Statues on the corner of one of the government buildings.

The two Patron Saints, Marco and Todaro, stand in the Piazza as the official gateway to Venice; when there were no official guests in the city, gambling was permitted in the space between the columns. It was also the site of executions.

Each column of the Basilica had different carvings. This one was the people of Venice.

A good shot of the side of St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco).

One of the side arches of the Basilica.

An ornately decorated door.

Over the door a Pope kneels before the Patron Sait of Venice. His paw is on a book representing justice.

Another column. This one followed the stages of a family: metting, married, kids and then grandkids.

Made of the precious porphyry marble, this carving on a corner of the Basilica is called "The Four Tetrarchs." As the Roman Empire began to crumble, The Emperor emposed a four-emperor ruling plan called "The Tetrarch." The statue represent the inter-dependence of the four rulers. The statue was salvaged by Venetian forces after the fall of Constantinople and place here, on the Basilica.

A nice shot of the whole St. Mark's Campanile.

This was a common site in the Piazza. People bought pigeon food so the pigeons would hop on them for a photo-op. They were crazy! What if the birds pooped?

A good shot of the front of the basilica. The red covering on the left was because of some restoration work. There are 4 horses, The Horses of St. Mark, across the top. They were restoring 2 of them.