Venice - St. Mark's Square

Beautiful St Mark's Square in the spring sunshine, early enough in the day that there weren't too many people around :)

Approaching the square.

The Square is very impressive, and is a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

One of the cafe's in the square, apparently very expensive. 

The Astrological Clock tower in the square. Originally built in 1496, it has seen many restorations.

Above the clock is a large statue of the winged lion, symbol of Venice.

St Mark's Campanile (bell tower) next to the Basilica. You can climb to the top, but we didn't have time, maybe next time..... :)

St Mark's Basilica, sadly the front was undergoing building works, but it is still a beautiful building.

The horses - apparently these are replica's erected in 1979. I have always wanted to see these, and read before we went to Venice that the original horses were in a museum in Rome. This is not true, the original horses are in the Museum in the Basilica. There will be photos in a later blog :)

Aren't they lovely?

Part of the top of the Basilica...

....complete with angels, and topped with the statue of St Mark.

This is a lovely marble lion to the side of the Basilica, apparently there are two, the other one must have been hidden behind the building work fences. They were made in the 17th Century.

Next blog is about St Mark's Basilica.