The area of ​​St.. Mark - the main square in Venice. It is divided into the actual area of ​​St. Mark and Piazzetta - a small area between the area of ​​St. Mark and channel. The area of ​​St.. Mark frame the long arched building of the old and new Procuratie procuration. Procurator regulate the whole of social life of the city, therefore their number is increasing every year, and has required the construction of a separate building to house this bureaucracy, which is what happened at the beginning of the XVI century. The building is new Procuratie later the residence of Napoleon. Now here is the Correr Museum, which houses a collection of paintings by Canova, Bellini, Carpaccio and some Byzantine artists.

Piazzetta can be called spectacular atrium grand St. Mark's Square. Monuments, which tower on this small area are of paramount importance: it frames the left Sansovinovaya library, and on the right - the Doge's Palace. In the old days this place was the food market, and only in 1536 Ducal decree ruled that the Piazzetta to be exempt from the shops. On the Piazzetta to execute the death sentences.

From the pier tower two columns of red marble; they were brought to Venice from the East in 1125 and established only in 1172. Column St. Theodore is the name of the revered saint of Venice since his statue, which consists of parts of various origins, adorns the top of the column. In another column, a bronze winged lion - the symbol of St. Mark, of unknown origin.