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Sara Brocca

Piazza San Marco, the drawing room of Venice

Updated: Jan 18, 2023

St. Mark's Square, located in the heart of Venice, is 180 metres long and 70 metres wide and is the only open space of its kind in the city, which is usually characterised by campi, campielli and piazzali.


Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco

One of the most famous places in Venice is St Mark's Square, considered by many to be the city's drawing room. In fact, intellectuals and artists used to gather there to discuss the main problems of society in the Serenissima.

St. Mark's Square is one of the most fascinating locations in the world, considered a salon of Europe by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The square was built in the 9th century and paved in 1177, after being built for 100 years.

It represents the lowest area of Venice and for this reason, it is the first area to be flooded during high water, in which case the municipality of Venice installs footbridges to allow pedestrians to pass through regularly.


Main attractions


St Mark's Square, located in the heart of Venice, is famous for its important historical and artistic buildings. These include St. Mark's Basilica, an example of Byzantine architecture in the West, the Doge's Palace, one of the seats of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, the Correr Museum, which houses numerous works of art and historical artifacts, the Campanile, a 98-meter high tower, and the Clock Tower, famous for its Renaissance-style mechanical clock and the two bronze statues that signal the change of the hour. On Epiphany and Ascension Day, the procession of the Three Kings, presided over by an angel, comes out at the stroke of each hour. St Mark's Square is also famous for its columns, the Columns of St Mark and St Theodore, which were erected in 1172 in granite and are of great artistic value.


Located at the entrance to the square on the Grand Canal, these columns were once used for executions.

St Mark's Square at night is a unique experience, with its famous cafés and live music. Such as the café Florian, one of the oldest cafés/bar in all of Italy, established in 1720.


Respect Venice


It is important to respect the regulations in force, which prohibit eating and drinking, throwing litter or rubbish on the ground, and feeding pigeons. To eat on the street, you can use the former Giardini Reali, located along the Grand Canal.


If you want to move around Venice and comfortably reach St. Mark's Square click here and enjoy the ride!

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