hotel Ambasciatori
venezia mestre

Please note: the tour is bilingual English/Italian (explanations will be provided in two languages if the audience provenience is mixed) and the skip-the-line access to St. Mark's Basilica is included in the tour.

A new itinerary to discover the precious art works and fascinating hidden places in this Cathedral made accessible exclusively for this tour' St Mark's Cathedral in Venice is famous throughout the world but few know that this Cathedral houses many treasures that have still to be discovered.

The St Mark's Cathedral and its Treasures tour we are proposing will lead you to the discovery, via an exclusive itinerary not available to other visitors, of the magnificent treasures of St Mark's Cathedral in Venice.

From the start of the visit you will feel privileged: seated in the centre of the Cathedral, you will listen to a description of the fascinating and long history of St Mark's Cathedral in Venice.

After the history introduction, the visit of St Mark will continue to two locations usually closed to the public: the Baptistery and the Zen Chapel.

The former comprises of three rooms decorated with 14th century mosaics. In the centre you will be able to admire the splendid baptismal font, the gravestone of Jacopo Sansovino and one of the most significant examples of Gothic sculpture in Venice: the tomb of Andre Dandolo.

The visit of St Mark's treasures will continue with the access to the Zen Chapel. Converted into a chapel in honour of the Cardinal Zen, who donated a large sum to St Mark's Cathedral, this place was once the former entrance into the Cathedral from the shore. Despite the chapel being a significant example of Renaissance art, its mosaics are to be traced to the original monumental entrance of St Mark's Cathedral and can be dated back to the 13th century.

The tour will then carry on with the visit of the famous Treasure of St Mark's Cathedral, housed inside a tower, in two rooms representing the only remaining relics of the former Venice's Doge's Palace. The treasure of St Mark's Cathedral comprises of 283 pieces, amongst them objects of Byzantine and Islamic art, all brought to Venice after the looting of Constantinople. The remaining objects represent gifts donated to St Mark's Cathedral or purchased over the centuries.

In the right hand side room, you will be able to admire splendid liturgical objects, the oldest and most precious ones being of Byzantine origins. The left hand side room houses a vast collection of relics of St Mark's Cathedral and during the visit the most important ones from the an artistic and religious point of view will be highlighted.

After these exclusive treasures, the tour will move to the major altar to admire the splendid 13th century alabaster columnsthat support the ciborium enshrining St Mark's remains.

Finally, the St Mark's Cathedral and its Treasures visit will be concluded with a description of the Golden Pall, object of inestimable value and artistic beauty. The Pall is a precious background for the altar of St Mark's Cathedral and can be rotated via a special device and shown to the public during the most important celebrations of the liturgical calendar.

St Mark's Golden Pall in Venice is considered one of the most precious objects in the world. It is composed of gilded silver strips and decorated with precious stones and enamels painted with a technique called 'mail cloisonn'. Assembled at different times starting in 1000 A.D., St Mark's Pall was completed in 1345 by the master goldsmith Buoninsegna.

Important info

Departure point map