# St Mark's Basilica, Venice > St Mark's Basilica is Venice's great church on Piazza San Marco, built in the 11th century to house the relics of St Mark. Almost every surface inside is covered in gold mosaic, and the terrace over the entrance looks out across the square. Entry is by timed, paid ticket; the Pala d'Oro and the museum with the bronze horses cost extra. Allow an hour. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-basilica - City: [Venice](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice), Italy - YesGo score: 57/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid, timed ticket - Extras: Pala d'Oro, treasury, museum and terrace - Opening hours: Morning to evening; Sunday from midday - Bags: Backpacks go to the free cloakroom nearby - Time needed: About an hour with the terrace - Vaporetto: San Marco or San Zaccaria, 3 minutes - Coordinates: 45.43444, 12.33972 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **828** — St Mark's relics were brought from Alexandria (source: English Wikipedia) - **1063–1094** — the present church was built (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 8,000 m²** — of gold mosaic inside (source: English Wikipedia) - **Pala d'Oro** — a gold altarpiece of the 10th–14th centuries set with gems (source: English Wikipedia) - **1807** — the doge's chapel became Venice's cathedral (source: English Wikipedia) ## A short history In **828** two Venetian merchants brought the relics of **St Mark** from Alexandria — smuggled past the guards, legend says, in a basket under pork that the customs officers wouldn't touch. Mark became Venice's patron, and his **winged lion** the republic's emblem. The present church was built in **1063–1094** on the model of Constantinople's churches, with a Greek-cross plan and **five domes**. For most of its history it wasn't the cathedral but the **doge's private chapel**, joined to his palace; it became Venice's cathedral only in **1807**. Every century added marble, columns and sculpture from around the Mediterranean, earning it the name "Church of Gold". ## Mosaics and interior The vaults, domes and walls are covered with about **8,000 m² of gold mosaic**, laid between the 11th and 18th centuries: Old and New Testament scenes, the life of St Mark and the Last Judgement. The tesserae are glass backed with gold leaf, and when the lights come on the whole interior glows. Underfoot is a 12th-century **mosaic floor** of coloured marble with geometric patterns and animals, rippled over the centuries because the building stands on wooden piles. The high altar holds the **Pala d'Oro**, a gold altarpiece about two metres high set with enamels and nearly two thousand gems — pearls, garnets, emeralds and sapphires. ## The terrace and the bronze horses Above the main door, the **Loggia dei Cavalli** terrace carries copies of four **bronze horses**. The ancient originals — the only surviving quadriga from antiquity, brought from Constantinople in the 13th century — stand inside in the **St Mark's Museum**, whose ticket includes the terrace and the best view over the square, the Campanile and the lagoon. At the corner by the Doge's Palace, look for the porphyry **Tetrarchs**, four embracing 4th-century Roman emperors. ## What to see - **Gold mosaics** — the domes and vaults. - **Pala d'Oro** — the jewelled gold altarpiece. - **Mosaic floor** — 12th century. - **Museum and terrace** — the original horses and the view. - **Treasury** — reliquaries and Byzantine chalices. - **The Tetrarchs** — porphyry sculpture on the corner. > **Backpacks and dress code** Backpacks and large bags aren't allowed inside; leave them at the free cloakroom in the Ateneo San Basso, round the corner to the left of the church. Shoulders and knees must be covered, and photography inside is usually not permitted. ## How to get there 1. Vaporetto 1 or 2 to **San Marco** or **San Zaccaria**, 3 minutes' walk. 2. From the [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge), 10 minutes along the Mercerie. 3. From Santa Lucia station, 40 minutes on foot following "Per S. Marco" signs. 4. It stands on the east side of [Piazza San Marco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/piazza-san-marco). ## Is St Mark's Basilica worth it? Yes — it's the reason many people come to Venice and one of the most richly decorated buildings on earth. Book a timed ticket online to skip the long square queue, and pay extra for the museum and terrace: the view and the original horses are worth it. Mornings are best, when sunlight catches the mosaics. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Book a timed ticket online - [ ] Cover shoulders and knees - [ ] Leave your backpack at the cloakroom - [ ] Add the Pala d'Oro and museum terrace - [ ] Go in the morning ## Venice's churches: compare and choose Churches and basilicas in Venice rated by YesGo. - [St Mark's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-basilica) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid - [Santa Maria della Salute](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/santa-maria-della-salute) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [San Giorgio Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/san-giorgio-maggiore) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; tower paid - [Giudecca](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/giudecca) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Scuola Grande di San Rocco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/scuola-san-rocco) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [Torcello](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/torcello) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; cathedral paid ## San Marco in half a day The basilica, the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs, the Campanile and a walk to the Rialto. 1. [St Mark's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-basilica) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid 2. [Doge's Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/doges-palace) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Paid 3. [Bridge of Sighs](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free outside 4. [St Mark's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-campanile) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Paid 5. [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free ## Don't mix it up St Mark's Basilica isn't the Campanile (the bell tower beside it) or the Doge's Palace to its right — each has its own entrance and ticket. ## Tips - Book a timed ticket online. - Backpacks go to the cloakroom. - The terrace for the view and horses. - Mosaics glow in the morning. ## Questions ### Is St Mark's Basilica free? No, entry is by timed ticket; the Pala d'Oro, treasury and museum with terrace cost extra. ### Can I take a backpack into St Mark's? No — leave backpacks and large bags at the free cloakroom beside the basilica. ### When was St Mark's Basilica built? The present church in 1063–1094, with decoration added until the 18th century. ### What is the Pala d'Oro? A gold altarpiece of the 10th–14th centuries with enamels and nearly two thousand gems. ### Where are the original horses of St Mark? In the St Mark's Museum; the ones on the terrace are copies. ## How we checked History, mosaics and treasures from English Wikipedia. Prices and hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, St Mark's Basilica; Pala d'Oro; Horses of Saint Mark - Official basilica site basilicasanmarco.it --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.