You can't go to Venice without seeing San Marco Square, and seeing St. Mark's Basilica - so I'm told. So yesterday we took a tour of the famous church.
Its glittering 11th century glass mosaics really are amazing, and the huge, gaudy, soaring structure is pretty fantastic. It was a little hard to take in, because the crowds of people ebbed and flowed like the waves in the lagoon. You were herded onto a trail that moved pretty fast, up the side aisle, across the altar, and back down the other side. There were side rooms leading to chapels, the treasury and other sacred places that you could go into if you paid another fee upon entry, though.
I can't really show you any photos of the interior, though, because there were lots of signs prohibiting the taking of photographs.
The only ones I got were from the outside and in the foyer, where there was no such prohibition, near the souvenir stand.
They don't want tourists and their cameras to spoil the dignity of such a solemn house of worship.
Isn't it really to prevent damage to all the aging paint from flashes?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pictures, they are accessing the deepest recesses of my memories. It was 1971 when I was in Venice, I was 11 at the time. But I can still remember walking through the piazza at high tide on wooden planks. Beautiful memory.
ReplyDeleteI love that such a solemn house of worship has a souvenir stand!
ReplyDeleteYour title is perfect! I've had that scene from the Bible play through my head in several places in Europe.
ReplyDeleteYou (and the basilica) look fabulous.