The Basilica of San Marco is Venice’s jewel in the crown. The cathedral evokes the blending of East and West that is at the heart of Venetian character. More oriental than European, the architecture, the decoration and the atmosphere of ancient sanctity span both the centuries and the styles of Mediterranean civilisation. Originally built to house the body of St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice, which was smuggled from Alexandria in 828. Started in the 9th century, the basic building dates from the late 11th century and the many domes from the 13th. Much of the decoration, external and internal, was plundered by or presented to Venice during its time of supremacy, most notably the four guilded horses of the 4th century AD above the main door, which were looted from Constantinople during the Crusades and stood on the façade for 600 years, when they stolen for a brief period by the French in the 19th century. These are copies, however, as the originals are kept inside for preservation. The Byzantine golden mosaics in the vaults you see are merely a taster of the astonishing richness lying inside, most famously the incomparable Pala d’Oro, or Golden Pall.