Your LivTours’ St. Mark’s Basilica Tour at Night meets after regular hours when the crowds have dispersed and you are ready to make your entrance. First, take a look at a priceless piece of art hidden in plain sight, the famous Tetrarchs sculpture. Featuring four Roman emperors and made of red porphyry – a type of marble that was incredibly valuable and scarce even in antiquity – learn about the long story behind this sculpture and why it is where it is today.
Your expert guide will take you inside this architectural marvel via a side entrance. It will be dark, but this is just preparing you for the grand reveal. To visit St. Mark’s Basilica is already a special experience, but to see it by night, without the crowds thanks to exclusive after hours access is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Imagine that once upon a time only royalty had this kind of privilege! You will be immediately struck by the ethereal sparkle and glow of the extensive, ancient mosaic tiles that adorn 43,000 square feet of the interior of the Basilica.
Having a full view of the church will allow you to see more than simply the incredible ceiling decor, but also the remarkable and stunning floors. You will be fascinated with the diversity in themes: doves, griffins, peacocks, geometric patterns, eagles, and even dogs. Your guide will help you find the meanings and inspiration behind these seemingly mysterious designs.
Among the countless works of art housed inside St. Mark is the priceless altarpiece known as the Pala d’oro. A Byzantine masterpiece, this golden high altar features thousands of pearls, emeralds, and other gemstones. By moonlight its sparkle is heavenly.
Your Night Tour of St. Mark will also take you somewhere that is normally restricted, the Crypts. The Holy Crypts inside St. Mark have survived centuries of flooding, and house the remains of very important past Venetians and most importantly the body of St. Mark himself.
This Night Tour grants you the best atmosphere possible to explore one of Venice’s most important historical sites. Magical, spectacular, and inspiring. Book today!