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Piazza San Marco is the main square in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Venice, Italy. It’s located in the district (sestiere) of San Marco and contains some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Saint Mark’s Basilica
On the east end of the square is Saint Mark’s Basilica, which is one of the most incredible churches in the world. It’s covered in a separate entry.
Saint Mark’s Campanile, the bell tower of the church, is detached and sits in front and to the right. You can climb to the top for spectacular views of the city. It’s also covered in a separate entry.
Procuratie
On the north end of Piazza San Marco is the long arcade of the Old Procuratie (Procuratie Vecchie), and on the south side is the New Procuratie (Procuratie Nuove). The Procuratie were built to house the offices and apartments of the procurators of San Marco. The Old Procuratie was originally built in the 12th century. Architect Vincenzo Scamozzi started construction on the New Procuratie in 1586, and it was finished in 1640 by Baldassare Longhena.
A lifetime appointment to the Procuratie was the second-most prestigious appointment next to the Doge. There was originally one procurator appointed by the Doge, from the 9th century to 1442, to administer the assets of Saint Mark’s Basilica. In 1442, the number increased to nine, and in 1269, their duties expanded to included caring for orphans and the insane, executing wills, and dispensing charity. Seven procurators exist today and their only function is to ensure the historic and architectural integrity of Saint Mark’s Basilica.
Today, the Procuratie buildings hold shops, restaurants, cafés, and more. The New Procuratie also holds the National Archeological Museum of Venice (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Venezia). Tickets are €25 if purchased online at least 30 days in advance, or €30 otherwise. The ticket also gives access to other museums on Piazza San Marco as well as the Doge’s Palace (as of August 2023). Holders of the Museum Pass get free entry.
Cafés
Both of the buildings house famous but very expensive cafés. Caffè Florian, located in the New Procuratie, opened on December 29, 1720, and is the oldest coffee house in continuous operation. Famous patrons included Casanova, Goethe, Charles Dickens, and Lord Byron. It was favored by the Venetians during Austrian rule in the 19th century and was a meeting place for Venetian patriots organizing the 1848 Venetian Revolution, which resulted in independence and the short-lived Republic of San Marco.
Across the square in the Old Procuratie is Caffè Quadri, which was established in 1775. It was favored by the Austrians during the 19th century.
Correr Museum
The Procuratie used to have extensions on the west side of the piazza, separated only by a small church, but those were demolished around 1810 under Napoleon to build the Napoleonic Wing of the Procuraties. Today, the building houses the Correr Museum (Museo Correr), which is a civic museum that covers the art and history of Venice. It was established in 1830 with a collection bequeathed by art collector Teodoro Correr. Admission is included on the same combined ticket as above (as of August 2023), or free for holders of the Museum Pass.
Clock Tower
On the north side of Piazza San Marco, to the right of the Old Procuratie, is the intriguing Clock Tower (Torre dell’Orologio), which is covered in a separate entry. It was completed in 1499 but the original appearance has changed over the years.
Piazzetta dei Leoncini
Just north of Saint Mark’s Basilica is the Piazzetta dei Leoncini. It’s named after two marble lions donated by Doge Alvise III Mocenigo in 1722. The Patriarchal Palace (Palazzo Patriarcale), the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, is on this small square.
Piazzetta di San Marco
You may be asking why I haven’t mentioned the Doge’s Palace. That’s because it’s located to the south of Saint Mark’s Basilica in the Piazzetta di San Marco. Technically, this small square is not part of Piazza San Marco but they’re generally associated together.
Piazzetta di San Marco lies between the Doge’s Palace on the east side and the National Library of Saint Mark on the west side.
National Library of Saint Mark
The National Library of Saint Mark (Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana) is one of the greatest libraries in the world, containing over one million printed books, manuscripts, and classical texts. The building was designed by Jacopo Sansovino with construction starting in 1537. Admission for a guided tour of the Monumental Halls of the library is included on the combined ticket for all the Piazza San Marco museums (as of August 2023), or free for holders of the Museum Pass.
Columns
At the southern end of the Piazzetta are two large granite columns that were probably erected around 1268. The bases and capitals are from the 13th century with an unknown origin, but most likely from the Greek island of Chios. Public executions took place between them, and gambling was permitted between them as well.
At the top of one is a statue of Saint Theodore holding a spear and standing on a crocodile. Saint Theodore was the patron saint of Venice before Saint Mark. The statue is a copy and the original, which dates back to at least 1329, is kept in the Doge’s Palace.
At the top of the other column is the iconic Lion of Venice, which is the symbol of the city. The sculpture was probably made around 300 BC and weighs 3,000 kilograms. It most likely was a monument to the Cilician god Sandon at Tarsus in what is now Turkey. The statue was on top of the pillar before 1293. After Napoleon conquered Venice in 1797, the statue was removed, taken to France, and placed at Place des Invalides in Paris. On October 2, 1815, while being removed for repatriation to Venice, the statue fell and broke into 20 pieces. It was repaired with a few alterations and returned to the top of the column on April 13, 1816.
Waterfront Scenery
Finally, on the waterfront is some fantastic scenery. If you look along the waterfront promenade, Riva degli Schiavoni, you can see several of the beautiful buildings in the Castello district.
You can also see the gondolas lined up at the end of square as well as amazing views of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore and the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute.
