St Mark's Museum, the horses and the terrace

The Museum of St Mark's and the Horses' Loggia, the terrace above the Basilica's main doors, are visited together on one ticket. The official price is €20 with entry to the Basilica, or €30 for the full ticket that also includes the Pala d'Oro. Inside the Museum are the four original gilded horses, brought to Venice after the Fourth Crusade. Outside on the loggia, bronze copies stand in their place, and you can step out among them above St Mark's Square.

What is the Museum of St Mark's?

The Museum occupies the upper floor above the narthex, the entrance porch of the Basilica. It opened to the public on 16 May 1927 and its present layout was inaugurated on 8 October 2003. Among its works is the oldest of the painted covers made for the Pala d'Oro, by Paolo Veneziano and his sons in 1343–1345, with stories of St Mark and other saints. It was made to cover the golden altarpiece on ordinary days.

The horses of St Mark

The four horses are the best-known pieces in the Museum, and their story crosses most of Venice's history:

• Where they came from. They are thought to have stood in the Hippodrome of Constantinople. Doge Enrico Dandolo sent them to Venice as war booty after the city was taken in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade.
• On the loggia. After the fall of the Latin Empire in 1261 they were placed on the Basilica's loggia, facing the square.
• Into the Museum. They stayed outside until 1977. After a careful restoration they were brought indoors in 1982 to protect them, and bronze copies took their place on the loggia.
• What they're made of. They are a copper alloy, between 96.67% and 98.35% copper, gilded with a mercury process.
• How old they are. Nobody knows for certain. Some scholars place them between the second half of the 2nd century and the early 3rd century AD, in the Roman imperial age.

What is the terrace?

Partner listings call it the terrace; the Procuratoria calls it the Loggia dei Cavalli, the Horses' Loggia. It is the loggia on the front of the Basilica, above the main doors, where the bronze copies of the horses stand over St Mark's Square, and it is visited on the same ticket as the Museum. For the wider view over the city and the lagoon, the Campanile is the place.

How much are tickets, and which should you choose?

• Basilica with the Museum and Horses' Loggia: €20, or €10 reduced, from the Procuratoria's shop. Timed and named, like all official tickets.
• Full ticket: €30, or €15 reduced, adding the Pala d'Oro.
• Museum and Loggia only: €14, sold for Sunday mornings only.
• Partner tickets with the terrace: on Tiqets, with timed entry, some with a host who meets you at the entrance and some with a live guide. They cost more than the official ticket for the extra service. A guided option on GetYourGuide can add the Campanile.

Reduced tickets are half price for ages 11 to 18, students up to 26 and over-65s; children under 11 go free. If you already hold a Basilica-only ticket, you can add the Museum on the spot. The tickets page compares all the options.

When is the Museum open?

The Museum and Loggia open every day from 9.30am, with last entry at 4.45pm and closing at 5.15pm. On Sundays the Basilica is closed to visitors until 2pm because Mass is celebrated, and from 9.30am to 2pm only the Museum is open. That makes Sunday morning the one time you can visit the Museum without the church. Full times are on the opening hours page.

Getting up there

The Museum is on the upper floor. There is a lift and a stair-lift, and people with disabilities and a companion enter free on showing documentation at the door. The same dress code applies as in the church: shoulders and knees covered, and no rucksacks larger than 40 × 30 × 20 cm. See dress code and rules.