St Mark's Basilica

Why go

St Mark's Basilica is the cathedral church that overlooks St Mark's Square in Venice; this record is the basilica, not the square or its bell tower. It is cared for by the Procuratoria di San Marco, which describes itself as the fabric committee responsible for protecting, maintaining and restoring the basilica, the bell tower and related properties. The Procuratoria's ticket site calls itself the official ticket office for private visitors, and its entrance rules say tickets bought from unauthorised sellers are not valid, tickets are named and an identity document must be shown, clothing should cover shoulders and knees, and paying visitors are not admitted during religious services. The same site gives two different tolerances around a booked time slot (about 5 minutes in its FAQ, up to 15 minutes in its entrance rules), so check the current rules before you go.