The Piazza (Square) of St Mark is the central point in Venice. It’s on the bank of the Grand Canal and features Venice’s most beautiful and impressive landmarks, from the Campanile (tower) with the winged lion (Venice’s official ‘mascot’) keeping watch to the fifteen-hundred-year-old Basilica and the Doge’s (King) magnificent Palace.
Ask what people remember about St Mark’s and one of the things will be ‘crowds’. The tourist throng in St Mark’s, especially in summer, is something to be reckoned with, especially if you’re not staying for long and have to make the most of your time. Here are a few tips that will make your visit to St Mark’s more enjoyable.
1. Visit St Mark’s in the early morning or late afternoon. You’ll be avoid being pushed and shoved in long lines of people waiting to enter into the buildings on the Square. If you give early enough you’ll catch the Square almost devoid of people, which in itself is a great experience, especially if you’re a photographer.
2. Before you visit the attractions on St Mark Square, you have to hand in any bags you’re carrying at a deposit point below the Clock Tower. You don’t want to fall into a queue at the Campanile only to find that out twenty minutes later.
3. Similar to any other tourist spot in the world, curios and food bought on St Mark’s Square will be much more expensive than those located five minutes’ walk from the Square.
4. An exception to the above tip is coffee at Florian’s, a historic cafe on the Square. IT was visited by many of the painters and writers that visited Venice through the years, and was once considered a hangout of the intellectuals and politicians of the city. Be prepared to pay a premium for the priviledge though…
5. Authorities are encouraging people not to feed the hundreds of pigeons that live on the Square. That’ll be hard to resist if you have children though. Small packets of bird food is on sale, making it even easier.
6. There’s a LOT to see on St Mark’s, and it’ll take you a full day to take everything there is to see in. The most visited ones are the Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum, the Basilica and the Campanile. They’re all worth it, but can become a bit tiring, especially if you’re not that much into culture and art. If you stay long enough you can split your visit over two days.
7. There’s a famous legend about an ill-fatged Doge that landed at St Mark’s Square, and walk ashore between the two pillars only to meet his end some time later. Since then superstitious types consider it bad luck to walk inbetween the pillars. Just so you know.
