St Mark's Basilica

The first church of San Marco was consecrated in 832 and burned in a revolt in 976. Work on the present building began in 1063, the first mosaics were started under Doge Domenico Selvo in the 1070s, and the church was consecrated in 1094, when St Mark's body was placed in the crypt for good.

Its treasures tell the story of Venice's power at sea. After the Fourth Crusade took Constantinople in 1204, marble, columns, carved panels and works of art were shipped back, among them four gilded horses and enamels later set into the Pala d'Oro. The marble that now covers the facades arrived in that same period.

Each new doge was presented to the people from the right-hand pulpit, soldiers were blessed before leaving for war, and flags taken from the enemy were presented in the church. When the Republic fell in 1797, the church lost its role as the doge's chapel, and in 1807 the seat of the Patriarch of Venice moved here from San Pietro di Castello.

Inside the basilica, visitors follow a roped route through the church. Under the access rules a visit to the main church lasts up to 20 minutes, and time at the Pala d'Oro up to 10, so a guide who knows what to point out makes a real difference.

The Pala d'Oro is 3.34 metres wide and 2.12 metres high, made of about 250 enamels on gilded silver and set with 1,927 precious stones. It was first ordered in the early 1100s, reworked in 1209 and given its present form in the 1340s. It is the only large Gothic work of goldsmithing in the world to survive intact.

Upstairs, the museum fills the rooms above the entrance hall and the doge's former banquet hall. The original four horses stand here. They stood on the facade until 1977 and were moved indoors in 1982 after restoration; the horses outside today are bronze copies. From the terrace, the Loggia dei Cavalli, you look down over the square beside them. The stairs up are narrow and steep, though there is a lift and a stair lift.

Expect a metal detector and bag checks at the door. Backpacks and bags larger than 40 x 30 x 20 cm are not allowed, and wheeled cases never are. Shoulders and knees must be covered, men remove hats, and silence is expected. Sitting, eating and drinking are not allowed, and photos are for personal use only.

From Monday to Saturday the basilica, the Pala d'Oro and the museum open at 9:30, take last entry at 16:45 and close at 17:15. On Sundays and public holidays the church opens to visitors only at 14:00, while the museum and the horses' terrace open from 9:30. On Sunday mornings, and whenever a service is under way, the museum and terrace are the only parts you can visit.

This is a working cathedral first, and visitor access can be suspended for worship, so hours are always subject to change. Time slots are strict: you can enter up to 15 minutes before or after the time on your ticket, and no later.

During very high tides, water can reach the entrance hall. When it does, staff set up alternative routes, marked and supervised, through the church.