July 8th, 2012 
Tushar Mathur
No trip to Venice is complete without a trip to the great square. Not that you will miss it because it’s long been considered the city’s main tourist attraction and is situated right in the middle of Venice.
But more than that, it’s considered the most beautiful, and also famous square in the whole world. The square is home to three of the most famous buildings in Venice.
The main attraction, St. Mark’s Basilica
At the heart of this magnificent square lies St. Marks Basilica, the most famous church in the city of Venice. It’s regarded as a status symbol of Venetian wealth and power and has been since its construction.
For art lovers, the exterior of the cathedral is decorated in Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic architecture, and is covered in the most beautiful decorations you will ever see on a building.
The interior is even more beautiful, with breathtaking gilded mosaics, giant columns and the famous horses of Saint Mark among countless other timeless pieces of beauty.
Sadly, due to the massive amounts of tourists, most of St. Mark’s Basilica is off limits to the general public, though don’t let that stop you from enjoying one of the most beautiful buildings you will ever see. But remember, it will be busy so be prepared to queue if you want to go inside.
The great Doge’s palace
Also in the square lies Doge’s Palace, a huge gothic structure which was completed way back in the early 15th century. It was home to the Doge, the elected ruler of Venice, and for centuries was home to the Venetian government.
The most important room in the palace, the Hall of the Great Council has a huge collection of paintings depicting the first 76 doges who ruled Venice.
Looking for a great view?
The Campanile is a huge bell tower that stands at 323ft. Although it was originally constructed in the 9th century, it fell down at the beginning of the 20th century and was rebuilt shortly after, so it’s not too old in the grand scheme of things.
Back in the olden days the Campanile was used as a site for public humiliations. People who did bad things were hung in a cage for all to see. This doesn’t happen anymore so you won’t see some poor Venetian man hanging from the building on your trip.
Even though it’s the tallest building in Venice you don’t need to worry about getting to the top. These days there is an elevator to take away all the hard work and still afford you the beautiful views. Still, the view is so beautiful it would still be worth the walk to the top.
Watch out for our feathery friends
Unfortunately for all you bird lovers out there you cannot feed the masses of pigeons anymore. It’s the law. There is a huge problem and the city has been very unsuccessful in trying to rid the square of the pigeons. Just don’t do it.
Maybe you don’t think that’s a problem. Lots of cities have pigeons so what could possible be so bad about it? Well other cities don’t have the amount of amazing buildings as seen in St. Mark’s square, and sadly the pigeons have been destroying the buildings over the years.
Sam Anthony writes blogs and articles on general topics. He also owns an e-commerce website which provides latest deals on products and goods. You can also get deals on pantalone mask from his websites.
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