St.Mark the Evangelist (San Marco Evangelista) is the patron saint of Venice since his relics where taken here from Alexandria in Egypt around the 800. The first church intended to keep the precious relics was consecrated in 832, but the construction of the Basilica belongs to the XIII century. It was built in Oriental style and it is covered by five byzantyne domes. The facade is very rich, with five portals decorated with precious marbles and Romanic sculptures.

Over the main entrance, divided into three arches, there are the renowned bronze horses of San Marco (they are copies: the original ones, after long and important restoration works, are exposed in the gallery inside the Basilica). The Basilica of San Marco has always been the highest proud by Venetians, symbol of the power of Republic, where they collected all the treasures gained during the conquests of Oriental cities, as during the conquest of Constantinople.

The interior shows plentiful mosaics, the highest expressions of mosaic art from Middle Ages up to Renaissance. From the Church you can get into the Gallery and Museum Marciano, where are the Bronze Horses, and the Treasure in the right arm of transept, with the precious remains coming from Constantinople.