Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square)

Piazza San Marco is the principal square of Venice, in the sestiere of San Marco near the mouth of the Grand Canal. It is the only space in the city called a piazza; other squares are known as campi. It took its current shape between the 12th and 16th centuries, as the centre of government and religion of the Venetian Republic.

The east end is closed by St Mark's Basilica, built to hold the relics of Saint Mark, which Venetian merchants brought from Alexandria in 828. The present church, rich in gold mosaics, dates mainly from the 11th century. Beside it stands the Campanile, the bell tower, about 98.6 metres high. The original collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt in the same form, reopening in 1912.

The long arcaded buildings of the Procuratie Vecchie and Procuratie Nuove line the north and south sides, and the Napoleonic Wing closes the west end and houses the Museo Correr. The Clock Tower, completed in the late 15th century, has two bronze figures that strike the hour. The smaller Piazzetta links the square to the lagoon, between the Doge's Palace and the Marciana Library, with two granite columns topped by the winged lion of Saint Mark and Saint Theodore.

Historic cafes, including Caffe Florian, opened in 1720, and Caffe Quadri, have outdoor orchestras in season. As the lowest part of Venice, the square is often the first to flood at high tide, known as acqua alta, though the MOSE flood barriers have reduced this since 2020.

The square is free and open at all times. The Basilica, Campanile, Doge's Palace and Museo Correr charge separately, and booking ahead is advised. Sitting or eating on the steps and arcades and feeding pigeons are banned and can be fined. Early morning is the quietest time.

What should you look for on the Basilica facade? Above the main door stand copies of the four bronze Horses of Saint Mark. Napoleon had the horses taken down in December 1797 and shipped to Paris; they came back and were set up again on 13 December 1815. The Basilica sells a separate ticket for the Museum and Loggia of the Horses. On the outer corner of the Treasury, facing the Doge's Palace, is a group of four porphyry figures, the Tetrarchs, which once stood in Constantinople. A missing foot from the group was later found in Istanbul.

The square was smaller in the Middle Ages. A pilgrims' hostel, the Ospizio Orseolo, stood against the base of the Campanile on the south side and can still be seen in Gentile Bellini's 1496 painting of a procession in the piazza. The Procuratie Vecchie on the north side were rebuilt from 1517 as the offices and homes of the Procurators of Saint Mark.

The phrase "the drawing room of Europe" is usually credited to Napoleon, though there is no proof he said it; the earliest known use is in a French guidebook of 1844. The Basilica sells separate timed tickets for the church, the Pala d'Oro, the museum and loggia with the horses, the Campanile and evening visits, through its official ticket site.