If you’ve been to Venice, then you’ll find the statement that Saint Mark’s and the Doge’s Palace are the corner stones of the tourist industry in that city is probably not out of place. Granted, in my last post I did allude to the fact that the city itself is what you’re going there for, and I still hold that stance, most all of the short term tourist traffic is centered around Saint Mark’s Square. There is good reason for this. The square is a hub for the tourist trade in the city. It holds shops, cafes, and museums. It also is anchored on one end by what I like to call The Big Two. Those two, as the name of the post implies, are Saint Mark’s Basilica and The Doge’s Palace. They’re absolute staples of any stop in Venice.
Location
Fortunately, both landmarks are easy to find. The water taxis from the airport will take you straight to them, if you take the boat for the Saint Mark’s stop. after all, Saint Mark’s Square isn’t called Saint Mark’s Square for nothing. Gondola are also stationed on both sides of the square offering rides to multiple places.
Once you find the square, the two icons sit next to each other at one end. You literally can’t miss them.
Getting Tickets
Thanks to COVID and a lax of people going back to ways that actually worked for the tourist industry, you will need to procure tickets for both attractions via the internet. You are going to end up at a place called Venice-Museums.com. They will make you buy online. They will make you give up a bunch of personal information so that they can email them to you, and then they will want you to make an account. Frankly, it’s a massive invasion of privacy, but it’s also the only way to get in the door. I recommend forgoing your dignity and then emailing them to delete all of your personal information after you leave the country. It might work, it might not.
As a side note, the Italy Museums website (of which Venice-Museums is only a section) will come up again as this series of blog posts continues. I don’t really have anything good to say about it.
The Doge’s Palace
The formal residence for the Doge of Venice (basically a Duke) came to be in the early 800s, and ran up until the 1920s. It’s now a museum run by the Italian authority. Externally, it is quite elegant. Internally, it is absolutely spectacular. no stop in Venice would be complete without a walk through the landmark.
The outside of the Doge’s Palace (building on the left) isn’t particularly superlative from the outside. It’s the inside where they spent the money.
The interior courtyard of the palace, with the Basilica in the background.
Every wall in the interior rooms of the palace is ornately covered. Slow down when you go through it. The artwork is stunning.
This just one example of the interior space. Every wall and ceiling is decorated in some fashion.
As with all good palaces, this one too has an armory. The collection has a nice cross section of arms and armor.
The business end of The Hall of the Great Council. It is said to be one of the largest rooms in Europe and takes up a large section of the wing that it’s in. One could spend the entire stop in this single room just looking at individual pieces of artwork.
The interior passage through the bridge of sighs. It is smaller on the inside than it appears on the outside. The tight space is a prelude to what comes on the other side.
The view from the bridge of sighs that creates the sighs. Gondola floating by and views of everyday Venice through the window.
And then, after you cross fully, it’s into the dungeon with you. The individual cells are sparse and unwelcoming.
Saint Mark’s Basilica
I’m pretty sure that, if you have been to Venice before, the facade of Saint Marks is In your pictures somewhere. It’s one of those places which is instantly recognizable. I had a picture of the basilica in my tourist pictures before I even considered touring the building. It’s the way of iconic structures.
As soon as you step inside the building, you get the feeling that you’re somewhere else. For me, that somewhere else was the Hagia Sophia. Before the Hagia Sophia was a Grand Mosque and a Museum, it was a church. A very well gilded and spectacular church. If you haven’t been to it, you need to head to Istanbul. It is instantly obvious that the builders of Saint Mark’s took their inspiration from Byzantines.
Though the bell tower for Saint Mark’s is an inclusion in all but the smallest percentage of pictures, it’s also an independent structure. And being an independent structure, it requires its own ticket for entry. I did not bother with the bell tower as I had been up on the roof of the basilica. You get about he same views with less work in the climb.
Saint Mark’s Basilica and its iconic bell tower as seen at first light. It’s about the only time to catch the square when it isn’t full of people.
Stepping inside you are instantly overwhelmed by the gold gilding inside the space. it radiates a golden glow there’s so much of it. Most is framing some type of biblical narrative.
The column work inside the basilica is worth pausing to look at. The workmanship of the entire structure is excellent, and can get lost in the decoration.
Saint Mark, as seen from the private viewing area. You need the all-inclusive ticket to get behind the velvet ropes.
Saint mark, as seen from the general seating area inside.
As you make your way around the outer seating area inside the basilica, you will come to the exit doors. At the exit doors you have the option to go up the stairs into the rafter (if you purchase the ticket including the museum). The stairs are directly up and straight. They also lead to some fantastic views of the interior.
The view from up in the rafters. The entire building is spectacular.
Some of the contents inside the museum in the upper sections of the basilica. The museum has a nice display and many objects on view.
The reason most people get the museum ticket. The famous horses of Venice. The ones on the outside of the building are replicas.
type something about the roof
as many times as I have seen a picture or relief of somebody (Saint George in this case) slaying a dragon, I’m starting to think that dragon’s are getting a bad rap. Just kidding, the artwork is why it’s included. It really is stunning up close.
Even with my complaining about the whole ticket shakedown, I do have to say that visiting the Basilica is an absolute must. You will not regret the experience. If you stop to pray, as I did, you might even be better for it.
Some Final Thoughts
Having been in Saint Mark’s I can’t help but think about Istanbul. The experiences were completely different but the lingering sensation is the same. They are both awe inspiring for different reasons.
The Doge’s Palace is one of those European experiences I think that everyone should partake in. We travel to Europe for its history and ancient splendor. The palace has both of those things in spades. It’s easy to get lost in the past as you walk through from room to room. You can almost hear history speaking to you.
In a city that has such a wealth of amazing places to visit, it is almost inappropriate to single out two places as being places that absolutely cannot be missed. It’s also truthful to say that, for many people who have never been to the city, these two structures signify what it means to be Venetian to the world at large. In a city without comparison, they are without equal. (Well, that’s my opinion. There are many arguments that can be made against it. I was in many of them during my visit.)
One: I absolutely suggest you go to experience the city. Two: while you’re there I highly suggest that you take the time to tour both Saint Mark’s Basilica and The Doge’s Palace. It will be worth every minute of your time.
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