Piazza San Marco, or St. Mark's Square, is one of the most famous and historically significant landmarks in Venice. The square is surrounded by iconic buildings such as the Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark's Basilica), the Campanile (bell tower), the Doge's Palace, and the Procuratie.

The basilica was originally built to house the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist, which, according to tradition, were smuggled out of Alexandria in 828 AD by Venetian merchants. Saint Mark became the patron saint of Venice, and the basilica was constructed to honor him.

The Doge's Palace served as the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Venetian Republic. It was the political and administrative center of Venice for centuries, where the Doge and the ruling councilors conducted affairs of state.

The Bridge of Sighs spans the Rio di Palazzo and connects the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace to the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove) in Venice. It was built in 1600 to provide a passage for prisoners from the courtroom to the prison cells. The name "Bridge of Sighs" was coined in the 19th century by Lord Byron, the English poet, who romanticized the notion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the bridge's small windows before being imprisoned.

The current Ponte dell'Accademia was built in 1933 to replace an earlier wooden bridge. It spans the Grand Canal, connecting the San Marco district near the Accademia Gallery to the Dorsoduro district.

The basilica was built in the 17th century as a votive offering to the Virgin Mary for delivering Venice from a devastating outbreak of the plague in 1630-1631. The Senate of Venice vowed to build a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary "of Health" (della Salute) if the city was spared further devastation.