Mass at St Mark's

We had tried to go to St Mark's one of the other days we were down at the square.... it was  too crowded.  Checking on their website, we found the schedule for masses -- if you go in the side door you don't have to stand in line! 

Getting there before 9 am we found the Piazza San Marco almost deserted...

Mass was interesting because it was us and about 30 members of the Asics team for the Venice Marathon ... including a wheelchair athlete.  The priest even took note.

When we came out, the square was filling up...
the tours were beginning.

They don't allow photography inside the basilica, and, since we were sitting right up at  the main altar it was not somewhere I couldn't really sneak a few shots.  You'll have to settle for a poor description.  Two words come to mind - vast and rich.  There are several domes, so the entire church ceiling is vaulted.  And everything is covered  in gilt in mosaics.  To see less than 40 people at mass in a cathedral of this size is a statement of the church.  (It was the third mass of the day -- maybe the others were better attended.)

Here's a look at some of the stonework on the north façade of the church.

And here's Scott with one of the lions that guard the side of the cathedral.

 

We walked back to the Rialto Market, and experienced the same situation as at San Marcos -- what was empty at 8:30 was filled with people at 9:30... and many of the shops had not yet opened!

looking down into the market from the Rialto Bridge