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Basilica San Marco Interior

Everywhere there are marble

columns, sculptures of sacred
personages, and 4000 square
meters of mosaics all unified
according to a complex
iconographical plan.cc
cThe surfaces - all the surfaces -
are covered by more than 4,000
square metres of mosaics, the
result of six centuries of labour.
The finest pieces, dating from
the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries, are the work of
Venetian crafts-people influenced
by Byzantine art but developing
their own independent style. The
chapels and Baptistry were
decorated in the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries; a century
later, replacements of earlier
mosaics were made using
cartoons by such artists as Titian
and Tintoretto. However, most of
these later mosaics are
fundamentally flawed by the attempt to achieve the three -dimensional effects of
Renaissance painting. Notice too the magnificent marble, porphyry and glass mosaics of
the floor. These date from the twelfth century, though they have been much restored. In
the last century the British architect GE Street managed to block a large-scale
programme of replacement by convincing the authorities that the undulating surface of
the floor was a deliberate attempt to imitate the waves of the sea. He was too late to
save the left aisle, which is noticeably smoother.

St. Mark's Basilica, Venice

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St. Mark's Basilica is designed on a Greek cross floorplan and modeled after Constantine's Church of the Holy
Apostles (now destroyed) and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Each arm of the Greek cross has a central nave with
side aisle; a narthex in the west end provides the flat surface for the grand facade.

Inside, the first thing you notice are the gilded mosaics that cover the walls and ceilings ² an area of around
8,000 square meters.
he 12th-century interior mosaics recount events of the New estament, with the message of Christian salvation.
he 13th-century mosaics depict scenes from the Old estament, in particular the books of Genesis and Exodus,
providing a thematic preparation for the interior.

Interwoven with this main plan are such motifs as the story of the Virgin, the martyrdoms of St. Peter and St.
Clement, and events in the lives of St. John the Evangelist, St. John the Baptist and St. Isadore, the great
pantheon of saints venerated by the Venetians. But most important of all are the cycles with the legend of St.
Mark. he gold background is meant to impress, but also symbolizes the Divine and the light of God himself.

he intricately-patterned floor is a 12th-century mixture of mosaic and marble in geometric patterns and animal
designs. A red medallion in the floor of the porch inside the main door marks the spot where, in 1177, Doge
Sebastiano Ziani orchestrated the reconciliation between Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, and Pope
Alexander III.

Over the high altar is a baldacchino on columns decorated with 11th-century reliefs. he altarpiece is the famous
Pala d'Oro (Golden Pall), a panel of gold embedded with gems. It was commissioned from Byzantine
goldsmiths in 976 and further embellished over the centuries. Napoleon stole some of the precious stones in 1797,
but there are still plenty left, gleaming behind protective glass.

he choir stalls are embellished with inlaying by Fra Sebastiano Schiavone, and above them on both sides are
three reliefs by Sansovino. On the two marble pulpits of the ambo are statuettes by the Massegne brothers (1394).
Also in the choir are Sansovino's bronze statues of the Evangelists and Caliari's of the Four Doctors.

he Horses of Saint Mark were installed on the basilica in about 1254. hey date to Classical Antiquity; by
some accounts they once adorned the Arch of rajan. he horses were long displayed at the Hippodrome of
Constantinople, and in 1204 Doge Enrico Dandolo sent them back to Venice as part of the loot sacked from
Constantinople (Istanbul) in the Fourth Crusade. hey were taken by Napoleon in 1797, restored in 1815 and
remained in place until the 1990s. hey now reside in the basilica's museum in an upper gallery; replicas take
their place on the facade.

he Tesoro (Treasury), to the far right of the main altar, has an impressive collection of the Crusaders' plunder
from Constantinople as well as other icons and relics gathered by the church over the years.

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he interior is based on a Greek cross, with each arm divided in three naves and emphasized by a dome of its
own. his is based on Justinian's Basilica of the Apostles in Constantinople. he marble floor (12th century, but
underwent many restorations) is entirely tessellated in geometric patterns and animal designs. he techniques
used were opus sectile and opus tessellatum. he lower register of walls and pillars is completely covered with
polychrome marble slabs. he transition between the lower and the upper register is delimited all around the
basilica by passageways which largely substituted the former galleries. he presbytery

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he eastern arm has a raised presbytery with a crypt beneath. he presbytery is separated by an altar screen
formed by eight red marble columns crowned with a high Crucifix and statues by Pier Paolo and Jacobello Dalle
Masegne, masterpiece of Gothic sculpture (late 14th century). Behind the screen, marble banisters with
Sansovino's bronze statues of the Evangelists and Paliari's of the Four Doctors mark the access to the high altar,
which contains St Mark¶s relics. Above the high altar is a canopy (³ciborium´) on columns decorated with
remarkable relieves; the altarpiece is the famous Pala d'Oro (Golden Pall) [1], a masterpiece of Byzantine
craftsmanship, originally designed for an antependium. he choir stalls are embellished with inlaying by Fra
Sebastiano Schiavone, and above them on both sides are three relieves by Sansovino.

Behind the presbytery are the sacristy and a 15th century church consecrated toSt heodore (the first patron saint
of Venice) where is displayed a painting (Child¶s Adoration) by Giovanni Battista iepolo.
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On the right of the screen is the platform from which the newly-elected doge appeared. In the left aisle are St
Clement¶s chapel and the Holy Host altar. Here is the pillar where St Mark¶s relics were rediscovered in 1094, as
depicted in the interesting mosaics of the right aisle (where the entrance to St Mark¶s reasure is).






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On the left of the screen is the platform for the Holy Scripture reading; on the right
aisle are St Peter¶s chapel and the Madonna Nicopeia, a venerated Byzantine icon.
On the northern side are St Isidor¶s chapel and the Mascoli chapel.

