The beautiful city of Venice in Northern Italy is often described as one of the most romantic cities in the world. Since the 18th century, tourists from all over the world fall in love with its gondola-traveled canals and its magnificent architectural sites. This earned the city the distinction of being one of the most visited cities in the world. Venice, once the seat of maritime power is equally famous for its beautiful cityscape which inspires the artistic legacies of the City dating back from the Renaissance. It also played a significant role in the history of symphonic and operatic music and in the 1980s with the revival of the Carnival of Venice, the City also establishes itself as a major venue for international theater, cinema and other artistic festivals like the Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival.
Enjoy this 3D Tour of Venice!
St. Mark’s Square
Piazza San Marco is also known as St. Mark’s Square is the major Piazza right in the heart of Venice. It used to be a small area in front of the St. Mark’s Basilica in the 9th century; it was expanded to its present size in 1177. During the French occupation in 1797, Napoleon converted the piazza to a royal palace and the new wing was designed by Giuseppe Soli in 1810. The Piazza will give tourists a wonderful view of the Basilica of San Marco, Logetta and the Campanille. The Piazza is surrounded by the Clock tower with an archway underneath it which leads to Merceria Street and the financial and commercial district of Rialto, and beyond it are the Procuratie Vecchie buildings. On the southern side of the Piazza tourist can find the Sansovino designed Libreria which is across the Piazetta and beyond it are the Procuratie Nuove buildings. On the western part, the Napoleon wing can be seen which also leads to the entrance of the Correr Museum. There are also cafes and shops near the museum, the most famous of which are the Caffe Florian and the Gran Caffe Quadri. The Piazza is also teeming with pigeons and ideal for relaxing and meeting people. The Piazza is often described as one of the great urban spaces in Europe and served as the inspiration of the Austin J. Tobin Plaza which used to be located in the World Trade Center in New York City.
