St Mark's Basilica
St Mark's has to be one of the most spectacular houses of worship in the world, attesting to the Venetian Republic's former maritime and commercial might. Adorned with an incredible array of plundered treasures, the seething mass of domes and arches was modelled on Constantinople's Church of the Twelve Apostles and consecrated in 1094. The basilica is famous for its golden mosaics, particularly those above the doorways in the facade and decorating the interior domes. The interior is indeed dazzling: if you can take your eyes off the glitter of the mosaics, take time to admire the 12th-century marble pavement.
St Mark's Square
Napoleon dubbed St Mark's Square the 'finest drawing room in Europe', and visitors and pigeons alike have been flocking here for centuries to strut and crow. The square has a constant carnival atmosphere, thanks to the cacophony of the ceaseless parade, the duelling cafe orchestras of Florian and Quadri, and the hourly clanking of the bronze Mori (Moors) as they strike the bell of the 15th-century Torre dell'Orologio. Now that most visitors arrive in Venice via the railway station, the magical symbolism of the waterside Piazzetta San Marco has to a great extent been lost. The piazzetta's two columns bear emblems of the city's patron saints: the winged lion of St Mark and the figure of St Theodore. St Mark's Square is one of the lowest parts of the city, and so is always the first to be covered in water when the acqua alta (high tide) arrives - a magical sight on a moonlit night!
Palazzo Ducale
The Piazzetta San Marco is overlooked by the exquisite Palazzo Ducale, for centuries the city's political heart. The pink and white Venetian Gothic fantasy housed the doge, the many arms of government and a couple of prisons. The doge's first-floor apartments are followed by a succession of increasingly grandiose state rooms on the second floor, including the Sala delle Quattro Porte (design by Palladio, paintwork by Titian and Tintoretto), the Anticollegio (four Tintorettos and Veronese's Rape of Europa), the Sala del Collegio (yet more Veroneses and Tintorettos), culminating in the immense Sala del Maggiore Consiglio (featuring Tintoretto's Paradiso, one of the world's largest oil paintings, and Veronese's Apotheosis of Venice). A trail of corridors leads you to the small, enclosed Ponte dei Sospiri(Bridge of Sighs), which crosses from the palace into the New Prisons. Breathe a sigh of relief and exit from the main entrance, the gloriously Gothic Porta della Carta.
Accademia
The Gallerie dell'Accademia houses Venice's single most important art collection, brilliantly illustrating the progression of Venetian art from the 14th to 18th centuries. The art tour kicks off in the meeting hall of the Scuola Grande di Santa Maria della Carità, the oldest of the Scuole Grandi (Venice's six major lay confraternities). The highlights here are Paolo Veneziano's Coronation of Mary and Carpaccio's altarpiece Crucifixion and Apotheosis. The next rooms house brilliant works by Giovanni Bellini, in particular his Madonna with Child Between Saints Catherine and Mary Magdalen, and Giorgione's mysterious Tempest. Works by Titian are followed by Lorenzo Lotto's Portrait of a Young Gentleman in His Studio, Paolo Veronese's Feast in the House of Levi, and Tintoretto's Theft of St Mark's Body and Crucifixion. Moving on chronologically, we come to characteristic landscapes by Canaletto and Guardi, and interiors by Pietro Longhi. The tour bac ktracks to end with the vibrant 15th-century crowd scenes of Carpaccio's Miracle of the True Cross and Gentile Bellini's Procession in San Marco, bringing the past alive with fine attention to detail.
Ca' d'Oro
If you're longing to take a look inside one of the fabulous palazzos that line the Grand Canal, why not go for the most sublime, the Ca' d'Oro (Golden House). The magnificent 15th-century Venetian Gothic structure was named for the gilding that originally decorated the facade's superb sculptural details. The Ca' d'Oro houses the Galleria Franchetti, an impressive collection of bronzes, tapestries and paintings. On the second floor you can see fragments of Titian's frescoes saved from the outside of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. You also get the chance to lean out from the balconies overlooking the Grand Canal and pat the cute lion gargoyles on their pretty little heads.
