VENICE (Venezia) - Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square) is the principal public square of Venice, Italy. It is said that Napoleon called the Piazza San Marco "the drawing room of Europe". The square is dominated at its eastern end by St. Mark's Basilica, with its great arches and marble decoration, the Romanesque carvings around the central doorway and, the four horses which preside over the whole piazza. Nearby is St. Mark's Clocktower (Torre dell'Orologio), completed in 1499. To the left is a long arcade lined with shops and restaurants at ground level, with offices above. The square is often filled with tourists and pigeons.
