From high atop a column the symbol of Venice, the winged lion of St. Mark, greets visitors to Piazza San Marco.
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The Lion, Campanile and Doge's Palace
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The square's original bell tower, or campanile, collapsed in 1902 but was rebuilt.
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| The Campanile |
Across from the campanile is the Palazzo Ducale, or the Palace of the Doges, built of pink and white limestone in the Venetian Gothic style .
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| Doge's Palace, Venice |
A wide promenade, the
Riva degli Schiavoni, runs along the water's edge from the Doge's Palace to the Arsenal, the shipbuilding yards of Venice.
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| Gondolas on the Riva degli Schiavoni |
A stroll along the promenade takes you past the Vitorrio Emmanuel II monument.
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| Vittorio Emanuel II Monument |
The Tourist, a 2010 movie starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, was filmed at the nearby Hotel Danieli.
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| Floral Display at the Hotel Danieli |
If you encounter a crowd atop a small bridge, they have stopped to admire
Il Ponte dei Sospiri, or the
Bridge of Sighs.
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Bridge of Sighs
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The bridge was named by Lord Byron for the sighs of prisoners as they took their last look at freedom, and the beauty of Venice, before being led to the
Doge's prison. Giacomo Casanova was the prison's most famous captive - and he managed to escape.
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The Doge's Prison
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Beyond Venice in the lagoon, the island of Murano is famous for its glass blowing factories. The factories were located outside of Venice to protect the population from the dangers of fire, and also to protect the glass makers' secrets.
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The Island of Murano
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The Lighthouse of Murano
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| The Art of Glass Blowing |
Back at Piazza San Marco, Robert Langdon approaches the basilica of St. Mark's.
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Piazzetta di San Marco
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| St. Mark's Basilica |
Another lion keeps watch from
St. Mark's Clock Tower.
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St. Mark's Clock Tower
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| Astronomical Clock |
Beneath the Clock Tower is an archway which leads to the Mercerie, the main shopping street of Venice that runs between Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge.
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| Clock Tower Archway |
On the central peak of the basilica, a statue of St. Mark stands over the bronze horses looted from Constantinople during the Crusades. Centuries later, Napoleon sent the horses to Paris to sit on top of the Arc de Triomphe. The original horses are now inside the basilica - the ones outside are copies.
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The Domes of St. Mark's
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Statue of St. Mark
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The Horses of St. Mark's
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| The Winged Lion of St. Mark |
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