Saint Mark's Basilica

Saint Mark's Basilica stands at the eastern end of Piazza San Marco, the ceremonial and spiritual centre of Venice for nearly a thousand years. Built to house the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist, brought to the city in 828 AD, the basilica grew over successive centuries into one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture in the Western world. Its five great domes, gilded mosaics covering more than 8,000 square metres of interior surface, and the famous bronze horses above the central portal make it unlike any other church in Europe. The building served as the private chapel of the Doge before becoming the city's cathedral in 1807, and its fabric reflects Venice's historic role as a crossroads between East and West.

Visitors today can explore the basilica's richly decorated interior, climb to the loggia for close views of the facade mosaics, and ascend the adjacent Campanile for a panorama across the lagoon city. The Venice Pass Skip-the-Line St. Mark's Basilica and Bell Tower experience allows access to both landmarks while bypassing the queues that regularly form in the piazza below.