Saint Mark's Square has been the hub of Venetian social and political life for more than a thousand years, and at its heart you'll find the eye-shatteringly beautiful St. Mark's Basilica. Get skip-the-line access to this iconic local landmark and learn more about it with an insightful guided tour.
St. Mark's first became a church way back in 828, when a couple of merchants smuggled the body of St. Mark out of Egypt in a barrel of pork fat (as the legend goes). This risky mission was because an angel told St. Mark that Venice would be his final resting place, and the Venetian leaders did not want that angel to be a liar.
Since that time the church has risen and fallen and risen again. Today, St. Mark's Basilica is not just Venice's finest church – it's one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture in the world.
Your tour will give you context on the history of the Venetian Republic, and insights into the magnificence of the gleaming Basilica.
Of course it's a place of worship, but not only that. Resplendent with 8,500 m2 of glittering mosaics – many made by layering 24-carat gold leaf onto the back of the glass to represent divine light – the whole church seems to shimmer in the daylight. And all around you are shiny, expensive details, silently declaring, 'The Venetian Republic is mighty and wealthy!'
After spending time gazing at the church, you'll be able to wander back out into the Piazza San Marco.
At this point, filled with knowledge and beauty, you should take the chance to fill your belly with some Venetian cicchetti (tapas) - for with the soul satisfied, it's time for the body to get its due.
