Map of St Mark’s Basilica
Where is the visitors’ door, where is the Pala d’Oro, and what sits under which dome? This plan places twenty things to look for on a simple drawing of the church, each linked to the page that explains it. Read it before you go: inside, the visit is short and the route is roped.
Schematic plan of St Mark’s Basilica
Schematic, not to scale. West (the Piazza) is at the bottom. Tap a number to see what is there.
- Doors
- Mosaics and domes
- Altar and treasures
- Chapels
- Museum and Treasury
What each number shows
- Porta di San Pietro
The visitors’ entrance: the second door from the left on the west front.
- Main portal
Carved arches of months, virtues and trades outside; inside, look back at the lunette of Christ between the Virgin and Saint Mark.
- Creation cupola
In the atrium: twenty-six scenes of Genesis, where the Old Testament cycle begins.
- Cupolas of Joseph and Moses
The north side of the atrium, ending with the Moses cupola, the work of the last thirteenth-century Venetian mosaicists.
- Museum and Loggia (upstairs)
Above the atrium: the original bronze horses and the terrace over the Piazza. Separate ticket.
- Dome of Pentecost
Over the nave: twelve rays of silver light falling as flames on the apostles.
- Agony in the Garden
A thirteenth-century mosaic on the right wall of the nave, one of the masterpieces of the cycle.
- Dome of the Ascension
At the crossing: the dome the Basilica calls the masterpiece of its mosaics.
- Iconostasis
The marble screen of the dalle Masegne brothers, 1394: the Apostles, the Virgin and Saint Mark.
- Dome of the Prophets
Over the presbytery: Christ Emmanuel among thirteen prophets, where the story of the mosaics begins.
- High altar and Saint Mark’s tomb
Under the ciborium, whose four carved columns tell 108 scenes, lies the body of the Evangelist.
- Pala d’Oro
Behind the high altar: the gold altarpiece of about 250 enamels. Separate ticket, a few minutes allowed.
- Crypt (below)
Under the presbytery: three apsed aisles and the old shrine of Saint Mark. Not on the standard tickets.
- Altar of the Nicopeia
Left of the high altar, arranged in 1617: the icon brought from Constantinople.
- Mascoli chapel
Founded in 1430: mosaics of the life of the Virgin, from late Gothic to the Renaissance.
- Chapel of Sant’Isidoro
Finished in 1355 for Doge Andrea Dandolo: the story of a saint stolen from Chios.
- Porta dei Fiori
The door for prayer and Mass, free, on the north side. It leads to a chapel, not to the visit.
- Treasury
Between the church and the Doge’s Palace, through a door in the south transept. Whether it is open is not published.
- Baptistery
Mosaics of John the Baptist and Salome’s dance. Visited only with a guide.
- Zen chapel
The old sea entrance, closed in the sixteenth century to become Cardinal Zen’s funerary chapel.
Where the Basilica is
Coordinates: 45.43444° N, 12.33972° E · Open in Google Maps
The map loads from Google only when you ask for it.
How to use the plan
The drawing is schematic, not to scale, and turned so that the Piazza is at the bottom, as you see the church when you arrive. North is on the left, so the Doge’s Palace is on the right. The plan follows the Basilica’s own description of the building: a Greek cross with five domes, the atrium wrapping the west and north sides, the chapels and the Treasury where the Basilica places them.
It does not show a visiting route. The route is roped and set by the Basilica on the day; not every chapel may be on it. What the basic ticket opens, and what needs another, is on what to see inside and tickets.
Frequently asked questions
Where do visitors enter St Mark’s Basilica?
By the Porta di San Pietro, the second door from the left on the west front, facing the Piazza. The Porta dei Fiori on the north side is for prayer and Mass.
Where is the Pala d’Oro inside the Basilica?
Behind the high altar, at the east end of the church, beyond the iconostasis. It needs its own ticket.
How do I get to the Museum and the horses?
The Museum is upstairs, in the rooms above the atrium, with a lift and a stair-lift; it opens onto the Loggia dei Cavalli over the Piazza. It needs its own ticket.
Last checked: October 1, 2026