So it sounds as if you might be able to sign up for a special-access tour that includes the crypt. Today an elevator zips you effortlessly to the top to enjoy a commanding view. I hated being squashed with 30 people into small, airless rooms with me and a couple of others being the only ones masked. So, in 828, Venetian merchants smuggled Marks remains out of Egypt and into the church shown here as it looked in the 13th century. We were there in June, and things were busy enough. Everything a busy traveler needs is easy to access: a neighborhood overview, city walks and tours, sights, handy food and accommodations charts, an appendix packed with information on trip planning and practicalities, and a fold-out city map.Rick Steves' Pocket Venice includes the following walks and tours: St. Mark's Square Tour St. Mark's Basilica Tour Doge's Palace Tour Frari Church Tour St. Mark's to Rialto Walk Rialto to Frari Church Walk St. Mark's to San Zaccaria Walk. It as a scarily long line, but it moved very fast. That lasted only about 20 minutes though until the Polizia came and made them get down. I see no references to the crypt on the San Marco website, so I'm guessing it's not regularly accessible to visitors right now. As the central spot in the church, thePantocratordome is the symbolic center of the Venetian universe itself, with Christ blessing it all. Travel from the cruise port to St. Marks by vaporetto. On a Venice visit, (before Covid) I wanted to take some sunrise pictures. Today, theyre back in what Venetians believe is their rightful home. A lot of what you're looking at is overhead; it's not like an art museum with everything hanging at eye level. Architecture His grace radiates through a ring of saints to the altar below. It was an interesting sight though to see tourists waiting in line AND attempting to keep their feet dry by climbing a foot up on the baricade that surrounds the Basilica. Thank you all! It was thrilling to be there alone with my camera. It is very interesting. There is the ground floor basilica level then you go behind the altar on this level for the Pala dOro around behind then up stairs for the Museum, the horses, the terrace view. Their prize booty was four bronze horses, placed in the center of the facade. The churchs symbolic message culminates at the very heart of the church. The priceless 1,000-year-old Golden Altarpiece is a towering wall of handcrafted enamels set in a gold frame and studded with 15 hefty rubies, 300 emeralds, and 1,500 pearls. St. Marks bell tower or campanile soars 300 feet over the square. It probably would be better to go later in the afternoon when the cruisers will be heading back to their ships. Of all the loot ornamenting this church, its grandest prize is a set of horses, which for centuries looked out over the square. There are Roman-style arches over the doors, Greek-style columns alongside, Byzantine mosaics, French Gothic pinnacles on the roofline, andtopping the churchthe onion-shaped domes of the Islamic world. One of these is our evening guided tour of St. Mark's Basilica: you can access the most important religious building in Venice beyond the usual opening hours to the public and enjoy an intimate and exciting visit that also includes access to this amazing crypt!" . In September there was a long line for those without pre-purchased tickets to enter the basilica, but we cleared the line in 30 minutes. I was amazed at all of the people who were standing in line waiting to get into the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's. Remember to dress appropriately for St. Mark's. keywords An urn holds the (supposed) holy DNA of St. Mark. The only thing I will say about the Secret Itineraries tour is that I took it last October when Covid was still of concern particularly since I was on a RS tour and needed to stay negative. For centuries, it was nicknamed La Serenissima, "The Most Serenely Beautiful One" and for good reason. We here there for an hour and a half total. Godsin his heaven, the faithful are on earth, Venice is central, and alls right with the world. Book it on line. This isnt the agonized, crucified Jesus featured in most churches, but a vibrant, radiant being gazing solemnly down, raising his hand in a blessing, as thePantocrator, or Ruler of All. Definitely get the skip the line tickets for both. So it sounds as if you might be able to sign up for a special-access tour that includes the crypt. i recommend getting there a bit before they openas the morning goes on and on the day trippers come in the square gets very crowded and then the line is monstrouslater in the afternoon the square starts to thin out but seeing st marks in the early morn is a good eye opener Rick has a tip in his Italy book about a place around the corner from the Basilica where you can leave your bags and get a free ticket that will allow you direct entrance into the Basilica without having to wait in line. 42 posts. Here is the official website for St Marks. Venice Travel Guide by Rick Steves But none are more majestic than St. Marks Basilica. Venice's St. Mark's A Treasure Chest of Wonders - Rick Steves' Travel This is helpful; just trying to decide between just visiting the Basilica vs paying for an evening tour to see the Crypt. Ive been inside it several times, but this was probably the most enjoyable. St. Marks Basilica does not have an audio tour Venice St. Marks Basilica and Doges Palace - Rick Steves :). from it. The