Wandering Through History: St. Mark’s Basilica

You’ve probably noticed a lot of Venice photos on my social media accounts this past week. I’ve been in a Venice nostalgic mood, so I decided to write up a post about our visit to Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica) from sometime ago.

Mark the Evangelist aka Saint Mark is Venice’s patriarchal saint. This is believed to be the same Mark from the Gospel of Mark in the Holy Bible. His relics were stolen from Alexandria and brought to Venice on January 31, 828.

As the story goes, his body was transported by two Venetian merchants and Greek monks. The relics were hidden in cargo that was covered in pork and cabbage. Mark the Evangelist evangelized to the people of Venice when he was alive so he was given the emblem of a winged lion (a symbol you’ll see a lot of in Venice). The lion is armed with a sword and has a book with the words  Pax Tibi Marce Evangelista Meus (Peace to You Oh Mark My Evangelist).

The basilica is located in Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) and is one of the most obvious hot spot for tourists. Prepare to wait in a line (depending on the time of year you visit – it may not be so bad during winter months).

The interior of the church is just as marvelous as its exterior!

Keep in mind this basilica is HUGE! So can you imagine what it’s like to look up and see this gorgeous domed ceiling? I absolutely love the natural light!

I don’t know if this has changed, but admission is free (a bonus for sightseeing money saver options in Venice). Happy travels!