Venice owes a good part of its wealth to the use of the name of Saint Mark. It was only fair then, that its basilica was named after him, as a testament to the city’s gratitude. This gratitude, as we shall discover in our visit, goes far beyond the limits of the imagination. Because of its magnitude, it would take a whole day to visit the entirety of the basilica. Each of the artistic treasures that we will see will cover a different page in the history of Venice, going from its beginnings in the 9th century to its victory– with the help of the Crusaders – in 1204 over its great rival, Constantinople.
The highlights of our visit include:

· The mosaics. Including those of the creation of the world, those of the Ascension and Pentecost on the cupolas, and those in the Museo Marciano (situated in the Basilica).
· The objects in the treasure – religious objects and art objects that have in common a remarkable technical quality and the use of precious materials.
· The Pala d’Oro – the beautiful retable of the high altar of the church that contains nearly 3,000 precious stones and 83 enamels.