Piazza San Marco

Napoleon defined St. Mark's Square as the most beautiful place in Europe. In the past most of the visitors came to Venice on the side of Saint Mark's Square, just a few steps from the ship's rope. The ambience of this sumptuous square is gorgeous. In its center, surrounded by magnificent buildings full of history such as the Basilica of Saint Mark, the Ducal Palace and the Procuratie, stands the imposing Bell Tower. In this square are housed all the most important events of the city, especially in the period of the carnival that finds its fulcrum here. This square is the true living room of Venice. At the beginning of the Piazzetta (little square) there are two huge granite columns: the Columns of San Marco and San Todaro. These columns are crowned by the Venetian lion of Saint Mark and Santo Todaro, the original patron saint of the lagoon town. Past executions were between the columns, so today superstitious Venetians don’t cross them in the middle. The cafes on St. Mark's Square make for a nice place to enjoy a drink, but they come at a premium.