St Mark’s Basilica is the best known and most representative church in Venice, together with the spectacular St Mark’s Square complex, but it is not the only one worth visiting. In fact, the lagoon city is home to more than 250 churches, small and large, consecrated and not. They are often unique examples of the architectural style that in the common imagination most characterises Venice and its buildings, i.e. flamboyant Gothic, but just as often date back to earlier or later periods. And they are worth visiting not only for the architecture, but also for the works inside, by internationally renowned artists such as Tintoretto and Rubens.
The most beautiful churches in Venice
To visit all the most important churches in Venice a good idea is to buy a pass, valid for one year from the first use, which gives access to fifteen churches with a skip-the-line option.
The churches can also be visited by wheelchair users or those with reduced mobility, and as they are religious buildings you have to dress appropriately to enter them; in fact, the staff at the entrance reserve the right to deny entry to those with bare shoulders or shorts/skirts that are too short.
The churches included in the ticket are:
- Santa Maria del Giglio
- San Stae
- Museum of Santo Stefano
- St. Alvise
- Santa Maria Formosa
- St. Peter of Castello
- Santa Maria dei Miracoli
- Basilica of S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
- Santissimo Redentore
- San Giovanni Elemosinario
- Santa Maria del Rosario
- San Polo
- San Sebastiano
- St. James of Orio
- San Giobbe and Santa Maria del Carmelo
The pass allows one entry to each of these churches (whose opening times and closing days must be checked individually) and the St. Stephen’s Museum, and can be cancelled with a refund.
With a city pass for Venice, on the other hand, it will be possible not only to visit the churches of the so-called ‘Circuito del Coro’, but also museums and other places of interest, e.g. the Doge’s Palace, Ca’ Pesaro, the Murano Glass Museum, the Correr Museum among others.
The pass is non-refundable, can be activated within six months of purchase and is available for one, two, three or seven days. In addition to the many attractions it includes, you can also add transport, for a complete package that will allow you to visit the city without stopping to buy individual tickets.
In this case too, it will be necessary to check the individual opening and closing times of the places of interest to best organise your visit to Venice.
La Basilica e il campanile di San Marco
A visit to St Mark’s Basilica and bell tower in Venice is a must if you visit the city: besides being, together with the whole square, one of the most symbolic places, the exterior and the interior have peculiarities to leave you breathless.
The ticket allows you to skip the line at the entrance and thus enter the church that houses the relics of St Mark, the city’s patron saint. But the real treasure inside St Mark’s Basilica is the Golden Pall, which is located behind the high altar. Together with the many mosaics decorating the church, it is an example of Byzantine artistic influences and a work of rare opulence, consisting of thousands of precious stones and gems. The bell tower, on the other hand, thanks to the lift, gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy a spectacular view of the lagoon and the city.
But, if you want to organise a very special, indeed unique visit, you can book an after-hours tour of St Mark’s Basilica. The tour, with a live guide and lasting an hour and a half, will also give you access to areas usually off-limits to visitors, such as the crypt, where the relics of the patron saint are kept and where you can still see the signs left by the various floods that have flooded it over the years.
The meeting point with the guide is outside the Correr Museum, in St Mark’s Square: he will be waiting for you with a ‘walking tour’ sign. The custodian will let you into the basilica and you will be able to admire the many mosaics at the best time: in the evening, when they cast enchanting glow and without the crowds of tourists that you often find during daylight hours.
Although the visit takes place after closing time, it is still necessary to be dressed appropriately for a religious site. The activity can be cancelled with a refund within 24 hours of the visit, and is not suitable for wheelchair users or those with reduced mobility, as it involves height differences – such as the one to reach the crypt.
Esperienze uniche nelle chiese veneziane
Many Venetian churches offer unique experiences, such as the chance to attend a concert of Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ in the Church of Santa Maria della Visitazione, also known as the Church of Vivaldi because this is where he composed his music. The concert lasts one hour and ten minutes and is performed by the ensemble I Virtuosi Italiani; tickets can be cancelled with a refund up to 24 hours in advance.
Another not-to-be-missed experience is a visit to the Basilica dei Frari, one of the largest in Venice (larger even than St Mark’s), which houses works by Titian, Donatello and Bellini, as well as a monument to Titian, who had expressed his wish to rest here, and Canova.
The Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, at Punta della Dogana, on the other hand, was erected as a divine tribute following the plague of the 17th century, and the model to which it is architecturally modelled is undoubtedly Palladio.
But we can say that each of the churches in Venice conceals artistic treasures within it and is an example of the many artistic influences that the city has experienced over time, thanks also to the liveliness of trade and commerce. To conclude, let us mention, for instance, the Church of the Jesuits, the largest still existing convent complex – dating back to the 18th century, or the oldest – and smallest – Church of San Giacomo di Rialto, called San Giacometto by the Venetians due to its small size.