You are now entering Piazza san Marco. This is the true heart of Venice, which Napoleon called “the most elegant drawing-room in Europe”. If you face the Basilica, behind you stands the Museo Correr, entirely dedicated to Venetian history; to your immediate right are the Procuratie Vecchie, the former offices of the Republic’s administration with an arcade of shops and the Café Quadri, once patronised by the Austrian occupiers of Venice. To your right are the Procuratie Nuove, also former office buildings, under which you will find the Café Florian, the favourite of Venetian patriots during the Austrian occupation.
