Overview
The Golden Cathedral
St. Mark's Basilica is the cathedral of Venice and, together with the Bell Tower and St. Mark’s Square, it is one of the city’s most important landmarks.
It is also known as the Church of Gold, as it houses the Treasure of San Marco and has 8,000 square meters of gold mosaics used on its ceiling, which made the building the emblem of the power of the Serenissima Republic.
Until the fall of the Venetian Republic, St. Mark's Basilica was a palatine church. However, from 1807 it became the city's cathedral.
The Pala d'Oro [golden altar-piece] is a priceless treasure on which artisans and jewelers worked for over 300 years. It is located behind the main altar of the Basilica where the remains of St. Mark are kept.
At the end of the nineteenth century the museum of San Marco was built. There you can admire objects of various kinds and origins, belonging to the basilica.
The majestic square bell tower of San Marco stands about 99 meters tall, offering an impressive panorama of the city from the top. It is also linked to the traditional feast of the Svolo dell'Angelo [Flight of the Ange], a show held on the last Thursday before Lent, during Carnival.
