Alone in St. Mark's Basilica:
The gold mosaics, all to yourself
Destination
Venice, Italy
Duration
1.3 hours
Tour size
Max 25
Language
English
Overview
During the day, St. Mark's Basilica is one of the most crowded buildings in Venice. On this St. Mark's Basilica night tour, a custodian unlocks the doors after closing, and your group walks in alone.
- •Enter St. Mark's Basilica after closing, with the building nearly empty around you
- •Watch the lights come on around you as more than 86,000 square feet of gold mosaic illuminates from the darkness
- •Walk straight to the Pala d'Oro, a Byzantine altarpiece covered in over 1,900 gems and precious metals
- •Descend into the crypt beneath the Basilica, where water pumps run day and night to keep the tombs dry
- •Hear the story of how St. Mark's bones arrived in Venice, a tale that involves an angelic prophecy, a kidnapping, and a sea voyage
What's included
- Exclusive after-closing access to St. Mark's Basilica
- Access to the Pala d'Oro (Byzantine altarpiece)
- Access to the crypt beneath St. Mark's Basilica
- Local English-speaking expert guide
- Headset
You will visit
- St. Mark's Square
- St. Mark's Basilica (after closing, with special access)
- The Pala d'Oro
- St. Mark's Basilica Crypt
- Nartex, including the Genesis Dome (13th century mosaics)
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What to expect
St. Mark's Square: the story before the doors open
Your St. Mark's Basilica night tour begins in the square outside, where your guide will set the scene. You'll hear the history of the Basilica's foundation: a story built on a prophecy, a stolen saint, and a ninth-century voyage across the Mediterranean. Then the doors open and your group steps inside alone.
The Basilica: the lights come on
You'll enter St. Mark's Basilica in near-darkness through the narthex, where you’ll see the oldest mosaics and gaze up at the Genesis dome in silence. Then, take a seat in the pews. Over the course of ten minutes, the lights are brought up section by section, and 86,000 square feet of gold mosaic begins to glow above you and around you. With the Basilica nearly empty, your guide will walk you to the Pala d'Oro, a Byzantine altarpiece covered in over 1,900 gems and precious metals. Old tombs sit at the level of the lagoon, and water pumps run day and night to keep the space dry.
"From the complete dark, the mosaics just start shining. There is no other way to see this building."
Barbara,
WalksDevour Venice guide
"During the day you can barely move in here. At night, you hear your own footsteps on the marble."
Niccolo,
WalksDevour Venice guide
Postcards from Venice
Alone in St. Mark's Basilica
Alone in St. Mark's Basilica
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Alone in St. Mark's Basilica
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