St. Mark's Square and other Venice, Italy Things to Do Tips

St. Mark's Square is main square in Venice and home to St. Mark's Basilica, Venice's cathedral. In addition to the Basilica, the square is surrounded by historic buildings lined with dozens of shops. It is also home to a number of cafes, if you want to take abreak from sightseeing and watch the world go by. Unfortunately, St. Mark's Square is usually mobbed with tourists in the summertime, so don't expect a peaceful visit in July or August.

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The Doge's Palace was the home of the Doges, Venice's rulers. The Doge was elected from among the aristocratic familes and ruled for life. In addition to being the head of state, he was also required to command the Venetian Naval Fleet in its battles.

The Doge's Palace also served as the seat of Venice's government, and it contains a number of rooms where councils and courts were conducted. The palace is open to the public and is one of the must-see sights of Venice. Especially worth seeing are the huge painted ceilings and wall murals that were done by many of the masters of Venetian art, including Veronese, Titian and Tintoretto.

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Directions: Next door to St.Mark's basilica (to the right when you are looking at ST. Mark's from the square).

The Grand Canal is the main canal of Venice. It passes by the railway station and many of the city's primary tourist sights. There are a number of Vaporetto routes that go up and down the Grand Canal, so it is easy to explore it.

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St. Mark's is Venice's cathedral and its most famous church. St. Mark's dates back to the 11th century, and was built to house the remains of its namesake, St. Mark. It's exterior design features Byzantine influences, which makes it look very different than most of Europe's other cathedrals. The church's interior is ornately decorated with mosaics and frescoes, and is definitely worth seeing. Other attractions inside St. Mark's include its Treasury, which deatures dozens of beautiful religious objects (chalices, monstrances, reliquaries, etc.); the museum, which feautres exhibits about the church's history; and the balcony, which offers good views of St. Mark's square and the Doge's Palace.

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Directions: On one end of St. Mark's Square
Website: http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/WAI/eng/index.bsm

The Rialto Bridge, completed in 1591, is the oldest surviving bridge across the Grand Canal in Venice. It is made out of stone and is high enough for vaporettos and other boats to pass underneath it.

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The campanile is a 300 foot high bell tower that is adjacent to St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace on St. Mark's Square in Venice. It features an observation deck near the top that provides the best views of Venice.

The St. Mark's campanile was built during the 1500s and the collapsed in 1902. It was rebuilt in 1912 following the same design as the original.

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Directions: On St Mark's Square next to the basilica.

The clocktower and its beautiful clock are one of the most popular sights on St. Mark's Square. They were built in the 1490s and have been restored several times since then. The clock's display features a zodiac motif. Above the clockface, the time is displayed using Roman numerals the hours and modern numerals for the minutes. Every hour, a bell a the top of the tower is rung by a pair of bronze statures of Moors.

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Directions: On St. Mark's Square ner the basilica