grand church of St. Marks was built in a distinctly Eastern style. You need tickets to go into St Mark's Cathedral? You skip the line, get an interesting behind the scenes tour, then all the time you want in the Doge's Palace. I think I'm going to try for the hour when the lights are on - 11:30 to 12:30. Does anyone know? But I also read that the lights are on in the Basilica from 11:30 - 12:00. Surveying the domes and towers of the citys skyline, its amazing to think that all this sits on a foundation of pilings millions of tree trunks driven deep into the clay. However, at the moment I don't see any way to buy such tickets on the VenetoInside website. We spent at least half an hour there, photographing the horses and the square from different angles. Later the Venetians grabbed them, only to have Napoleon swipe them to decorate an arch in Paris. Venice: City of Dreams - Video - Rick Steves' Europe My point is more about about trying to be able to move along at our own pace rather than at the pace of the crowd, so I was just trying to find a time when the crwod would be the smallest. As Venice expanded, the church was encrusted with precious objectscolumns, statues, and mosaicslooted from their vast empire. Its stunning golden wall of 250 painted enamels features prophets and saints, and, at its center: Jesus, as the Ruler of the Cosmos. Please pay the 5 or 10 euros to go up to the museum. Make sure you go upstairs to see the horses. The church is decorated, top to bottom, with radiant mosaics. On the free "Rick Steves Audio Europe" app (for your phone, of course), there is a free, down-loadable Walking Tour of St. Mark's Basilica. There, up in the central dome, Christ reigns in the starry heavens, riding on a rainbow. Art 2023 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy, https://www.venetoinside.com/hidden-treasures/post/the-crypt-of-st-marks-basilica/. Then we went inside to see the real horses, and finally downstairs to walk a circuit of the basilica itself. I was in Venice in early Nov 2021 and did not get in as I didn't want to wait in line - and didn't know about the reserved tickets. St. Marks Basilica, which houses the relics of St. Mark, is topped with Eastern-style domes, plastered inside with glittering mosaics, and loaded with art a golden altarpiece and four fourth-century BC bronze horses. The basilica is decorated with a ragtag assortment of mismatched columns and statues from different eras, much of it pillaged from Venices rivals. I would recommend the "Secret Itineraries" tour of the Doge's Palace. Christianity You can get a closer view of the mosaic ceiling and go out to the balcony overlooking St. Mark's Square. If so, will we need to get any sort of skip-the-line tickets to see both? And as Pam mentioned, some of the activities can be in crowded locations. And talk about well-traveled: According to legend, they were cast for Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC, taken by Nero to Rome, then brought by Constantine to his new capital in the East, Constantinople. Rick Steves Tour: St. Mark's Basilica, Venice (Enhanced) It wasn't part of the ticket that we had bought which included everything but the clock tower. I don't know how reliable the VenetoInside.com website is, or how recently it has been updated, but this is what it says about the crypt: "The crypt is open to the public on only a few occasions One of these is our evening guided tour of St. Mark's Basilica: you can access the most important religious building in Venice beyond the usual opening hours to the public and enjoy an intimate and exciting visit that also includes access to this amazing crypt! As you explore deeper, youll discover the church is filled with precious and centuries-old objects: jewel-encrusted chalices, silver reliquaries, and monstrousmonstrances(for displaying the Communion wafer). More info about travel to Venice: http://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/venice Among Europe's churches, the Byzantine marvel of St. Mark's stands alone. VENICE St. Mark's Basilica Copyright 2010, Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. One of the facade mosaics depicts the scene when the body of St. Markthe author of one of the four gospels in the Bible was interred on this spot. Ive been inside it multiple time-of-day to see the different lighting, and this was fine. Thank you to everyone who left me hints and ideas. To gain religious importance and a kind of legitimacy, the Venetians needed some important relics. Best of Venice, Florence & Rome in 10 Days Tour We went first think in the morning, about 15 minutes before opening. In October I got the ticket to the Basilica, Pala dOro and the Loggia with the museum and horses. We are thinking about touring St. Marks Basilica and the Doges palace by using the headphones provided at each site. Years later Napoleon took them to Paris but they were subsequently returned to Venice. (That would have been unpleasant if it had been raining.) Watch on YouTube Watch on Venice, more than any other European city, has an endlessly seductive charm. These much-coveted and exquisitely cast bronze horses are a trophy befitting the citys power. Rick Steves Snapshot Naples & the Amalfi Coast, Rick Steves Snapshot Milan & the Italian Lakes, Rick Steves Snapshot Hill Towns of Central Italy. https://basilicasanmarco.skiperformance.com/en/store#/en/buy. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around May 16, 2017.