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he upper order of the interior is completely covered with bright mosaics
containing gold, bronze, and the greatest variety of stones. he decorated surface is
on the whole about 8000 m2. In the most ancient works, both Byzantine and Gothic
influences can be recognized, as for example in the Saints from the 11th century between the windows of the
apse. In the vault above is a mosaic with Christ Pantocrator. From the apse towards the entrance (from east to
west) one can contemplate the history of Salvation in the domes: the Prophets, the Ascension and the Pentecost
(Whitsun). he domes over the transept are called St John¶s (stories of St John the Evangelist) and St Leonard¶s
(with other saints). In the vaults between the domes are represented episodes of Jesus¶ life. As mentioned above,
restorations and replacements were often necessary thereafter, and great painters such as Paolo Uccello, Andrea
del Castagno, Paolo Veronese, Jacopo intoretto and his son Domenico took part drawing the cartoons. iziano
and the Padovanino prepared the cartoons for the sacristy, built in the late 15th century. Other remarkable
mosaics decorate the Baptistery, the Mascoli Chapel, St Isidor Chapel and the Zen Chapel.

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he spacious interior of the building with its multiple choir lofts was the inspiration for the development of a
Venetian polychoral style among the composers appointed maestro di cappella at St Mark's. he style was first
developed by a foreigner Adrian Willaert and was continued by Italian organists and composers: Andrea Gabrieli
and his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi.

Basilica Di San Marco Official website

Architecture

o build St. Mark's Church, Venice brought the spiritual and material heritage of Byzantium to the West.

he Greek cross plan stands on a structure which in the longitudinal nave has basilica architectural motifs: the
vertical arm of the cross is greater than those of the transepts and the altar is in the apse area. Above the cross are
five cupolas, according to the eastern model, as a symbol of God's presence.

Organisation of the space is rich in evocations that are not found in other Byzantine churches. he interior has a
unitary sequence subdivided into individual spatial orchestrations to which gold background mosaics ensure
continuity and the church's special way of being.

The Architectural Plan

St. Mark's church, begun in 1063, was built on the foundations and with the walls of an earlier church also
dedicated to the saint. he model for this new church, much larger than the former one, was the Basilica of the
Twelve Apostles in Constantinople.

he new structure was Greek cross with the longitudinal nave slightly longer than the transept limited by pre-
existing buildings (the ancient castle to the south and the Church of St. Theodore to the north). he five great
cupolas were erected at the intersection and over the arms of the cross.
he architectonic layout is highly articulated and repeats a single module clearly identifiable in the central cupola
which rests, by means of the spandrels and great vaults, on four pillars. Both arms of the cross are divided into
nave and two aisles.

he atrium with its cupolas was built a century after completion of the church. he baptistery was built onto the
southern end of the church in the first half of the 14th century. Beneath the presbytery and the side chapels is the
crypt (nave and two aisles with apse) housing the ancient chapel which for centuries has been the repository of
St. Mark's body.

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The mosaic heritage  The Old Testament

 The Atrium
Passage from the square to the church is by way of the atrium, a place which, illuminated
by the shining gold of its mosaics, pre-announces to the visitor the sacredness of the
interior space.
he atrium was decorated during the 13th century with the mosaics of the cupolas, vaults
and lunettes, the mature expression of a wholly Venetian workshop of mosaicists, and they
bear witness to stylistic evolution over the almost sixty years it took to complete the work
(1215-1280 approximately). he iconographic programme of this mosaic cycle is western
in its handling of the biblical theme of the Old Testament though the formal model is the
Cotton Bible, an early Christian illuminated text from the Alexandria area. he richness of
the atrium mosaics lies chiefly in the spiritual message assigned them. hese mosaics
"mark" the time of awaiting Jesus' advent, following the thread that identifies the phases of
Atrium the history of salvation, after the fall of man and before its achievement in Christ whose
life and mysteries are celebrated in the interior mosaics.
A broad narration of the great events of the Old estament, selected from the books of
Genesis and Exodus, begins from the south-west corner on the right and is developed
along the west and north sides

he first is the cupola of the Creation, set in three concentric circular strips around a central gold flake
decoration. he story is divided into twenty-six scenes with biblical text in Latin above them. he first words are:
"à

  


 

 


 





 



 


 ". here
follow the days of the Creation. Each one features the figure of God the creator, identified in accordance with
oriental iconography as the young Christ with crossed halo and processional cross on a rod. he Living Word of
the Father and with Him since the beginning of time creator of the universe, as we read at the beginning of the
Gospel of St. John. he six days of the Creation are recounted in the scenes of the two more internal strips: the
first day on which God separated light and darkness; the second on which he separated the waters from the
emerged land, gathering the upper waters in heaven and the lower between the lands; the third on which he made
all species of plants to grow upon the earth; the fourth on which he put sun and moon in the sky to light day and
night; the fifth on which he populated the sea with fish, the sky with birds and created the animals of the land,
here shown in pairs: first lions, then tigers, leopards, elephants and pack animals and all the others; and the sixth
on which God said, "Let us make man in our image and resemblance ". For each day an angel figure, from one to
six, flanks the creator's work. Not common in depictions of the Creation and therefore of great interest is the
scene of the   


 
 . Seated on a throne surrounded by the six angels of the first six days as
if by a royal court God places the hand of blessing on the seventh angel, the figure of Saturday, which God has
reserved for himself. Above it are the biblical words, "And God blessed the seventh day ".

Below, the lower strip of the cupola is concluded by the  


 


, the  



 , the  
 



 



   



  
 
  
 
.

[ Cupola of the Creation ]

he cherubim, set by God as custodians of the earthly paradise, are represented on the spandrels below. he
biblical story continues on the surrounding arches and lunettes near St. Clement's door with the Birth of Cain and
Abel and the Crime of Cain, the beginning of an evil that was tol spread among men until their total destruction
in the Flood. Only Noah, the righteous, his family and the animals he has chosen were to survive (the underside
of the arch towards the central portal). he stories of Noah continue on the next arch underside beyond the portal
which also illustrates the 

 


 

 




 

 

.

[ Lunettes ]

In the other atrium cupolas the scenes are developed in a single strip at the base without interruptions.
he second cupola and the lunettes near St. Peter's door tell the stories of Abraham, progenitor of descendants
chosen by God for salvation. God speaking with Abraham is represented by a hand emerging from a segment of
sky. he scene is repeated four times, punctuating the narrative sequence into four parts .

