Basilica San Marco

The largest church in Venice leaves no visitor untouched. The richly decorated cathedral dominates the famous Piazza San Marco. It was built for the relics of the holy Mark the Evangelist. The basilica has five domes, countless arches and towers and mosaics of the Old Testament in the narthex.

When entering you’ll be blown away by the interior with its marble floor, mosaics and sculptures. Behind the altar you’ll find the Pala d’Oro, an altar piece that is inlaid with rubies, emeralds and other gemstones. The churches treasury contains stolen art pieces that were looted during the Fourth Crusade in the 13^th century. But the Basilica San Marco wasn’t completely spared from theft either, e.g.  some gemstones were looted from the Pala d’Oro during Napoleon’s invasion of Venice.

Address: San Marco, 328, Venice