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Saint Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco) is the most important church in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Venice, Italy. It’s located on Piazza San Marco.
History
Saint Mark’s Basilica was built to house the body of Saint Mark, which was taken from Alexandria in order to protect it from destruction by Muslims. Construction on the first church began shortly after the relics arrived in Venice on January 31, 829.
The current church was built starting in 1063 with consecration taking place in 1094. It was modeled after the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (now Istanbul), which was demolished in 1461 by the Ottomans to make way for the Fatih Mosque. Over the next centuries, the church was constantly expanded and further decorated. Several of the decorations, especially the marble, was looted during the Sack of Constantinople in 1204 by Doge Enrico Dandolo.
Today, Saint Mark’s Basilica is still active and holds daily services. The bell tower is the famous St. Mark’s Campanile, which is detached from the church.
Lower Façade
The façade of the church faces to the west. It has five arched portals with a mosaic above each entrance. Between the arches of each portal are figures of saints.
Mosaics
On the portal to the far left is the oldest mosaic of the entire façade. It was made in a Byzantine style in the 13th century to depict the Procession of the transfer of the relics of St. Mark to the Cathedral.
The mosaic second from the left depicts the Doge and the Venetian seigneury meeting the body of Saint Mark. It was made by Leopoldo dal Pozzo from 1728 to 1729 using a design by Sebastiano Ricci.
The main portal in the center contains the most recent mosaic, which was created between 1836 and 1838 by Liborio Salandri using a design by Lattanzio Querena. It depicts The Appearance of Christ the Judge. The doors on the main portal were looted from Constantinople.
The portal second from the right has a mosaic depicting The arrival of the relics of the apostle Mark to Venice. The artist is unknown, but it was made in 1660 using a design by Pietro Vecchia.
Finally, the portal on the far right depicts The transfer of the body of St. Mark to the ship. It was also made in 1660 by an unknown artist using a design by Vecchia.
On the rest of the lower façade are several different design elements, including Corinthian capitals, statues, more mosaics, and marble brought back from Constantinople in 1204.
Balcony
The balcony of Saint Mark’s Basilica is adorned with the Horses of Saint Mark (Cavalli di San Marco). These four horses are attributed to the ancient Greek sculptor Lysippos in the 4th century BC. It’s more likely they were made in the 2nd or 3rd century AD, and later taken to Constantinople from the Greek island of Chios by Theodosius II.
The horses originally stood atop the Hippodrome of Constantinople along with a quadriga. Dandolo sent them to Venice in 1204 and they were installed on the balcony of the church in 1254. Napoleon removed them in 1797 after the Fall of Venice, but they were returned to the city in 1814. What you see now are copies. The originals were removed and placed in Saint Mark’s Museum (see below) in 1982.
The mosaics above the balcony were made from 1617 to 1618 by Luigi Gaetano using sketches by Maffeo Verona. On the far left is the Descent from the Cross. Next is The Descent of Jesus Christ to Hell. In the center is a stained glass window. Second from right is the Resurrection of Christ. Finally, to the far right is The Ascension of Christ. Underneath the mosaic to the far right is a smaller mosaic of Saint Nicholas.
Upper Façade
At the very top of the façade are turrets containing statues of saints watching over the city. Warrior saint stand on pedestals between each turret. In the center of the façade is a statue of Saint Mark with a golden statue of the Lion of Saint Mark below it.
North Side
On the north side of the church, facing Piazzetta dei Leoncini, there are marble inlays from different origins. The entrance on this side is called the Gate of the Flowers (Porta dei Fiori). Unfortunately I don’t have a good picture.
South Side
The south side of the church, which is connected to the Doge’s Palace, is decorated with marble looted from Constantinople.
Set on a corner of the treasury you can find the Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs, which is a statue dating back to 300 AD. It represents the four rulers of the Roman Empire appointed by Diocletian. The statue probably decorated the Philadelphion, which was a public square in Constantinople. The figure on the far right is missing a foot, which was discovered in the 1960s near the Bodrum Mosque in the Laleli neighborhood of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). It’s now on display at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.
In front of the south side are two pillars called the Pillars of Acre. They were originally thought to have been taken from Acre (now in Israel) after the Venetians defeated the Genoese there in 1258, but they were actually looted from Constantinople. The pillars belonged to the Church of Saint Polyeuctus, which was rediscovered in the 1960s at Saraçhane. After the ruins were excavated in the 1990s, the pillars at Saint Mark’s Basilica matched those found during excavations.
Domes
There are five domes on the church, laid out in the pattern of a cross. They were constructed in the 13th century under Doge Sebastiano Ziani with designs influenced by Eastern churches and mosques.
Interior
Admission to Saint Mark’s Basilica is €3 (as of August 2023). Tickets are available only at the San Basso Ticket Office on Piazzetta dei Leoncini. No backpacks or bags are allowed inside, and they can be stored for a small fee at Ateneo San Basso on Piazzetta dei Leoncini.
There’s usually a very long line to get into the building but it moves quickly. No photography is allowed inside and visitors must be dressed appropriately – no shorts or bare shoulders. You usually have about 10 minutes to see the interior, as ushers like to keep the line moving quickly.
I obviously can’t show you any photos of the interior (that would be a whole separate post, anyway!), but I can say it’s beyond stunning. All of the walls are gold and adorned with several mosaics and other decorations in the Byzantine style. It feels like you’ve been transported from Venice to an ancient Byzantine church.
Visitors can pay €5 to see the Golden Altar (Pala d’Oro) and treasury (as of August 2023). This is well worth it. In the treasury, it’s possible to see several items looted from Constantinople that are so beautiful they’re indescribable.
Saint Mark’s Museum
Saint Mark’s Museum (Museo di San Marco) is located on the upper level and contains the original Horses of Saint Mark as well as other valuable items. It costs €7 (as of August 2023) and includes access to the balcony, where you can get excellent views of the Piazza San Marco.
