History of Piazza San Marco – A Timeline

The square is a palimpsest, too. Here’s a quick timeline you can picture.

Key Moments

• 9th–11th c.: Church foundations and first piazza edges.
• 12th–13th c.: Basilica expansion; domes silhouette the city.
• 16th c.: Procuratie reshape the flanks; Campanile gains stature.
• 1902: Campanile collapse and rebuild.
• 20th–21st c.: Conservation, mass tourism, acqua alta defenses.

Bottom Line: San Marco is a living construction site of identity.