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St Mark's Square in the Gondola City of Venice
Published by Bill Lehane, Writer
Country: Italy 
The Experience
Venice is one of the world's most popular tourist attractions, attracting some 20 million visitors per year to the Italian city. The historic city of Venice, once an independent city state, was a major trading post in its day between Western Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic world. In fact, around the 13th Century it was the richest city in all of Europe. The legacy of this era remains fully palpable, with a great number of magnificent historic buildings.
The gondola city of Venice, which is made up of 113 small islands, is perhaps most famous for its many canals and their many gondolas. However, Venice is also very well known for the grandeur of the central St Mark's Square, and its current principal residents: pigeons.
Until recently, Venice was home to some 140,000 pigeons; more than one for every two human inhabitants. Feeding the pigeons in Piazza San Marco was a tradition that lasted many decades, and the Square's many visitors once kept 19 pigeon feed sellers in business. They are, however, now something of a dying breed. Since 2008, feeding the birds has been banned by city authorities over concerns for their impact on the classic architecture that dominates the Square (the pigeons greatly enjoy pecking away at the marble facade of St Mark's Basilica).
Health authorities estimate that there are 40 times more pigeons in the historical centre of Venice than the ideal level for any metropolitan area. Cleaning up after the many pigeons has also taken its toll on the city's finances. Keeping the area clean all year round reportedly costs an astonishing US$36 PER PIGEON. So if you want to see the Square as it has been enjoyed for generations, get there soon before all the pigeons are gone.
Apart from the many birds, there's plenty to see on St Mark's Square; of course, not least the grandiloquent basilica of the same name that dominates the historical square. First erected by Venetian rulers in the 11th Century as an exclusive place for their worship, it has since become the Venice’s cathedral. You can see exactly why it was once nicknamed the “Church of Gold,” for despite the passage of centuries, it remains decked in gilded mosaics both inside and out, with many marble columns, domes and other features that were later added. Inside, at the high altar, you'll find the relics of St Mark the Evangelist: one of the Twelve Apostles.
Doge's Palace is also situated on the Square, and was once the home of the rulers and political elite of ancient Venice. In its equally grand interior, you'll find many great artworks as well as insight into how Doge's Palace was used in the Venice heydays. It's just one of a total of 13 museums on St Mark's Square, with two art galleries, as well as museums of lace, glass and natural history among the many attractions of Venice to choose from.
The most pleasant thing to do on the Square is also the simplest—sit down at one of the many outdoor cafes, order a large, expensive coffee, and gaze at the wonderful architecture, the varied tourists and locals, and of course, the birds.
The gondola city of Venice, which is made up of 113 small islands, is perhaps most famous for its many canals and their many gondolas. However, Venice is also very well known for the grandeur of the central St Mark's Square, and its current principal residents: pigeons.
Until recently, Venice was home to some 140,000 pigeons; more than one for every two human inhabitants. Feeding the pigeons in Piazza San Marco was a tradition that lasted many decades, and the Square's many visitors once kept 19 pigeon feed sellers in business. They are, however, now something of a dying breed. Since 2008, feeding the birds has been banned by city authorities over concerns for their impact on the classic architecture that dominates the Square (the pigeons greatly enjoy pecking away at the marble facade of St Mark's Basilica).
Health authorities estimate that there are 40 times more pigeons in the historical centre of Venice than the ideal level for any metropolitan area. Cleaning up after the many pigeons has also taken its toll on the city's finances. Keeping the area clean all year round reportedly costs an astonishing US$36 PER PIGEON. So if you want to see the Square as it has been enjoyed for generations, get there soon before all the pigeons are gone.
Apart from the many birds, there's plenty to see on St Mark's Square; of course, not least the grandiloquent basilica of the same name that dominates the historical square. First erected by Venetian rulers in the 11th Century as an exclusive place for their worship, it has since become the Venice’s cathedral. You can see exactly why it was once nicknamed the “Church of Gold,” for despite the passage of centuries, it remains decked in gilded mosaics both inside and out, with many marble columns, domes and other features that were later added. Inside, at the high altar, you'll find the relics of St Mark the Evangelist: one of the Twelve Apostles.
Doge's Palace is also situated on the Square, and was once the home of the rulers and political elite of ancient Venice. In its equally grand interior, you'll find many great artworks as well as insight into how Doge's Palace was used in the Venice heydays. It's just one of a total of 13 museums on St Mark's Square, with two art galleries, as well as museums of lace, glass and natural history among the many attractions of Venice to choose from.
