Saint Mark's Square in the 12th Century

During the reign of Sebastiano Ziani (1102-1178), 39th Doge of The Republic, the dock in front of the Ducal Palace was buried in order to build the present Piazzetta San Marco. The small canals lying between the Church and the Palace, plus the 'rio batario' in front of the church were also covered over so the Square could be enlarged and its length more than doubled. The new Square included a vegetable garden donated by the monks from San Zaccaria.