Basilica di San Marco

St Mark's Basilica presides over the great square of Venice, an opulent church begun in its present form in the eleventh century to house the relics of the evangelist Mark. Its design draws heavily on Byzantine models, with five domes, a facade of coloured marble and mosaic, and famed bronze horses above the entrance brought from Constantinople. Inside, golden mosaics cover vast surfaces, glowing in low light, and the Pala d'Oro altarpiece glitters with enamel and gemstones.