St. Mark’s Basilica: Skip The Line Entry Ticket with Terrace + Pala D’Oro Access

Enjoy entry to three parts of the Basilica complex and take in the unrivalled view of Piazza San Marco from the terrace of the Loggia dei Cavalli.

Saint Mark's Basilica

Housing the relics of Saint Mark, the Basilica of San Marco (Saint Mark’s Basilica) has become a symbol of Venice that’s known around the world.

Built by the Venetians in 820 AD and consecrated in 832 AD, it lost its original form due to a serious fire in the early 900s. The Basilica as it’s known today took shape in 1063 AD, thanks to the Doge Domenico Contarini and his successors.

The relics of St. Mark, ornate mosaics, and majestic design elements have helped cement the sacred building as the main architectural marvel of Venice.

Pala d'Oro

Behind the main altar you can admire the Pala d'Oro, the only example in the world of considerably sized, intact Gothic goldsmithing.

This refined work of Byzantine enamel – measuring 3.34 meters wide and 2.12 meters high – is divided into two main parts, one lower and one upper. The altar is composed of about 250 cloisonnés enamels on gilded silver foil and is decorated with 1927 precious stones and gems.

St Mark's Museum and the Loggia dei Cavalli

Inside the museum you’ll find sumptuous works of Flemish and Medicean tapestry, altar frontals, Persian carpets, and other furnishings. For centuries these were the protagonists that created a sumptuous and refined scenography for functions presided over by the Doge. They've been saved from the storage room so you can admire them.

The Horses of Saint Mark, also known as the Triumphal Quadriga, are statues from classical antiquity (most likely from the second or third century AD). They originally stood on the loggia of the basilica, but have since been moved to the museum for conservation. Replicas have taken their place, so you can still see them keeping watch over Saint Mark’s square.