St Mark's SquareSt Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) has always been the nucleus
of Venice. The city's first citadel and church were erected on its
stony foundations, the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica di San
Marco, respectively. The Basilica di San Marco is a unique
juxtaposition of Byzantine, western European and Islamic
architectural styles. The Basilica's most precious relic is the
Pala d'Or
a Venetian-Byzantine gold relief adorned with precious
gems. Travellers and pigeons flock to the Piazza with equal zeal.
It is the tourists, however, who pay dearly to eat or drink at the
elegant cafes that spill onto the pavements. Designer shops line
the streets that radiate from the square. There are worthwhile
places of interest to explore beyond the square that include the
Museo Correr, the Archaeological Museum and the Museo del
Risorgimento, which are housed within the Procuratie Nuova.
Attached to the Procuratie Vecchie is the triumphal Torre
dell'Orologio. The adjoining archway guides one through |