[ Abraham cupola ]

he next three cupolas, on the north side of the atrium, are occupied by the stories of Joseph, interpreter of
dreams, upright and suffering. Having been sold into slavery by his brothers and unjustly condemned by the
Egyptians, he found favour with Pharaoh and became saviour of the people of Egypt and of the very brothers
who had betrayed him.

[ he first cupola of [ he second cupola of

[ he third cupola of Joseph ]
Joseph ] Joseph ]

he splendid conclusion of the atrium decoration is the Moses cupola, the masterpiece of the last generation of
13th century Venetian mosaicists. he scenes, rich in figures, proceed uninterrupted and no longer standing out
individually against the gold but set in developed natural spaces and sumptuous architectures. hey tell the story
of Moses who, saved from the waters of the Nile, became saviour and guide of his people across the desert and
the Red Sea to the promised land. Moses is a figure of Jesus, Saviour of all men, present in the arms of the Virgin
Mother between the evangelists Mark and John in the semi-dome mosaic above the nearby door.

[ Moses cupola ]

The mosaic heritage  The New Testament

Entering the Basilica

After the preparation and the expectations created by the atrium mosaics, entering the church is a symbolic
arrival in the 'promised land' of Abraham and the ancient patriarchs.
Around the portal in niches of various sizes are the mosaic figures of the Virgin and Child between eight
apostles (upper register) and the 4 evangelists (lower register). hese are part of the oldest mosaics, dating
perhaps to the late 11th century when the great portal was the external entrance to the church, before the atrium
was built. hey are held to be the work of the "Greek" mosaicists recorded in ancient Venetian chronicles, a term
that referred generically to those originating from the Byzantine area.
On crossing the portal and entering the sacred space of the basilica, the most striking aspect is certainly the
golden mosaics covering the upper part of the architecture: this is due to the unity they give to the interior and to
their oriental reference to the symbolic meaning of gold, the colour of the Divine.

he lunette above the main door immediately suggests a further and more precise interpretative key to this
space.
he three figures recall the classical plan of a Deesis, the prayer of intercession which, in eastern iconography,
depicts Christ Pantocrator between the Virgin Mother and John the Baptist, humanity's two greatest
intercessors. Here the Deesis is freely interpreted: the Baptist is replaced by St. Mark, patron of the church and
city. he words from chapter 10 of the Gospel of St. John in the book held open by Jesus: "










  
  


 

   - I am the gate - whomsoever enters through me shall attain the
pastures of salvation ", leads us to the recovery of forgotten meanings and values: the actual "gate" that leads to
salvation is Christ himself, his Word communicated to us by means of his life .

[ Main portal ]

he overall mosaics of the cupolas, the vaults and the walls should be read precisely as an illuminated
manuscript of the gospel.
he central nucleus, which tells the story of Christian salvation, ranges from Messianic prophecies to the second
coming - Christ the Judge at the end of the world - and its focal points are in the three domes of the nave.
he orientation of the basilica, with the presbytery facing East and the main door to the West in accordance with
tradition, indicates the axis, the course of the sun along which the main nucleus of ancient mosaics should be
followed. his itinerary allows us to read the story of salvation brought to man by Jesus, a sun that never sets.

The Cupola of the Prophets

he story of salvation begins in the cupola of the Prophets with announcement of the
Messiah by the prophets who, around the Virgin, display their prophecies.
On the apse bowl-vault the great Christ Pantocrator, lord of the universe, is a 1506
reworking of the original Byzantine type image by a renaissance master mosaicist.
he Pantocrator, from the apse bowl-vault, sends his Son into the world. He appears at the
centre of the cupola amid myriads of stars with the scroll of the laws in his hands. In the
concave interior, the Virgin and prophets. At the bottom the Virgin, in sumptuous
oriental garments and her hands outstretched while awaiting the Word to descend upon her
from the centre of the cupola is aligned with the thirteen prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Daniel, Obadiah, Habakkuk Hosea, Jonah, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi,
Solomon and David. Each one bears a scroll alluding to the Incarnation and Resurrection
Cupola of of Christ and to the Last Judgement. In a central position and in an attitude of prayer
the Prophets Isaiah, pointing at the beardless youth in the middle of the cupola, pronounces the words:
"Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son who shall be called Emanuel,
God with us" and David, head of the royal dynasty of Israel, dressed in the sumptuous
garments of the Byzantine emperor, proclaims the royal nature of the child to be born to
her: "the fruit of your loins shall I place on my throne ".
At the base of the cupola on the four spandrels beneath are the symbols of the four
Evangelists: the lion (St. Mark), the ox (St. Luke), the angel (St. Matthew) and the eagle
(St. John).
he meaning of their presence is made clear by the accompanying inscription ("what was
said of Christ through obscure allusions (by the prophets) was to be made clear by the
Evangelists, and through them God made himself known to humanity ").

The mosaic heritage  The Stories of St. Mark

he stories of the St. Mark cycle are well represented in the church's mosaic decoration.
Internally and externally the episodes regarding the Saint's life and his body are presented in three main cycles
with different iconographic versions.

