The Basilica of San Marco - Skip the Line

This incredible guided tour will take you through the centuries and the history of the Glorious Republic of Venice! Take the opportunity to admire the famous Pala d'Oro by booking the excursion to the Golden Basilica. The Basilica of San Marco is one of the most visited tourist spots in Venice and a must-visit for everyone coming to Italy! But with a history dating back to the 9th century AD, it is also a church with many interesting stories and legends behind it.

The history of the Golden Basilica
The first Basilica of San Marco was a building adjacent to the Doge's Palace, commissioned by the Doge in 828 and completed in 832; in the same century, the first Campanile of San Marco (bell tower) was built. The church was burned during a revolt in 976, when the population locked Pietro IV Candiano inside to kill him, and it was restored or rebuilt in 978.

Nothing is known for certain about the form of these early churches. Perhaps starting from 1063, the current basilica was constructed. The basic form of the church is a mix of Italian and Byzantine features. The treatment of the eastern wing as the termination of a basilica building with a main apse and two side chapels, rather than an equal wing of a truly centralized structure, is clearly evident. During the first half of the 13th century, the narthex and the new facade were built, most of the mosaics were completed, and the domes were covered with a second layer of lead-coated wood to better harmonize with the redesigned Gothic architecture of the Doge's Palace.

Like most Venetian buildings, the main structure is built in bricks, with arches decorated with molded terracotta or bricks, with stone columns, capitals, horizontal cornices, and some other details. Most of the bricks remain in place but are covered, except in some areas.

The richness of details of the Golden Basilica.
There are more than 8,000 square meters of mosaics in the Basilica of San Marco! You can stand and get lost in the details. The mosaics were made over 8 centuries, mainly in gold, and the result is astonishing. Enter the basilica at different times of the day to see how the light makes the colors and scenes appear different.

Another example of the grandeur and the quantity of amazing things in the Basilica of San Marco is the number of columns. There are more than 500 columns and capitals in the basilica, most of which are Byzantine and date back to the period between the 6th and the 11th century. There are also some classical capitals from the 3rd century!