The Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco is located at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, the city’s most famous tourist attraction. Consecrated in 1094, it is dedicated to the city’s patron saint, Mark the Evangelist.

Its floor plan is in the shape of a Greek cross, with five large domes atop each point. It has Byzantine architecture with Romanesque and Gothic decorations on its façade. Photography is not allowed inside the Basilica.

In the middle of the Piazza are 3 tall flagpoles with bronze bases decorated by Alessandro Leopardi in 1505. They now fly the EU circle of gold stars, the Italian tri-color, and the Venetian Republic Lion of St. Mark.