Sunrise

Sunrise at Piazetta San Marco.

San Marco

San Marco from seaside.

Gondolas in dusk

Carnival mask

Basilica San Marco

The St Mark’s Basilica is the most beautiful building on St. Marks’s square and one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture. In fact, it can be said to be Venice’s jewel in the crown and for a city overload with gems, that’s really saying something.

Basilica San Marco

Inside there are astounding gold laid mosaics and from the outside the whole thing is a visual profusion of domes, arches and columns. When the sun is shining, the light grey colour glows almost brilliant white.

Basilica San Marco

Basilica San Marco by night.

Piazza San Marco

St Mark’s Piazza is easily one of the most recognisable tourist attractions in the world. It was first laid out during the 11th Century and the Romantic French poet Alfred de Musset called it the “drawing-room of Europe”.

Piazza San Marco

Throughout history St Mark’s square has been a place of demonstrations, rallies and public meetings. It was the political and religious centre of the Venetian Republic. Today it is the number one tourist hotspot in Venice.

Piazzetta San Marco

The part of the Piazza between the Doge's Palace and the Biblioteca Marciana is the Piazzetta San Marco. It is open to the lagoon at the mouth of the Grand Canal, and is known for the columns of Venice's two patrons, Marco and Todaro, that stand by the water's edge: on them are the lion of Saint Mark.

Piazzetta San Marco

Piazzetta San Marco by night.

Venice from seaside.

MSC Magnefica passing Venice.

Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

The Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, commonly known simply as the Salute, is a famous church in Venice, placed scenically at a narrow finger of land which lies between the Grand Canal and the Bacino di San Marco on the lagoon, visible as one enters the Piazza San Marco from the water.

Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

While it has the status of a minor basilica, its decorative and distinctive profile and location make it among the most photographed churches in Italy. The razing of the church began in 1631 and was finally completed in 1681.

Ponte della Paglia

The name of this bridge may derive from the boats that once moored here to off-load their cargoes of straw (paglia). Originally built in 1360, the existing structure dates from 1847.

Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs is one of many bridges in Venice built in the 16th century. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone and has windows with stone bars. It passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the old prisons to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace.

Bridge of Sighs

The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. The bridge name comes from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice out the window before being taken down to their cells.

Bridge of Sighs

Bridge of Sighs by night.

Bridge of Sighs

From the other side.

Gondolas in dusk

Venice

St. Marks Campanile

A lion, the symbol of San Marco.

View from Campanile.

View from the top of St. Marks,s Campanile (60m) toward East.

View from Campanile.

View from the top of St. Marks,s Campanile (60m) toward West. Piazza San Marco in front.

View from Campanile.

View from the top of St. Marks,s Campanile (60m) toward South East (Dodge's Palace in front).

View from Campanile.

View of Venice to San Giorgio Maggiore Island from St. Mark's Campanile. Lido in the skyline.

View from Campanile.

View from the top of St. Marks,s Campanile (60m) toward South West.

The Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge is a bridge spanning the Grand Canal. It is the oldest bridge across the canal and probably the most famous in the city. The first dry crossing of the Grand Canal was a pontoon bridge built in 1181. The development and importance of the Rialto market on the eastern bank increased traffic on the floating bridge. So it was replaced around 1250 by a wooden bridge.

The Rialto Bridge

In 1444 it collapsed under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade and it collapsed again in 1524. The present stone bridge was finally completed in 1591. It is remarkably similar to the wooden bridge it succeeded. The bridge has defied its critics to become one of the architectural icons of Venice.

The Rialto Bridge

Canal Grande

Known to the Venetians as the Canalazzo, the Grand Canal sweeps through the heart of Venice, following a course of an ancient river bed. Since the founding days of the empire it has served as the city’s main thoroughfare. The parade of palaces bordering the winding waterway, built over a span of around 500 years, presents some of the finest architecture of the Republic.

Canal Grande

Nearly 4 km long, the canal varies in with from 30 to 70 m and is spanned by three bridges.

