San Marco Square

Only a lazy guide-book about Italy doesn’t quote a sentence said once by Napoleon: “San Marco is Europe’s most elegant salon”. San Marco Square is really looks very much like a salon of high society. It is surrounded by galleries on three sides and the fourth side fronts San Marco Cathedral. Between the left side if the cathedral and the gallery is the outlet to the lagoon that forms, so to say, a window of the “most elegant salon” and it goes elegantly out onto the sea.

Along the perimeter of the gallery, under the arcades of San Marco Square legendary cafeterias are located: “Florian”, “Lavena”, “Quadri”… “Florian” is considered the oldest cafe in Europe and the most popular cafe in Venice. People here sit on ancient chairs and leisurely drink listening to live music. The price for ristretto can come up to 10 euros. Why so expensive Well, you know, Hemingway and Byron drank coffee here long before your modest person.

San Marco Square is the lowest place in Venice. When floods come to the city (aqua alta in Italian) the square (piazza in Italian) turns to a small lake. People move around on wooden planking and drink coffee wearing rubber boots.