St. Mark’s Square
The majestic Piazza San Marco sits in the heart of the city and lets you take a dip in the past by having a coffee in ancient luxurious bars of the city such as Caffè dei Quadri or Florian.
Venice is known all over the world for its majestic monuments such as St. Mark’s Basilica, the imposing Doge’s Palace, the Pier and the Clock Tower. The city is rich in history, art and culture and hides many curiosities. Let’s discover them together!
The Bell Tower of St. Mark is completely detached from the Basilica and its construction began in 888. It was rebuilt and modified several times, until it was finally completed in the 14th century.
It is called by the Venetians “el paron de casa”, because it is the highest of all the Venetian bell towers: 98.60 m.
Many famous people over the centuries went up there: among them Galileo who in 1609 showed the wonders of his telescope to the rulers of the Serenissima.
Turn on events: on July 14, 1902 the bell tower collapsed and fell down. Fortunately, no casualties! Of the 5 bells, only the “Marangona” was found intact among the rubble.
The new bell tower, what we see today, was inaugurated on April 25, 1991, St. Mark’s Day perfectly faithful to the original.
Another beautiful legend that combines art and flavors: do you know why in Venice we say “ombra” (shadow) to indicate the glass of wine?
Because once the wine counter was located right under the bell tower and, to keep the drink cool, it was moved during the day following the shade.