Piazza San Marco, Principal square in Venice, Italy
Piazza San Marco is the main square of Venice, a trapezoidal space about 170 metres long enclosed by the Procuratie Vecchie, the Procuratie Nuove and the Ala Napoleonica. St Mark's Basilica closes its eastern end, with the free-standing brick campanile and its white belfry and green spire in front. The paving is light stone crossed by geometric lines of darker stone.
The square took shape from the 9th century in front of St Mark's Basilica, rebuilt from 1063; the Campanile was raised between 1156 and 1173 and rebuilt in 1912 after its collapse on 14 July 1902. The Procuratie Vecchie date from the early 16th century, the Procuratie Nuove were designed by Sansovino and finished by Longhena around 1640, and Napoleon rebuilt the west end around 1810.
The square's name comes from St Mark's Basilica, which holds the evangelist's relics. Caffè Florian, opened in 1720 by Floriano Francesconi as Alla Venezia trionfante, was a meeting place for Venetians during the struggles against Austrian rule, while Caffè Quadri, founded in 1755, was favoured by the Austrians.
Wooden walkways are set up during high water so that pedestrians can cross the square with dry feet. The best time to visit is early morning, when fewer people are around and the light is softer.
The two granite columns at the entrance marked the spot where public executions took place until the eighteenth century. Some locals still avoid walking between them, as this is considered to bring bad luck.
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