Inside the church the Saint's glory, the writing of the Gospel and evangelisation of the Veneto area are
celebrated.
He is portrayed in isolation in the bowl-vault above the central entrance. his mosaic was done in 1545,
probably to a cartoon by Lorenzo Lotto or, according to recent attributions, by Titian. It replaced the previous
Pantocrator in the first half of the 16th century. St. Mark, in liturgical vestments, is welcoming the faithful with
open arms.
Going into the church by the main entrance there are numerous references to St. Mark. On the internal wall
above the main entrance the evangelist is in the lunette of the Deesis together with the Virgin in the function of
intercessor with Christ.

he portrayal of the Saint at the top of the central apse of the presbytery has a more politico-religious accent.
Here his figure functions as a trait d'union with St. Peter on the left and St. Ermagoras on the right. He extends
a hand towards St. Peter, alluding to the gospel received from him, and proffers the evangelical text to St
Ermagoras who is in an attitude of reverent respect. Isolated on the extreme left is St. Nicholas of Bari who also
has a political significance.
hese early 12th century mosaics are the oldest in the church. he century of struggles for ecclesiastical
supremacy between the two patriarchates of Aquileia and Grado had just finished with the victory of the latter,
supported by the Republic. It appears that Grado, defined as the new Aquileia, took over the traditions and
privileges of the latter's church, of which the chief aspects were its founding at St. Peter's behest by St. Mark and
its first bishop being St. Ermagoras.
St. Nicholas of Bari also comes into this dialogue, though in a different perspective. His body was stolen from
Mira di Licia between 1099 and 1100. Heated discussions arose about putting his remains in St. Mark's next to
the Evangelist's tomb. When it was decided to put them in the Lido Monastery his image, as a substitute, was
included in the mosaic. Moreover, in this historic crisis, it seems that the patriarch of Grado had to take up
permanent residence near the precious relics at San Nicolò di Lido where the new saint became his symbol. In
placing him in the mosaics next to St. Mark, indubitable symbol of the doge's power, the idea was to show
everyone that patriarch and Doge coexisted peacefully in the doge's basilica.

[ Main portal and central apse ]

Political values are again evident in the great biographical cycle of St. Mark dating to
the first half of the 12th century and situated in the side chapels of St. Peter on the left
and St. Clement on the right of the presbytery. It is the same subject treated in the
present day Zen chapel, the old "sea gate" on the right of the central atrium.
he differences are perceptible first of all in the language: in the presbytery the mosaics
have a notable stately accent that is quite far from the rather discursive and popularising
mosaics of the Zen chapel.
he themes too are very different. In the presbytery chapel there is an insistence on the
apostolic origins of both Aquileia and Alexandria where St. Mark was said to have been
sent by St. Peter to preach and baptise and where he died, whereas the mosaics of the Zen
chapel highlight, over and above all this, the themes of the divine praedestinatio of St.
Chapels of St. Peter Mark, patron saint of Venice. In both cases there is agreement with regard to the
and St. Clement representation and death of the Saint in Alexandria and his removal to Venice. But in the
Cantors presbytery chapel the accent is always on the courtly and State occasion: reception by the
entire episcopate of the lagoon area with the patriarch of Grado at the centre and the six
bishops (Caorle, Eraclea, Equilo, Malamocco, Olivolo, orcello), elements not found in
the story of the traslatio. he Doge himself (Giustiniano Particiaco) with his entourage
recalls the mosaic of emperor Justinian in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna .
The mosaic heritage  The Stories of the Virgin Mary

he theme of Mary is announced in the church's exterior decoration. On the south façade towards the pier,
between the crowning arches, the mosaic of the =
   has been an object of great popular worship, with
two lamps lit by night, ever since a merchant who survived shipwreck while sailing from Chioggia to Venice
expressed his acknowledgement of the Virgin whom he had invoked. Since then she has been considered
protector of the waters.
he Virgin however is mainly linked to the founding of Venice, which is said to date to Annunciation Day,
25th March 421.
he external portraits are preparatory to seeing the interior where the image of the Virgin is found in a very great
number of reliefs, bas-reliefs and statues. here are also two chapels dedicated to her, the Mascoli, with a
splendid marble group on the altar and the vault mosaics, and the Nikopeia, the one most venerated by Venetians.

he Virgin's life is appropriately celebrated in two mosaic cycles in two symmetrical
orders with a range that is unequalled in West or East: on the west sides of the right and
left transept. he mosaics are more or less faithfully based on the apocryphal gospel of
James and the Pseudo-Matthew. Here are depicted the Stories of Mary from the
announcement of her birth to her death.
he Stories of the Virgin's life face the mosaics with the Stories of Christ. Mary is the
only human worthy of being depicted at the same level opposite Jesus.
he two lives, of Jesus and his mother, have a meeting point arising from the promise
made by God to Adam and which has its roots in Jesse. On the bottom wall of the north
transept is the 

!, at the top of which is the Virgin Mary holding the child, a
mosaic dating to the mid 16th century.

West sides of the

transepts
 [ South
[ North ransept ]
ransept ]

Again, in the centre of the narthex above the main door, the Virgin and Child with the
Apostles and Evangelists, invites all Christians to cross the threshold of the holy building.
he iconographic image of the Virgin is the ¢"  : Mary is depicted on foot, frontally
with regard to Christ. Her right hand touches Christ's chest and the other is very close to
his left leg but without touching it. hough the child is not supported he is portrayed as if
he were seated. His right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing while his left hand holds a
parchment resting on his left knee. his representation of the Virgin is pure Byzantine.
he Nikopeia is the annunciation of Emmanuel to the Virgin, so the icon represents the
incarnation.
Passing the entrance one comes to the Deesis on the portal intrados with the figures of the
two greatest protectors of Venice: the Virgin on one side and St. Mark on the other,
interceding with the Lord in order that he receive the faithful

[ Main door ]

Setting the events of the Virgin's life in the transept up to her Dormitio in the narthex is
not rare in a Byzantine context. he iconographic itinerary follows the scheme of the
Byzantine liturgical year which began in September with the nativity of Mary (in the
south transept) and ended in August with her death (in the narthex).

The mosaic heritage  The Saints

Among the various themes dealt with in the church mosaics, the hagiographic cycles dedicated to Saints are of
special importance. Apart from St. Mark the evangelist the hagiographic mosaics regard other saints who may be
grouped as follows:

- he Apostles and the Evangelists;

- he Fathers of the Church (eastern and western);
- Some major Saints (St. Peter, St. John the Evangelist, St. John the Baptist, St. Isadore, St. Clement);
- Some Saints linked to Venice.

