Location: San Marco
Top Things to do in San Marco
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Things to do in Venice, Veneto: The Best Churches & Cathedrals
With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one's bucket list. Waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting. To really experience Venice you must go to the opera or to a classical music performance, nibble fresh pasta and pastries, and linger in the exhibit halls of an art gallery. Label lovers will drool over the high-end shopping in Piazza San Marco.
Restaurants in Venice
1. Basilica di San Marco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28,574 reviews
Blending the architectural styles of East and West, Venice's magnificent basilica was consecrated in 832 AD as an ecclesiastical building to house the remains of St. Mark.
Reviewed By 627brendand
We visited this beautiful church and were blown away by the opulent gold mosaic artwork and beautiful sculptures and architecture. It was a personal goal to visit San Marco and the square so it was for us a dream come true. The disappointing thing was the general level of dishonesty around Venice by business people. To buy anything was a complete rip off, even a coffee and croissant was extortionate. You had to always check your change as we were deliberately short changes several times and my wife was also pick pocketed in Milan the very hour we arrived in Italy. So be careful with your money and I wouldn’t eat or buy any food in tourist areas. Also when we arrived at the train station in Venice the square was under about 12 inches of water. People were everywhere selling waterproof waders to put your feet in. 20 Euro later ...These promptly leaked and we were soaked anyway after 5 minutes of use. This was dishonesty on an industrial scale. Also no one told us that if you simply waited about an hour the tide would recede and you could walk around on dry ground. This basic information was simply not available to tourists. My advice would be, go for the beauty and amazing art and be very careful, as there is unfortunately a rip off culture everywhere.
2. San Giorgio Maggiore
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,903 reviews
Reviewed By tg22wa - Seattle, United States
Visit this beautiful church designed by Palladio, the adjoining monastery (owned by the Cini Foundation*). Take the elevator to the top off the church bellower to see Venice, the island grounds and Giudecca from a wonderful distance. The Cini foundations offers regular tours of the former monastery buildings and grounds. You cannot just visit on your own. The tours seem to be about every hour but check ahead to coordinate this visit with the church and belltower visit. You can easily take Vaporetto 2 from several different points including from St. Mark's pier. The grounds include an incredible maze of boxwood created in 2012. Of special note to art lovers: 1. the refrectory of this monastery was the original home of Veronase's Wedding Feast of Cana in the Louvre. It was taken by Napoleon in the early 1800s and never returned. The Cini Foundation has replaced the original with a beautiful digital copy to give a sense of where this huge artwork belongs . . . 2. One of Tintoretto's last paintings, an innovative Last Supper, is located to the right of the main alter. Created for THIS space, the painting is orientated to be seen from the side. Read about both paintings before you go.
3. Chiesa di San Salvador
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 139 reviews
Reviewed By lpMaggi713 - Baltimore, United States
Not far from the Rialto Bridge is this small church. You can actually enter from the Campo San Salvador or from the famous shopping street, Mercerie. The church has been renovated many times. The façade was done by Giuseppe Sardi in 1663. The bell tower came later. The church is stunning with works by Jacopo Sanovino, Titian, Francesco Vecellio and Alessandro Vittoria. Pay particular attention to the main altar which is marble and has a statue of Christ by Guglielmo dei Grigi. The church has magnificent flooring and there are three domes with lanterns letting in the natural light.
4. Ateneo di San Basso
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 56 reviews
The church of Ateneo of San Basso was built in 1076 in honor of San Basso and is one of the oldest churches in Venice. After the fires of 1105 and 1661 the church was built again. The simple elegance and classic admired today is probably attributable to Baldassarre Longhena, who worked at the time at the Basilica of San Marco. In the XIX century the church was robbed of its altar and its decorations and in the years to come was first sold to a private and later transformed into a laboratory for marbles and sculptures. In the fifties of the '900 the building was rebuilt and adapted to the conference room. The Ateneo of San Basso is now deconsecrated former church located in the heart of Venice, Piazzetta dei Leoncini, to the left of the Basilica of San Marco. Since its reopening in 2002 is considered one of the most important cultural centers of the city.
5. Chiesa di San Vidal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 229 reviews
Reviewed By gothicjo - Greater London, United Kingdom
This is our 3rd time at this beautiful church to listen to Vivaldi’s 4 seasons. We always go on the evening Davide Maddeus is playing as he is so entertaining and passionate when playing his Cello.
6. Chiesa di San Moise
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 244 reviews
Reviewed By 840gabrielh - Bellaire, United States
San Moise (or St. Moses) is located just a few blocks from Piazza San Marco and it is a working parish church. Its origins date back to the 9th centur, but the current, eye-cathing building was completed around 1668. Its white stone baroque facade is striking, because fo the extensive stonecarvings and the 15 sstone statues. Inside, ther are even more sculptures, including the amazing composition on top of the altar. The single-nave church is extensively decorated with frescoes, reliefs, marble columns and inlays, bas reliefs (don't miss the one under the main altar), and a great organ.Works by Tintoretto and Sebastiano highlight the quality of the art. It is definitely worth a detailed visit.
7. Chiesa di Santa Maria del Giglio (Zobenigo)
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 138 reviews
Reviewed By alessandrofL127YD - Milan, Italy
Wonderful facade made in 17th century by Giuseppe Sardi who Made the facade of Saint Mary of Nazareth, they are similar indeed. Many statues are not of Saints but of components of the family Barbaro . The church was built in 10th century from the family Giubenico that gives the second name of this church: Saint Mary Zobenigo . The inside is with one nave with 3 chapels for each side, on the walls you can see the beautiful Way of the Cross designed in 1756 from seven different artists . Inside the Molin’s chapel you can see the unique paintings in Venice by Rubens , it’s the Madonna with Baby and Saint Giovannino . Inside this beautiful church you can admire masterpieces by Tintoretto, Jacopo Palma il Giovane , Antonio Zanchi, Giambattista Volpato , Giannantonio Pellegrini and Giuseppe Salviati.
