[tab name=”Description”]<\/p>\n
St Marks Basilica Venice<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the world-renowned architectural wonders of Venice rests in St. Mark\u2019s square, among many other beautiful structures. If you\u2019re going on a trip to this beautiful city, you should definitely set aside time to enter the great St. Mark\u2019s Basilica.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t miss it, it\u2019s huge! Right beside The Doges Palace Venice\u00a0in St Mark\u2019s square, it\u2019s a majestic structure that captures your attention not just because of its size but also because of its style.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in architecture, then you might like to know that St Mark’s Basilica\u00a0has been called the world\u2019s best example for Byzantine architecture. You can see clearly from the exterior of the cathedral that it is not of a typical western style. Instead, it incorporates both eastern and western influences.<\/p>\n When you get close to the cathedral, you might notice that it actually looks kind of eclectic. This isn\u2019t a lapse in style or some accident\u2014it actually looks like that because many parts of the cathedral were originally from all around the world. The cathedral stood as a reminder of the greatness and power of Venice. And of course, they didn\u2019t want the world to forget their numerous conquests so they displayed reminders of them for all the world to see. Some of the statues of people like the Tetrarchs, and the horses of St. Mark\u2014all the way down to some pillars\u2014were actually loot that was taken from various conquests around the world. Venetian vessels would always bring a little piece of the other side of the world with them to add to the cathedral upon returning from their journeys.<\/p>\n It is said that St. Mark personally went to Venice to spread Christianity, so it comes as no surprise that they named him their patron saint and built a cathedral in his honor. They even adapted St. Mark\u2019s symbol, the winged lion, as the symbol for Venice. When Venetian merchants stole the remains of St. Mark from Alexandria in 828, the doge ordered the cathedral to be built. At first, it wasn\u2019t a cathedral though. It was just the doge\u2019s chapel, but it was later named the city\u2019s cathedral in 1807 after it was reconstructed many times and turned into a beauty.<\/p>\n Now, as much as you might like to sit outside and marvel at its exterior, you have to take a look at what\u2019s inside too. It will take your breath away.<\/p>\n As you can see, the church isn\u2019t nicknamed \u201cChiesa d\u2019Oro\u201d for nothing. Translated, this means \u201cchurch of gold\u201d. Inside, you\u2019ll see breathtaking mosaics made entirely of gold. When you look at the ceiling, you\u2019ll see the creation dome, which depicts the story of Genesis. And of course, by the golden altar, you will see the relics of St. Mark.<\/p>\n There is no entrance fee to visit the basilica, which is open from 9:45am to 5:00pm from Monday until Saturday. On Sundays and holidays,\u00a0 it is open from 2:00om until 4:00pm. So what are you waiting for? This surely isn’t something you’d want to miss![\/tab]<\/p>\n [tab name=”Maps”]