Overview
Venetian merchants stole the relics of Mark from Alexandria in 828 and the city built to match the claim: five domes on the Greek-cross plan of Constantinople, and a facade that is largely spoils — the four bronze horses over the door came from the hippodrome of Constantinople in 1204 and are now copies, the originals inside. The floor is a mosaic of the eleventh century and undulates where the ground beneath has settled. High water floods the narthex a few dozen times a year.
Highlights
The Pala d’Oro behind the altar, the museum upstairs with the original horses, and the loggia over the square each need a small extra ticket and all three are worth it. Go at opening or book a slot; the queue crosses the piazza by mid-morning. Shoulders and knees must be covered and large bags are refused at the door.