Photo Walk - San Marco Square, Venice

San Marco Square is the heart of Venice.  It is always packed with people, surrounded by expensive cafes, and the home of some of the most iconic sites of the city, including the Doge's Palace, the ancient center of government for the city.

The Campanile, or bell tower, stands separate from the Basilica.  It had to rebuilt in 1912 after a collapse.

The Loggetta at the base of the Campanile has elaborate stone carvings that provide roosts for the many pigeons that occupy the square.

The Bridge of Sighs connects the Palace with the prison.  Prisoners would cross from the court room in the palace to the prison.  They would sigh deeply as they said good-bye to their freedom, therefore the reason it is called The Bridge of Sighs.

I chose not to tour the Palace on this trip.  I had done it before, but I did go inside the courtyard because I knew they would have a restroom and a place to sit while I waited at the end of the day for our meeting time.

The cistern in the middle collected clean rain water for drinking.  The lids of the cistern were locked because of fear of enemies poisoning the water supply.

There was an exhibit in the side room show casing some of the recovered ruins from Venice's past, including a collection of columns.

The square takes its name from the presences of St. Mark's Basilica.  This church, built in the Coptic style, houses the bones of St. Mark as a relic.

Gold inlay decorates the arches above the doors along the front side of the Basilica.

The four horses are replicas of the original statues

Christ the redeemer stands above the winged lion of St. Mark, which is also the symbol of the city.

The city has been restoring and cleaning the marble facades in recent years.

Other buildings in the Piazza include the clock tower.

These two columns are the opening of the piazzetta, a small open arm off of St. Mark's Square that connects with the lagoon.  On top of the columns are the two patron saints of Venice, the winged lion representing St. Mark and St. Theodore, who was the patron before the Crusaders returned with the relics of St. Mark.

The Library faces the Palace across the Piazzetta.

The view from the Campanile is incredible.

The Square is a popular location for weddings.  Both times I have been to Venice, I have seen wedding parties in the Square.  While I was in the Campanile, I looked down to see the groom spinning his bride.  I wish I could have changed lenses faster so that I would have had the zoom on, because then I think it would be an incredible picture instead of one I have to explain.