Page 86 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

great showpiece church.
Built originally to house
the bones of St Mark, VENTDUSUD/GETTY IMAGES ©
it’s a truly awe-inspiring
vision with its spangled
spires, Byzantine domes,
luminous mosaics and
lavish marble work. For
a bird’s-eye view, head to
the nearby campanile (Bell
Tower; www.basilicasan
marco.it; Piazza San Marco; €8;
h9am-9pm summer, to 7pm
spring & autumn, 9.30am-
3.45pm winter; fSan Marco).
Adjacent to the
basilica, the Palazzo
Ducale (Ducal Palace; %041
271 59 11; www.palazzoducale.
visitmuve.it; Piazzetta San Mar-
co 52; adult/reduced incl Museo
Correr €19/12; h8.30am-7pm
summer, to 5.30pm winter;
fSan Zaccaria) was the
official residence of Ven-
ice’s doges (ruling dukes)
ITALY’S BEST TRIPS 5 WORLD HERITAGE WONDERS
from the 9th century. In-
side, its lavishly decorated
chambers harbour some
seriously heavyweight
art, including Tintoret-
to’s gigantic Paradiso
(Paradise) in the Sala del
Maggiore Consiglio. Join-
ing the palace to the city
dungeons, the Ponte dei
Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs)
was named after the sighs
that prisoners – including
Casanova – emitted en
route from court to cell.
If you’re hungry, hit the
streets on foot for a real
taste of the city.
54 p40, p87

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