Venice is a city of mystery and romance. The exotic architecture is reflected in its canals as gondolas, synonymous with Venice, glide past. There’s no other place in the world like Venice.
Being a curious sort, I wanted to dive a little deeper into the waters of Venice. To help me discover Venice and decipher its long history, I took a walking tour with Context Travel, called Venice and the East.
The three-hour tour focused on St. Mark’s Cathedral (Basilica San Marco) with a little time spent on Piazza San Marco and stops at Corte del Milion and the Rialto Bridge.
Basilica San Marco reflects from the high tide.
This was the perfect for learning the history of Venice. Why? As I learned after taking the tour, you won’t understand Venice if you don’t know anything about Basilica San Marco.
Brief history of Venice and Basilica San Marco
Erika, the Context Travel guide, gave us a brief history of Venice and how it became one of the richest and most powerful cities in the world. The location, on a lagoon opening to the Adriatic Sea was a key component. With direct trade routes to China, Africa, Turkey, and Greece, Venice was an important maritime power.
By the 11th century, Venice was a major world player. The Byzantine government granted Venice the right to free trade throughout the empire, creating the opportunity for Venice to become very, very rich.
Geographically located between the Asian influences of the east and the Latin influences of the west, the architecture of Venice reflects many Islamic design details. Until the 1400s this type of architecture was very popular and is often referred to as Venetian Gothic.
Pretty street lights and Gothic arches at the Doge’s Palace.
On the east side of the Doge’s Palace, facing the lagoon, you will notice the faces carved into the cornices of the columns. The broader features and fuller lips clearly depict people from a different culture.
Basilica San Marco
Now, let’s turn our attention to the focus of the tour, Basilica San Marco, where all that glitters really is gold! It is said that if you laid all the mosaics out side by side, they would cover an acre. Regarded as the most important example of Byzantine architecture in the world, it may be the most opulent church I’ve ever seen.
Pala d’ Oro
Besides the mosaics, there’s the Pala d’ Oro, a spectacular altarpiece commissioned in the 12th century. The panels depict religious scenes comprised of gold, silver, and gemstones – many stolen from Constantinople. The Venetians had really good taste and only stole the best.
The cathedral has been the most important place in Venice since 828. According to legend it was originally built to house the remains of its patron, St. Mark. The mosaics on the exterior tell the story of smuggling his remains out of Alexandria in a basket filled with pork to ensure the Muslims would not go near it.
Though the cathedral burned to the ground twice, it was always rebuilt. Finally, in 1094, it was consecrated and given to the city of Venice to be the people’s church. This is the church you see today with its sparkling facade and many domes and turrets. St. Mark’s was a symbol of the independence and power of the Republic of Venice.
The cathedral was also the personal chapel of the Doge of Venice until 1807. Can you imagine having your own personal gold mine, priceless art collection, and cathedral?
In spite of the beauty and the art, it felt a bit heavy to me…possibly due to the history of religious wars. Or perhaps the cold, grey day and the fact that they don’t turn on all the lights until almost noon! Obviously the lights reflecting off the gold mosaics brightened things considerably.
Fittingly, we completed our tour of the cathedral with a visit to the balcony. Here you have the best view over Piazza San Marco. The piazza was considered the most important place in Venice both politically and socially.
Piazza San Marco
Other St. Mark’s tour highlights
Our tour then concluded with a walk to the home of Marco Polo (famous for his silk and spice trade route). Located near the Rialto Bridge, the original house burned down, creating controversy about the location. However, it makes sense that a merchant family’s home would be located near the Rialto Bridge and on a canal.
Rialto Bridge, Venice
One of only four bridges that cross the Grand Canal the Rialto Bridge was the first to connect the islands. An interesting trivia tidbit: The designer of the current bridge is Senoré Ponte – ponte means bridge!
Why a tour of Basilica San Marco is a must
It was a great decision to visit the interior of Basilica San Marco with a guide. The basilica is huge and you could wander aimlessly without direction. Also, the lines are long but if you go with a guide you won’t need to wait. Also, I might have missed the Pala d’ Oro. Comprised of over 250 enamels and covered in precious stones.
For a more affordable Venice tour option, check out Walks of Italy’s Venice Express Day Tour with a gondola ride, St. Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace. If you book a tour on my site I receive a small commission at not extra cost to you. It helps me keep the site up! Grazie!
Also check out hotels in Venice on Expedia and VRBO.
Interior photographs provided by Context Travel and the Creative Commons. All the other photos are mine.
My tour was hosted by Context Travel.
Check out these beautiful photos called Venice in Solitude.
