National library Marciana–Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana

The Marciana National Library, which belongs to St Mark’s Basilica, was built in the 16th century on St Mark’s Square and decorated with works by Titian, Tintoretto and many others. The first books in the national library were donated by a cardinal as early as 1468. Over the years, the library became the national library of the Republic of Venice – and is the last institution to have survived from that time. Today, it has one of the most important collections of Greek, Latin and Oriental manuscripts and specialises in Venetian history, classical philology and the collection of ancient geographical maps. The library’s collection of 900,000 works includes 13,000 manuscripts, 25,000 16th-century prints and as many as 2,884 incunabula – 15th-century prints, the early days of printing. The library’s treasures are immeasurable, including 12th-century editions of Homer, the oldest map of Venice and Marco Polo’s will.