A Stroll around San Marco

It was a beautiful sunny day in Venice. Still bloody freezing cold but not to worry. This morning we would have a stroll around the San Marco area and have a look inside the basilica. Amazingly, after numerous visits to Venice I had still not seen the inside.

The streets of Venice were surprisingly quiet. It is normally quiet when we visit in winter but I expected more people to be around during Christmas week. Another thing that amazes me about the place is that I am sure that I have walked down the same streets many times in the past but it is still like discovering a new place.

When in Venice it is important to look up. There are many beautiful sights up high above. The rooftops on Venetian houses are wonderful. Many have beautifully tended patios that must command stunning views over the city. The attention to detail on the statues that adorn the church roofs makes it compulsory to look up too. Today’s treat was the church of Santa Maria del Giglio. Magnificent carved figures stand up on high.


Angel on top of Santa Maria del Giglio.


Roof top with a view.

Without doubt St Mark’s square is the most famous of all areas in Venice. Again, the sheer beauty of the place does not fail to impress you no matter how many times you see it. I’m sure that in 20 years time I’ll see something for the first time or Roberto will tell me another fact about the place relating to the glory years of the Venetian Republic. So I make no apologies for taking photos of the place every time I go!


In St Marks square.

Restoration work must be an ongoing project in Venice. Every visit and you can see some scaffolding up at one of the masterpieces in San Marco. This time there was a bit of work happening at the side of the Basilica. Also, unfortunate first time visitors to Venice will have to come back to see the famous bridge of sighs. You can’t see any of it due to restoration work.

The insides of the Basilica are just as impressive as the outside. The sheer scale of the place is amazing. Everywhere you look is an impressive piece of artwork that tells its own unique story. It would be impossible to see everything in one visit. We only had a short time inside and couldn’t go to see the famous Pala d’Oro, the most famous of all the treasures in the Basilica. That will wait for next time. Roberto says that this church is the best in the world. It’s certainly the best I have ever seen and doubt that any other would come close to matching it.


The Basilica.

The Basilica is where the body of San Marco rests. How it came to be in the Basilica is a remarkable story. A church of this magnitude had to be in praise of a worthy saint. Two Venetian merchants took it upon themselves to retrieve the body of San Marco from Alexandria in Egypt during the 9th century. To avoid capture on returning to Venice they covered the body with pork meat so that the Muslim inspectors would not search it. The body of San Marco was laid to rest in the crypt in 1094. I can’t wait until my next visit when I am sure to learn more fascinating tales of history relating to the Basilica.


Obligatory photo of the Lion at St Mark's.