Apostles and Evangelists

he Apostles, like the Evangelists, appear in several mosaic cycles.
Around the portal, in niches of different sizes, there are mosaic figures of the Virgin and Child with eight
Apostles in the upper register (St. Peter, St. James, St. Simon, St. Phillip, St. Paul, St. Andrew, St. homas and
St. Bartholomew) and four Evangelists in the lower register (St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John). he
Evangelist are repeated in the atrium, in the " ## " spandrels in a Renaissance execution.
he Evangelists appear not only on the spandrels of the Prophets and Ascension cupolas, and Moses cupola in
the atrium, but also on the arch underside between the Baptistery Antechamber and the Baptistery. he
Apostles also appear in the Baptistery, in particular in the cupola above the baptismal font where there is a
mosaic portraying 

 

  

 

  .
hey are also in the Ascension and Pentecost cupolas and the north and south vault of the Ascension cupola
along the nave where their martyrdoms are depicted.

[ Apostles and Evangelists ]

The Fathers of the Eastern and Western Church

wo Eastern Church Fathers are portrayed in the vault pier abutments in St. Clement's Chapel: St. John
Chrysostom and St. Gregory of Nazianzus, and again in the Baptistery above the baptismal font: St.
Anastasius, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. Basil. he Western Church Fathers
appear in the Baptistery, on the spandrels of the cupola above the altar: St. Ambrose, St. Gregory, St.
Augustine and St. Jerome. hey are again portrayed on the spandrels of the cupola of St. John.

[ Fathers of the eastern

[ Fathers of the western Church ]
Church ]

The major Saints

The Baptistery
he figure of St. John The Baptist features in the Baptistery mosaics where all the episodes of the saint's life
are portrayed: from the angel's message to St. Zechariah to the baptism of Christ, the saint's decapitation and
lastly his burial.

[ St. John the Baptist ]

Cupola of St. John the Evangelist

he  
 

$


! 

   are illustrated in the north cupola dedicated to him.

[ St. John the Evangelist ]

Chapels of St. Clement and St. Peter

he stories of St. Peter and St. Clement depicted on their chapels at the sides of the presbytery are ascribable to
Greek craftsmen active in the upper Adriatic area during the first half of the12th century.
he presence of stories of St. Clement, pope, on the lower side of the right tribune flanking the presbytery is
perhaps due to the importance of the cult of this saint, formerly linked in Alexandria with that of St. Mark who
was worshipped by seafarers. he chapel of St. Clement features a great figure of the saint in the bowl-vault.
he decoration of St. Peter's chapel involves the apse bowl-vault, with an image of the saint, the north wall and
the wall opening towards the chancel.

[ St. Clement ] [ St. Peter ]

Venice Patron Saints

Cupola of St. Leonard
Saints Leonard, Blaise, Clement and Nicholas might be defined as "political" for their role in connection with
the Doge.
Leonard of Limoges, holy king, indicated a manner of government based on holiness of behaviour with one's
subjects. Nicholas, saint of the sea, bound Venice to the Adriatic and Aegean territories where he was widely
worshipped. Clement, the third pope, indicated the Venetian rulers' attention to and respect for the papacy.
Moreover the saint had preached in Alexandria, invited by the Apostle Peter. Blaise was one of the saints
worshipped in the territories with which the Repubblica Serenissima had ongoing relations.
he chapels of St. Peter, St. Mark and St. Clement recreated in Venice the historic structure of the Church of
Alexandria. Venice was heir to the latter church and to that of Aquileia-Grado in an ideal marriage of East and
West. he spandrels of the cupola of St. Leonard depict the Grado female saints: Euphemia, Dorothea,
Thekla and Erasma.

[ Patron Saints ]
 The Mascoli Chapel
he Chapel of the Madonna del Mascoli is beyond the end of the ransept where the
entrance to the Chapel of St. Isadore is situated. Since 1618 it has belonged to a
Confraternity of exclusively male worshippers established in St. Mark's in the 12th
century and based first in the crypt, then at the altar of St. John, now of the Nicopeia
Virgin.

here is an important mosaic cycle on the chapel vault, begun in the first half of the 15th
century by the Venetian Michele Giambono. he decoration was inspired by the chapel's
original dedication to the Virgin. In fact the canonical episodes of her life are illustrated
in a sequence starting from the left side: the , the   


 , the

  , the =  and the   (or Dormitio Virginis).
Mascoli Chapel he 
  in the large lunette at the back evinces a typically Gothic grace and
gentleness with a corresponding loveliness in sign and colour. he 


= and
the   


  are dominated by two Gothic architectures of crystalline
beauty while the figures are characterised by soft modelling and delicate colours.
he =  on the right wall of the chapel seems to belong to the late Gothic period, at
least in the lower part, whereas above the visible "cut" the architectonic grouping is
dominated by a humanistic setting and strikingly renaissance schemes. In the  
only the Apostles on the right belong to the Gothic decoration while the other Apostles,
the Virgin and the architecture are configured in the most typical language of Andrea del
Castagno: this may be seen not only in the expressionism of the faces and the plastic
modelling of the figures wrapped in swollen drapery and with cutting profiles, but also in
the red hessaly marble slabs covering the pillars of the immense and spacious arch of
"classical" taste that acts as background to the figures of the Apostles who are rigorously
detached from it.

[ Mascoli Chapel]

The Zen Chapel

Entry to the Zen Chapel is from the Baptistery or the atrium where there is a very fine
bronze arched gate of antique execution (5th - 6th century), brought to Venice from
Constantinople.
his south-west corner was once the vestibule of the 
 . When Cardinal
Giambattista Zen died in 1501 the Lords agreed that a funerary chapel be built in his
honour.

he 13th century vault mosaics and the older ones above the portal document the original
function of an important entrance. he vault has two orders with 12 scenes of  



$


 ". In the semi-dome above the portal is the =





Zen Chapel 
   in veneration. his mosaic was completely redone in the 19th century on the
old Byzantine traces. Farther down there are eight prophets, four beautiful marble
sculptures and four mosaics.