Canal Grande

Canal Grande

Carnival mask

San Giorgio dei Greci

Distant view of San Giorgio dei Greci's tilting campanile.

San Giorgio

Canal

A gondol on a small canal in Venice.

Rio del vin

Rio del vin canal by night.

The Venetian Arsenal

The Venetian Arsenal (Italian: Arsenale di Venezia) is a shipyard and naval depot that played a leading role in Venetian empire-building. It was one of the most important areas of Venice, lying in the Castello sestiere. The Arsenal was founded in the 12th century and enlarged in the 14th to 16th to become the greatest naval shipyard in the world. At its height in the 16th century, a workforce of 16 000 was employed to construct and repair the great Venetian galleys. Here view of the Entrance to the Arsenal.

The Venetian Arsenal

The Porta Magna at the Venetian Arsenal.

Scuola Grande di San Marco

Few hospitals can boast as rich an unusual a façade as that of Venice’s Ospedal Civil. It was built originally as one of the six great confraternities of the city.

Scuola Grande di San Marco

The Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo

The Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo, known in the Venetian form of San Zanipolo, is one of the largest churches of Venice and has the status of a minor basilica. A huge Gothic brick edifice, it is the Dominican church of Venice, and as such was built for preaching to large congregations. The first church was demolished in 1333, when the current church was begun. It was not completed until 1430. Known as the Pantheon of Venice, it houses monuments to no less than 25 doges.

San Giorgio Maggiore Island

View from Molo San Marco to San Giorgio Maggiore Island.

San Giorgio Maggiore Island

View from Molo San Marco to San Giorgio Maggiore Island by night.

San Marco

San Marco from seaside.

Riva degli Schiavoni

The sweeping promenade that forms the southern quayside of castello was named after the traders from Dalmatia who used to moor their boats and barges here. For those who arrived in Venice by water, this long curving quayside is a spectacular introduction to the charms of the city.

Riva degli Schiavoni

Doge's Palace.

The Doge's Palace is a gothic palace. The current palace was largely constructed from 1309 to 1424 on 9th century origin. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice and contained the offices of a number of political institutions, arranged around a central courtyard. Perhaps the most spectacular room is the Grand Council chamber or Sala del Maggior Consiglio, originally the meeting place for the legislature. This huge space is lined, walls and ceiling, with paintings, particularly portraits of the Doges, but one of which, Tintoretto's vast Paradise, is reputedly the world's largest painting on canvas. At the rear of the palace is the Bridge of Sighs, connecting to the prison.

Grand Canal

Ca' Foscari

Ca' Foscari was built for Doge Francesco Foscari in 1437. It is now part of the University of Venice.

Palazzo Franchetti Cavallin

Rialto Markets

The Rialto markets have been in operation for centuris. The Pescheria (right on the photo) sells fresh fish and seafood, and the Erberia (left)sells fruit and vegetabels.

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Known by all simply as the Frari this huge, plain Gothic church dwarfs the eastern section of San Polo.The first church was built by Franciscan friars in 1250-1338, but was replaced by a larger building which was completed by the mid- 15^{th century. The interior is striking for its sheer size and for the quality of its works of art. More information here}

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Rio San Moise.

Canal Rio San Moise at campo Ssn Moise.

Torre dell' Orologio

The richly decorated Renaissance clock tower stands on the north side of Piazza San Marco. It was built in the late 15^{th century.}

Campo San Barnaba

Fondamenta della Sensa

This peaceful backwater with its typically Venetian peeling facades, is undisturbed by tourism.

Venice Lido

The Lido is the beach of Venice just 10 minutes by boat from San Marco. This island splits the sea and the lagoon. This island right now is pretty famous for its Movie Festival which is held every year between the end of August and the first week of September. In 1920 it used to be the most important beach in Italy, due to its aristocratic and particular atmosphere. More information here.

Venice Lido

Grand hotel des Bains

Venice Lido

Venice Lido

Venice Lido

Outside hotel Grand Hotel Excelsior.

Venice

View from the air.