Piazza San Marco or St. Mark’s Square as we like to call it, is probably Venice’s popular tourist destination, not only for people but also for pigeons, they seem to out number people 10 to 1. With Venice’s narrow streets and maze of canals there is little open space in Venice, the Piazza San Marco is Venice’s largest area and principal square. The square dates back to the 9th century, and the piazza hasn’t changed since 1810 when a new wing to the Procutatie Nuove which was converted into a royal palace for Napoleon during the French occupation. Today other than a lot of souvenir carts, thousands of people and pigeons everything is how you would have seen it hundreds of years ago, other than a few much needed restorations and touch ups. Being the lowest point in Venice the square is often flooded from storms and high water and planks are used to move across the square. Around the piazza are some of Venice’s most spectacular and important buildings including Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Basilica, St Mark’s Clocktower, and Procuratie Vecchie, many have some of the most beautiful sculptures and artwork seen in Europe, and inside the Basilica and palaces it is even more spectacular, it’s no wonder people queue for hours for their chance to visit.
