ST. MARK`S BASILICA AND CAMPANILE

ST. MARK`S BASILICA AND CAMPANILE :

St. Mark's in Venice consists of two magnificent structures: The Basilica and its sidekick, the Campanile.The Basilica is renowned for its medieval mosaics, its exquisite golden altar screens embellished with precious gems, and its gilded facade (see photo).A lavish amount of decorative gold was used on both the building's interior and exterior surfaces.

The present-day church is the third to be erected on the plot in Venice. The original St. Mark's, a modest edifice, was built to house the stolen remains of the eponymous St. Mark.

The Campanile is a freestanding bell tower rising next to the Basilica.Its 95-meter (315-feet) high profile dominated the Venice skyline for centuries.In 1902, without warning, the St. Mark's Campanile collapsed. It has since been reconstructed, faithful to the earlier design.

You can take an elevator up to the top of St. Mark's Campanile for a magnificent view of Venice