Piazza San Marco is the predominant urban centre of Venice, Italy, also referred to as St. Mark’s Square. This location is the social, political and religious melting pot for the citizens of Venice and boasts a number of popular attractions oozing with the representative culture of classical and modern Italy. It is the largest square in the city and includes the smaller piazzetta, located at the southeastern corner where the square meets the lagoon.
The highlight attraction of the square is the famous St. Mark’s Basilica, known for its Romanesque architectural prominence, often referred to as the “Church of Gold”. The basilica encompasses the Campanile di San Marco, a favourite tourist interest, and is adjacent to Doge’s Palace where the former rulers of Venice once presided. Other notable allures include the Procuratie Vecchie and the Procuratie Nuove.
The Piazza is the heart of downtown Venice and a central hub of transportation, connected to the Marco Polo airport by water bus. The ACTV bus is another option for transit from the airport. Walking is the most popular way of getting around Piazza San Marco.
While the history of the Piazza San Marco extends across four distinctive time periods, there are only a few architectural remnants from before the Renaissance, including St Mark's, the Doge's Palace and the two great columns in the Piazzetta.