The most pleasant thing to do on the Square is also the simplest—sit down at one of the many outdoor cafes, order a large, expensive coffee, and gaze at the wonderful architecture, the varied tourists and locals, and of course, the birds.
When to Go to St Marks Square
The best time of the year to visit St Mark's Square in Venice, is during early summer and autumn, when the sun is shining and the temperature is mild enough to do plenty of walking around. If you go in high summer, there will be scores of other tourists on every corner, and you may not get to see everything you had planned.
Odds n' Ends
In order to give yourself the best chance of avoiding the crowds, consider leaving your visit to the Venice’s top attractions and events until the early evening. If you're staying in Venice, you'll find many tourists will already have left to return to Mestre on the mainland, and you won't have to queue to see the best sights.
If you do head to Venice in high summer, be aware that there will be quite a stench from the canals. Try to avoid visiting in November, since the seasonal high waters can cause temporary flooding of up to 65% of the city.
If you do head to Venice in high summer, be aware that there will be quite a stench from the canals. Try to avoid visiting in November, since the seasonal high waters can cause temporary flooding of up to 65% of the city.
Want a Guide?
- Cycling Venice and Veneto
- This tour offers something different for the fully-fit, two-wheeled traveller. It includes hire bicycles and eight days of guided touring around Venice and the surrounding region. Runs April - October, US$1170 per person.
- Venice With A Guide - Doge's Palace and St Mark's
- This guided walking tour offers a visitor to Venice a chance to get an in-depth look at the institutions of one of Europe's grandest cities. Two-hour guided tour is US$180 per person plus about US$20 in entrance fees.
- Venice Guide and Boat - The Grand Canal of Venice
- This guided boat tour offers the chance to see the city of Venice from the unique perspective of its many canals. The one-hour tour is US$140 per person for parties of up to four.
Places to Eat
- A Beccafico
- This authentic Italian restaurant has a good reputation for quality traditional dishes. Located facing onto Campo Santo Stefano, another of the city's pretty squares, it also has the view to match. You'll get a meal with drinks for around US$60.
- Algiubagio
- For dinner on a special occasion, you do much worse than fresh seafood and wine. This luxury dockside restaurant has both, with a three-course dinner including lobster and other treats of the sea for US$110 per person. Bottles of wine start at US$20.
- Brek Ristorante Self-Service
- This Italian restaurant chain is a great option for those who are looking for quick, cheap eats. Located near Venice railway station, it has mains like pizzas and pastas that only cost up to US$12.
Recommended Places to Stay
- Venice budget accommodation
- HotelCalculator is an intelligent and efficient hotel search engine whose aim is to save you time by searching multiple travel websites for you.
Additional Places to Stay Nearby
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More Experiences Nearby
- Celebrate Venice Carnival Behind the Refuge of a Mask
- The Carnival of Venice is a city-wide masquerade, which originated as a vacation day on the last day before Lent during the 14th Century. Despite the fact that the Venetian Carnival marks the beginning of Lent, it has no direct religious connection and was traditionally a night of debauchery, drinking, blurred social status, costuming and masks. Ironically, the Venetian Carnival was regulated by strict rules back in the 14th Century, and Carnival-goers were not allowed to wear masks around the city at night time, and men could not enter convents if they were disguised as women. Celebrations within the nun ...0 miles away.
While You're There - Tours and Trips Nearby
Venice is made to be seen from the water, its faded splendor unfolding from your unique vantage point in a gondola. The experience is mesmerizing ...0.04 miles away via Venice.
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In a city where west met the east, exotic items like silk and oriental spices were traded along with copper and wood. Many of the ...0.04 miles away via Venice.
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Carpe Diem! Book to do this experience now!
Your comprehensive two-hour walking tour highlights all the important monuments, from San Marco Square to the Rialto Bridge. You'll learn the history behind the famous ...
Starting from $27.80 per person.
Starting from $27.80 per person.
Books and DVDs
Elsewhere on the Web
- City of Venice - Official Site
- Basilica Di San Marco
- St Mark's Square Venice - Panoramas.dk
- Travel to Venice
- Europe-Cities.com has been developed to provide useful and trustworthy information about European destinations in a well-organized manner.
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