[ Zen Chapel ]
 The Chapel of St. Isadore
he remains of this Greek saint were brought to Venice from Chios in 1125 at the behest
of the doge Domenico Michiel whose devotion to him recalls his devotion to St. Mark.
he small chapel dedicated to the saint is accessed from the north transept.
hese mosaics are an important cycle of Venetian art that has come down to us almost
immune to restoration. In the simplicity of execution there is a notable narrative
expression full of the character proper to the Venetian school of painting.

he vault mosaics narrate, in two orders one above the other, episodes from the life of St.
Isadore on the Island of Chios and the transportation of the saint's body to Venice.
On the lunette above the altar: 


 "



à
; on that of the
opposite wall the =


! 

 



¢ .
Chapel of St. Isadore he two lunette mosaics are linked more to the Byzantine iconographic tradition, whereas
the realistic narrations of the stories of St. Isadore were more open to western influences.
hese very precious mosaics date to the mid 14th century when the doge Andrea
Dandolo wanted to create, together with the Baptistery, this chapel in the saint's honour.

[ Chapel of St. Isadore]

Sacristy
he sacristy is reached by way of the chapel of St. Peter. It is independent of the rest of the original building and
was built in 1486 by director of works Giorgio Spavento. From 1524 the most celebrated artists of the age
worked on its embellishment.

he vault and wall lunette mosaics make up a homogeneous decorative group dating to the first half of the16th
century (1524-1530), notable for splendour and technical skill but by that time wholly dependent on painting.
hey are the work of Alberto Zio, Marco Luciano Rizzo and Francesco Zuccato, the foremost mosaic masters
of the day.
he mosaic decoration of the upper part of the walls fits in and gives unity to the renaissance purity of the
architecture. Some attribute the design to Titian.

he Christological plan has its centre in the vaulted ceiling with its great cross and 


%


  . All around are the Prophets who had announced the coming of Christ. In the lunettes of the two
main walls the  
  


 "




who had borne witness to him in the world, a work
carried out to a cartoon by itian. Above the door, the 
% 

 . On the west side the =




are flanked by 
 




.
Scholars acknowledge that the vault mosaics are of the highest quality.

The mosaic heritage  The Baptistery

 he Baptistery, known as the giesa dei puti (children's church), occupies a space to the
south of the basilica that was once part of the atrium and open towards the pier. It is now
accessed from the church but originally the entrance from the small square better identified
the three spaces into which the chapel is divided: the Baptistery Antechamber where the
catechumens awaited the ritual of baptism, the Baptistery proper and the presbytery. here
is much uncertainty about information prior to creation of the present day chapel in the first
half of the 14th century at the behest of Andrea Dandolo, a highly cultivated humanist
and a friend of Petrarch. He was first procurator of St. Mark's and later Doge (1343-
1354).
As for the transformation desired by Dandolo, some scholars have recently observed that
the Doge's intention, over and above giving the church a new Baptistery with rich mosaic
decoration, must have been to celebrate his own person and his family: the Doge is
Baptistery depicted as an offerer at the foot of the great crucifixion. he Baptistery mosaics are the
last expression of the Venetian-Byzantine school, already evincing certain Gothic features.

he mosaic decoration centres on two themes: the figure of John The Baptist and the
sacrament of baptism, a means of salvation brought to men by Christ.
On the Baptistery Antechamber barrel vault ceiling are the figures of the Old
Testament prophets. On the walls below there are episodes from Jesus' childhood
interwoven with those from the life of John The Baptist. he picture opposite the door
shows the  

!




! 
, modelled on Byzantine iconographic
canons. hese mosaics have a clearly instructional aim for those who were here awaiting
baptism. .
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he inscriptions accompanying the mosaics and the numerous Old and New estament figures are a little known
aspect of the church's decoration but they are extremely important because they comment on and complete each
of the very many scenes, broadening their spiritual meaning.
Almost all of the mosaic inscriptions are in Latin.
here are a very few in Greek, among which the monograms of Christ and the Virgin which accompany all
images of them almost as if to underline their superiority; the names next to some images of St. Peter, St. Paul,
St. John the Evangelist, the archangels Michael and Gabriel and some of the Fathers of the Eastern Church,
and the title of the Anastasis, the descent to the infernal regions, on the west vault of the Ascension cupola.
here are few others.

All the Latin inscriptions come under one of the following classifications:
1) biblical passages, quoted textually or summarised in prose or verse, illustrating individual scenes or written
on the prophets' scrolls;
2) mediaeval texts in verses that express prayers or invocations; appearing on arches, semi-domes and vaulted
ceilings, they are very often addressed to St. Mark and composed specially for the church;
3) prose texts illustrating individual scenes;
4) names of prophets and saints next to each individual image.

[ Some inscriptions ]
By way of example let us analyse the central portal area that leads into the church from the atrium.
Around this portal there are four niches containing figures of the four evangelists in canonical order:Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John, considered to be among the oldest mosaic creations of the late 11th century.
On the upper part of the niches four hemistichs recite:   

 
&






&







 
&
 

 




   (these four are "sentinels" of the church of Christ, their sweet song resounds
and everywhere moves the heavens).
Above, set in a smaller register, the images of eight apostles, these too of very ancient date, surrounding the
Virgin to whom the horizontal inscription refers, rendering her a symbolic figure of the Church:  



 
'
 

&


  

 



 (Bride of God, virgin always, I
generate children whom I fortify in their weakness and send safely to heaven).
On the front of the great semi-dome over the portal , the prayer is addressed directly to Mark, Holy Evangelist
and patron saint of the city, depicted in a 16th century mosaic. In liturgical vestments he welcomes the faithful to
his church:  
 

 
 


&



 


  


  (O Mark, banish sins
from those who pray to you with clasped hands; through your intervention and God's mercy they may achieve
salvation).
Above the same portal, on the inside, a 13th century mosaic lunette shows the Virgin Mary and St. Mark in the
act of interceding on man's behalf with Jesus who is portrayed as Christ Pantocrator, lord and judge of the
universe. he words of the Gospel of St. John are clearly visible in the book and give us the right interpretative
key to the figure of Jesus who says of himself: 



(





  
  


 


   (I am the gate; whomsoever enters through me shall find the pastures of salvation). So the opening
through which one passes from outside to inside the church is a clear symbol of the true "gate" to the Kingdom
of God, the person of Jesus himself.
Observing, lastly, the numerous figures of prophets, apostles and saints one notes that each one's name is
inscribed, in accordance with a practice typical of oriental icons painted on wood in which the name had to
appear together with the figure. Once again the inscriptions are in Latin, demonstrating that Venice, though open
to Byzantine influence, was firmly rooted in a western cultural environment.

