Piazza San Marco I
Piazza San Marco is one of the most famous squares in the world. The Piazza was for centuries the place to be for public ceremonies and religious celebrations.
Gentile Bellini ‘Procession Piazza San Marco’ c. 1496
Brustolon after Canaletto Procession on Corpus Christi Day in the Piazza San Marco
Also today it is the centre of the city, with its many terraces, tourists and pigeons. The two famous buildings of Venice are located on the East side: the San Marco, the cathedral of Venice and the Palazzo Ducale, the former residence of the Venetian doges and also centre of power of the Republic.
The genesis of the Piazza San Marco
Originally, this place was the orchard of the nuns from the nearby San Zaccaria. When the nuns sacrificed their trees in the ninth century for the construction of the Basilica and the Palazzo Ducale, the Piazza we can admire today was created one step at a time. The piazza San Marco is the only square in the city that is called ‘piazza’. Other squares are indicated with ‘campo’ or ‘pizzetta’ (little square).
Piazza di San Marco aerial San Marco and Palazzo Ducale
Canaletto Piazza di San Marco and the San Geminiano (before Napoleon)
Wing, ala, of Napoleon Wikipedia: San Geminiano
Luca Carlevarijs ‘Piazza San Marco’ Propcuratie Vecchie
Bellini Propcuratie Vecchi and Nuove before reconstruction
Click here for a map with buildings and their names
Propcuratie Vecchie today
Ala Napoleonica today
Canaletto ‘Piazza San Marco’ (view S. Germaine)
Procuratie Nuove today
Canaletto ‘Procuratie Nuova’ (THE MET)
Click here for a map with buildings and their names
Piazzetta today
Friedrich Nerly ‘Piazzetta by Night’ 19th century
Campanile today
Loggia Campanile
Canaletto Loggia Campanile (detail)
Piazza di San Marco in urban context View from the Bacino
