St. Mark's Basilica When the Gold Catches Fire

Not a typical church. The Doge's private chapel, built 1063 to house St. Mark's relics (smuggled from Alexandria in a barrel of pork to deter Muslim customs inspectors). 8,000 square meters of gold mosaic designed to be read by candlelight. In the afternoon when the sun hits west-facing windows, the gold catches fire and the interior becomes the most overwhelming visual experience in Italy.

The Pala d'Oro behind the altar: gold altarpiece set with 1,300 pearls, 400 garnets, 300 emeralds. The most valuable object in Venice. The second-floor loggia (small fee) puts you at eye level with the mosaics and provides a terrace over Piazza San Marco. The four bronze horses on the loggia are copies — the originals (looted from Constantinople 1204, 2,000 years old) are in the museum inside.