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The Quadriga of St. Mark's  Further Information

he bright bronze quadriga came to Venice as part of the rich war plunder gathered by the Venetians, under doge
Enrico Dandolo, after the conquest of Constantinople at the end of the 4th Crusade in 1204, together with
other works of inestimable value, many of which are still housed in the reasury.
he horses were probably set in the façade when Ranieri Zeno was doge (1253- 1268). he mosaic decorating
the lunette on the portal of St. Alipius, datable to around 1265, already shows the horses on the façade in the
position in which they were to remain over the centuries, celebrated by many Venetian artists beginning with the
great canvas by Gentile Bellini, the solemn  


 "

 (1496).
Petrarch was the first to wonder about their origin but it was only in the Renaissance that the horses' creator was
sought and they were attributed to the great Greek sculptors Phidias, Praxiteles and lastly Lysippus.

[ Quadriga of St. Mark's ]

Closer reading of the sources and the various aspects of the group came about only in the18th century, thanks
chiefly to G. G. Winckelmann, the founder of modern archaeology. here was also the hypothesis that the work
was not Greek but Roman and this attribution was to be debated right down to our own times.
In December 1797, after five centuries, Napoleon had the four horses removed from the façade and transferred to
Paris to crown the Arc du Carrousel. he quadriga was subjected to various additions. With the fall of Napoleon
Antonio Canova was engaged to repossess stolen works and bring them back to Italy.
On 13th December 1815 in the presence of Franz I of Austria, the new sovereign of Venice, the horses were
returned to the façade of St. Mark's. But the precious quadriga in gilded bronze, the only one to have come down
from antiquity, had undergone considerable damage so before resuming its place it was taken to the Arsenale for
restoration. Other interventions were required in subsequent years and the quadriga was twice more lowered from
the great arch of St. Mark's to safeguard it during the two world wars.

Around the sixties the horses underwent a series of technical surveys by the Central Restoration Institute
during which their precarious condition was noted, but precious data was gathered regarding their history and
morphology. However it was deemed indispensable for future preservation to keep them in the and to put a copy
on the arch outside.
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The Iconostases  Further Information

From the centre of the church, beneath the Ascension cupola, one can clearly see certain architectonic
modifications and sculptural additions. Outstanding among these is the Gothic iconostasis with its 14 beautiful
statues at the sides of the Crucifix, the work of the Venetian brothers Pierpaolo and Jacobello dalle Masegne,
completed by the smaller iconostases in the chapels of St. Peter and St. Clement with figures of female saints.
In churches of Byzantine tradition the iconostasis is a rood-screen, usually in wood or marble, separating nave
and presbytery, and takes its name from the fact that it bears icons. Since the icons are wholly lacking in the
Venetian work it would be more correct to call it a 'column transenna'.

he central part separating the presbytery from the church bears an inscription with the date 1394 and the
signatures of Pierpaolo and Jacobello dalle Masegne who, between 1380 and 1410, had considerable influence
both in Venice and on the mainland.
he St. Mark's iconostasis is the only work, intact in its original state, with the unquestioned signature of the
Dalle Masegne brothers.

he presbytery iconostasis replaced a 13th century one of which the lower arches still remain in their original
place. he latter, according to the reconstruction, had no structural similarity with the present one. he earlier
iconostasis, dismantled, was decorated with reliefs and it is probable that sculptural decoration was chosen in
memory of it.

he present day iconostasis consists of 12 Apostles with the Virgin and St. Mark. Each figure has an inscription
on the base with the names in Latin (St. Mathias, St. Phillip, St. haddeus, St. Andrew, St. James the Elder, St.
Peter, the Virgin, Christ Crucified, St. John, St. Mark, St. Matthew, St. Bartholomew, St. James, St. Simon, St.
homas).
he individual figures cannot be identified without reservations since the bases have been changed in some cases.
he sculptures are in white marble but have a dark brown surface which probably derives from smoke from
candles placed between the figures. he edges of their garments have considerable remains of the original
polychrome which repeats the rhombus motif found in the architectonic part of the iconostases.

he iconography as a whole recalls that of the iconostasis of the old St. Peter's church in Rome featuring, next to
the apostles, several female saints. his reference is certainly not a random one and bears witness to the
Venetians' intention to compete with the church of the Apostle of Rome.

[ Iconostases ]

he three parts of the St. Mark's iconostasis appear equal in their structure whereas the style is profoundly
different. Here we offer the possibility of identifying the style of the two brothers.
One presumes that Jacobello did the figures in the central part between 1393 and 1394 with his assistants
while Pierpaolo later, with his pupils, did the sculptures at the sides.
he ten figures at the sides of the iconostasis have also been attributed to a less talented helper, and certain
stylistic affinities with the works of Nino Pisano have been pointed out, but no one has ever seriously questioned
attribution to Pierpaolo. Attribution of the fourteen figures of the central iconostasis to Jacobello does not of
course exclude the participation of helpers who had to prepare the marble blocks, rough-hewing them in
accordance with Jacobello's drawings.
his may have led to unpleasant surprises, even to emergency measures. hus for example in the St. John the
Evangelist the too narrow right shoulder might have been the result of a mistake.

If however the work is considered overall, defects of this nature seem of secondary importance. Moreover there
is clear intention to make all the figures appear to be the work of the same artist .
he Apostles and the Virgin do not look either ahead or at the cross. heir heads are slightly turned aside and
each person seems to be closed within himself. his notwithstanding, their turning and bowing gives rise to the
formation of couples, a fine invention that results in a rhythmical grouping.
he relative isolation of the individual figures is expressed not only in their faces but also in their attitudes.
Jacobello's figures are set more firmly on the ground and there are rarely harmonies of borders, folds, outline and
attitude. Sometimes Jacobello drapes the garments so close to the body as to create "islands" delimited by folded
ridges, often forming an oval. Only in the second quarter of the 15th century was something similar found in
Venice. But in spite of the close fitting garments the body in Jacobello's sculptures is not seen as an organic
whole and is concealed in the drapery so that only rarely does one see articulations.
In the overall figure the faces whose expression has been drawn by Jacobello carry greater weight while those of
Pierpaolo are usually more serene. hese faces close up are more reminiscent of mid 14th century Venetian
painting and mosaics than of other sculptural works.

