Piazza San Marco

Going for all inclusive Italy holidays will surely give you and your loved ones an excellent and relaxing time. This is undoubtedly a great travel destination for anyone seeking a peaceful time off that can relieve them of the stress brought by the daily grind. There are plenty of stunning and beautiful places that you can visit when you go here in Italy. One such place is the Piazza San Marco in the popular city of Venice.

The ‘Piazza San Marco’ – known as St Mark’s Square in English is the largest square in Venice. The city’s maze of streets and alleys regularly meet at one place hence the city can at times take on a claustrophobic character. However, there is nothing greater and more majestic than when entering St Mark’s Square. Turning into the square from one of the small, tight ‘Calle’ can take one’s breath away. Here the effect of the ‘Piazza’ is in great part an optical illusion as it is really not as big as it appears. The effect begins in that the square appears to be a rectangle, but in reality is a trapezium in shape. When looking from the opposite end onto the Basilica San Marco, it appears as if one is standing in a massive space however, in reality the ingeniously laid out Piazza is only 175 metres long. Buildings frame the left and right of St Mark’s Square which were once home to the procurators of the Basilica. Today one will predominantly find cafes and shops here with very high prices. The most famous café is ‘Caffe Florian’ – the oldest coffee house in Europe. It was opened in November of 1720 under the arcades of St Mark’s Square, and to this day has remained in the same place. Needless to say, over the centuries many famous guests visited this café. One of the most famous Germans who enjoyed spending time here bears the name Johann Wolfgang Goethe.

St Mark’s Square

Unfortunately one needs a bit of cash in order to do the same here; the prices at the Piazza are really steep. One need not necessarily eat or drink here though. It is enough to simply be a part of the crowd of visitors that flocks from all around the world just to enjoy the square and the city.

For young people St Mark’s Square is a kind of unofficial networking place where you can meet people for a quick chat and sometimes arrange a date for the evening. If the bricks could talk they would reveal that the square had exactly this function for earlier Venetians. Many amorous adventures took place here – in the past this was mainly with the protection of masks during the famous carnivals. Back to the square itself; whoever wishes to make the location of Venice and its tangle of streets, bridges and squares come to life before their eyes, can best do so from the ‘Campanile’ or bell tower. This bell tower is located in St Mark’s Square and one can reach the top via elevator. The view is absolutely worthwhile.

Tourist Guide Venice

Piazza San Marco