Today St. Mark’s Square is the main square of Venice, in the 9th century it was just a small place next to St. Mark's Cathedral. The form of the square reminds a trapezoid. In the northern part is located the building of the Old Prosecutions, which is attached to the clock tower with a bell. Every hour the bronze statues hit it.

But the main sight of the square is, of course, St. Mark's Cathedral. With its name, an unusual story is connected. According to the legend, in 828, the two local merchants stole the body of St. Mark and took it out of Alexandria. They used a special method for it: they hid the remains in the carcass of a pig. When the relics of the saint were transported to Venice, that became a purpose for the church building, which should keep them. But 100 years later, the basilica was burnt. But, fortunately, it was restored. During the reconstruction, the church was rebuilt in a Byzantine style. The next years the cathedral was enlarging. 

Also in Venice, there was an interesting tradition: every foreign ship arriving in the port should offer a precious gift to St. Mark's Cathedral. And the navigators, going to the long travel, necessarily came to the cathedral for a blessing.

Over time, St. Mark's Cathedral became not just the religious, but the political center of Venice. There took place the coronations of city rulers and the blessings of an army before the important battles.

The building of the cathedral looks like a cross. The style of the cathedral is considered to be a Byzantine one. Though it has some elements of the Gothic style. It is not surprising, because, during its existence, the cathedral had more than one reconstruction.

Inside the cathedral, we can see a luxurious interior: many icons, statues of the apostles and thematic mosaic. There is still kept the relics of St. Mark and the martyr Isidore.

St. Mark's Cathedral is open now. There the services regularly take place, and you can visit them.