placed above one
column and the statue of San Teodoro, the first patron saint of Venice,
was placed on the other. In this way, an area divided into two squares
was born, one in front of the Basilica, the other completing the Palace
and a triumphal access road from the water. In 1204 the conquest of
Constantinople with the Fourth Crusade provided the Venetians with a
river of marble and works of art with which to decorate the basilica and
the square. On this occasion the Horses of San Marco arrived, crowning
the basilica, and the group of Tetrarchs, currently on the corner of the
Treasury, near the Porta della Carta of Palazzo Ducale. In 1264 the
square was finally paved with bricks arranged in a herringbone pattern.
Between 1301 and 1442, with a continuous and massive series of
works, Palazzo Ducale gradually lost its military aspect until it
assumed its current shape. Instead, the Procuratie Vecchie and the Clock
Tower were erected between 1495 and 1517, while at the same time all the
vegetable gardens and warehouses still present in the square area were
cleared. Sansovino was the great renovator of the square, transforming
it from a still Gothic space into a magnificent example of Roman
classicism, thus imparting a cultural development to the St Mark's area
and to the entire city. Between 1536 and 1540 this architect built the
library building and the Loggetta at the foot of the bell tower. Between
1582 and 1640, once the demolition of the Orseolo hospice was completed,
it was the turn of the Procuratie Nuove.
In 1722 the two statues
of the Piazzetta dei Leoncini were placed. On the other hand, the
current floor in Euganean trachyte (the so-called "masegni") of the
Rocca di Monselice quarry, in the Padua area, with lateral bands in
white marble, dates back to 1723, designed by Andrea Tirali. Finally, it
was in 1807 that the Napoleonic domination proceeded with the demolition
of the church of San Geminiano and the construction of the Napoleonic
Wing (also known as the Royal Palace or very new Procuratie), giving the
complex in the Marciana area its definitive appearance.
In the
early hours of the morning of Monday 14 July 1902, the bell tower of San
Marco, already attacked by a glaring crack, suddenly collapsed,
demolishing the Loggetta and a corner of the Library and risking
overwhelming the basilica itself (fortunately the rubble stopped at the
height of the Pietra del Bando placed at the corner of the church).
Heart, as mentioned, of the Venetian state, the square has always
followed the life and customs of the city. The Palazzo Ducale was the
seat of the government and of the supreme magistracies of the republic,
as well as a prison. Capital executions took place between the two
columns of Marco and Teodoro, while the laws and decrees were announced
from the Pietra del Bando and then posted on the Porta della Carta. The
Basilica was instead the center of state religious ceremonies thanks to
the presence of precious relics and its function as ducal chapel, in a
system in which the Doge was head of the Venetian church and reserved
the right to appoint bishops. The power and wealth of the church of San
Marco were such that it had its own bishop, distinct from that of the
city and from the patriarch, the Primicerio and that special
magistrates, the Procurators of San Marco, administered the patrimony
with a life term, residing in the Procuratie .
The Loggetta was
the guard post of the arsenalotti during the sessions of the Great
Council, while the current Palazzo Patriarcale was the seat of the hall
for lunches and parties of the Senate. The large square was the site of
processions and tournaments, fairs and markets, and bull hunts were held
in the courtyard of the building. In the eighteenth century the carnival
and the cafes appeared, then after the fall of the republic the
patriarchal seat and the Royal Palace arrived, first of Napoleon, then
of the Habsburgs and finally of the Italian kings. Finally, the
musealisation with the opening of the Correr Civic Museum.