St. Mark's - tips by travel authority Howard Hillman

St. Mark's Basilica

& Campanile

travel wonder in Italy

Why St. Mark's

is special

St. Mark's in Venice consists of two magnificent structures: The Basilica and its sidekick, the Campanile.

Why St. Mark's

Campanile is special

The Basilica is renowned for its medieval mosaics, its exquisite golden altar screens embellished with precious gems, and its gilded facade (see photo).

A lavish amount of decorative gold was used on both the building's interior and exterior surfaces. This has earned St. Mark's Basilica its "Church of Gold" nickname.

The present day church is the third to be erected on the plot in Venice. The original St. Mark's, a modest edifice, was built to house the stolen remains of the eponymous St. Mark.

Why St. Mark's

Campanile is special

St. Mark's Campanile is a freestanding bell tower that rises next to the Basilica.

Its 95-meter (315-feet) high profile dominated the Venice skyline for centuries until 1902 when, without warning, the St. Mark's Campanile collapsed.

St. Mark's Campanile has since been reconstructed, faithful to the earlier design.

You can take an elevator up to the top of St. Mark's Campanile for a magnificent view of Venice.