Venice floats on the genius of its builders which protected its culture, art, and history from the whims of the sea for centuries. However, its treasures reach beyond renown carnival rollicks and romantic Gondola rides down narrow canals. The city also hides a few jewels of religious significance. In fact, by the construction of St. Mark's Basilica (also known as Basilica di San Marco), Venice brought along the spiritual as well as the material heritage of Byzantium to the West! Get St Mark's Basilica tickets today and unlock all its secrets!
Venice is one of the hives your European tourism attracting over 60,000 tourists on a daily basis. While the colorful houses, winding ancient streets, gondolas smoothly gliding on the canal and carnival masks peeking at you at every corner offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience; the crowds can undoubtedly make their unpleasant mark on your holiday idyll. [readmore] Today, along with Doges Palace and Piazzetta, the basilica belongs to the top visited landmarks in Venice. It’s true that getting inside St Mark’s Basilica is free. However, the free access limits you to the main body of the church and comes with a few hours of queuing.
The busier the season, the longer the queue. Our tickets offer includes fast-track access to the basilica combined with the access to St Mark's museum. The interior will woo you with 8000 square meters of gilded mosaics, vaults, and cupolas or the sight of Pala D'oro (the lush jeweled retable of the high altar of the church).
Read moreA student must carry ID to collect the tickets for Venice St Mark basilica
The church requires that any visitor should have their knees and shoulders covered, so make sure you wear clothes that are appropriate for your visit.
It is recommended to arrive around 30 minutes before the time of your visit. Make sure you don’t come too late, or you may risk missing your time slot.
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Purchasing Saint Mark's Basilica tickets online with us guarantees you can skip the ever-present queues of tourists and even benefit from the option to upgrade St Mark's Basilica tour. Simply enjoy the fast-track access without the stress, tiredness, and anxiety of waiting.
The St Mark's Basilica entrance with reservation allows you to explore the church and museum at your own pace. You will even have the chance to see the original Triumphal Quadriga (the bronze Horses of St Mark) which used to sit atop the church's facade. The museum exhibition also includes Persian carpets, illuminated manuscripts with St Mark liturgies and liturgical vestments. Plus, when booking with us, you can cancel up to one day in advance and get a full refund!
The Basilica opening times are as follows:
From Piazzale Roma or Santa Lucia train station, the church can be reached by water buses (Lines 1, 2, 51).
Basilica di San Marco address: Piazza San Marco (St Mark square), 328, 30124, Venice, Italy.
The Basilica di San Marco is essentially Byzantine in design with a Greek cross marking its layout. The golden mosaics are its naturally integrated element. The complex mosaic decor we admire today developed through over eight centuries of the Basilica’s history.
In fact, the original Saint Marks church built in year 828 stood inside the Doges Palace complex. The Doge of Venice commissioned the construction of the church to shelter the sacred relics of St Mark the Evangelist. Supposedly, a couple of Venetian merchants stole the relics from Alexandria when a rumor warn them that their former temple would soon be demolished. How did they smuggle sacred remains across the sea pass the Muslim guards? Well, a legend has it they hid them under a thick layer of pork lard which was unclean according to Islam and therefore the guards didn’t hurry to search through it. Indeed the plan worked and the merchants soon reached Venice.
The original church burned down a couple of times. The last time Venetians rebuilt it was after a violent fire in 1063. At that time, the power of the Venetian Republic grew and flourished. The basilica slowly became a symbol of the Republic’s growing power and wealth. The church is specifically famous for its lavish design and mosaics. No wonder its nickname became Chiesa D’oro (the Church of Gold). Its luxurious decor and architectural diversity can also be attributed to Venetian vessels. Upon return for the Orient, merchant vessels always brought something for the Basilica, be it a column or any other part of an ancient foreign building. In fact, the whole building is so gilded that the best time to appreciate the Basilica facade is at dusk when the sun sets it ablaze with light.
Fun Fact: Pala D’Oro, the Byzantine altar screen of gold carries the weight of hundreds of jewels. It features 1300 pearls, 300 sapphires, 300 emeralds, 400 garnets, 100 amethysts as well as additional rubies and topazes!
This information is only scraping the surface of the basilica’s grand history and richness of design. After all, a thousand words won't be enough to substitute a personal experience.
Book your St Mark's Basilica online tickets today! We also recommend you to buy Doge's Palace tickets as it's one of the most visited tourist attraction in Venice.