The
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Sansovino's Sculptures  Further information

On 7th April 1529 the Procurators of St. Mark's nominated Jacopo Sansovino as architect and director of
works to superintend the church and all buildings within and without Venice.
As well as handling various architectural and consolidation interventions Sansovino, as director of works, also
had the duty of embellishing the church, which he did by transforming the choir. In their original positions in the
presbytery today there are only the small tribunes for choristers, the sacristy door and the small door to the Holy
Sacrament, a result of radical modifications carried out when the ducal chapel became patriarchal basilica in
1807.

he presbytery of St. Mark's designed by Sansovino is divided into two areas: the major chancel, where the
Doge, the Lords and their entourage attended church services, and the minor chancel two steps higher than the
major, the actual presbytery and choir for the clergy. Under his direction new benches with inlaid frontals were
created, set against the walls of the major chancel. Here, from the mid 16th century, during religious services, the
precious Medici tapestries with the Stories of St. Mark were hung.
Sansovino personally created the bronze reliefs for the two small chorister tribunes to right and left of the
ducal area. Abolishing perspective depth he set each story in a dense atmosphere of classical-type citations,
laying out the figures (modelled with powerful plasticism) in a tight, dramatic and spectacular narration that was
to influence the subsequent works of intoretto. With Sansovino's reliefs there was a return to exalting St. Mark's
miraculous powers. he reliefs of the right "pulpit" (1537) illustrate episodes from the Evangelist's life: 

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But all scholars agree that Sansovino's masterpiece is the bronze door of the sacristy for which he began the
wax model in 1546.
he bronze door, which follows the curved progression of the apse wall, is framed with marble. he two main
panels show the scenes of the 
 (lower panel) and the 
 (upper panel), framed horizontally by
three    
  and vertically by the four   . At the corners of the two main panels, six heads
emerge from smaller panels. hree of the portraits have been identified, thanks to Francesco Sansovino: his
father Jacopo, itian and Pietro Aretino. here have been various conjectures about the other three heads:
Palladio, intoretto, Veronese and the two Palmas.

he tabernacle door with 

  completes the apse altar, behind the High Altar. he fact that the door
is the work of his assistants does not mean that the Maestro was not involved in it: he probably supervised this
copy for St. Mark's.

[ Sansovino's sculptures ]

Sansovino's sculptures for the presbytery are all in bronze. hey are individual works but cannot be considered
as independent and isolated since there is an interrelation, a result of his masterful orchestration, that establishes
a sense of unity in the whole. Documents in our possession give us a fairly precise idea of the stages in the
creation of Sansovino's bronzes. he master created a model in terracotta, probably presented to the Procurators
for approval before casting in bronze, whereas the rest of the procedure was entrusted to his workshop under the
supervision of the workshop head.
he involvement of many assistants in the casting process has been interpreted by some scholars as a sign of
Sansovino's remoteness from the project. Without a doubt his assistants prepared the wax models which were
then passed on to specialised casters, but this itself was a consequence of the bronze casting process, long,
complex and very delicate. A century earlier in Padua Donatello himself employed professional casters. As for
the wax model for casting, its preparation could easily be left to assistants since the wax had to be finely
modelled in all its details to achieve the form desired by the sculptor. Moreover, the formal perfection of a
bronze sculpture is the result of a long and patient reworking to correct the imperfections of casting. One may
intuit that for Sansovino, a much sought after sculptor and architect with a heavy workload, the use of bronze
was an optimal solution since he could create models and leave the long casting process to others.
In the St. Mark's bronzes Sansovino's originality and creativity were given full rein, leading him to experiment
with mannerism, also stimulated by contact with uscans Giuseppe Salviati, who arrived in Venice in 1539,
and Giorgio Vasari who lived there for a few months between 1541 and 1542.

In his operation of updating the ceremonial space of the presbytery with a more modern language Sansovino
celebrated the myth of Venice, decorating the church in a propagandistic key where the themes ofreligion and
politics are interwoven.
Since earliest times the cult of St. Mark had possessed not only a religious but also and above all a political
meaning.
Columns and capitals  Further Information

he capitals and column shafts in the church are partly material plundered from Constantinople and partly
mediaeval imitations or creations produced for St. Mark's.
Undoubtedly the pillaged material had to be touched up or adapted to its location whereas most of the bases of
the columns in St. Mark's are originals created for the building. A column's shaft and capital may have been
created in different periods and places and come from different contexts. So in uniting them in the formation of a
new column, something totally new was created.

[ Columns and capitals ]

he essential features of the layout of the columns in St. Mark's, mainly of the 11th and 12th centuries, are a
rigorous symmetry and correspondence where the number of related pieces permit.
hese features are dominant in the west arm where the marble shafts are symmetrically distributed according to
veining, in vertical or horizontal progression. he distribution of capitals in the presbytery zone is also regular
and symmetrical, whereas with the columns it was necessary, perhaps because of the considerable dimensions
required, to set one before the other a shaft in Proconnesio of different veining and a shaft of Docimeum (light
pavonazzetto) opposite one in Proconnesio marble.
In the choir, in front of the pillars, there are two different pairs of capitals set in a frontal position in such a way
as to create symmetry to left and right of the axis, giving a special accent to the apse where the capitals with
richer decorations are situated, the only 11th century ones that the church possesses. hese capitals, together
with those of the side apses, immediately appear the most significant. And among these the four set on hessaly
green columns are outstanding for their typology, the same as that of the main capitals in St. Sophia's in
Constantinople. he capitals of the south side apse are also 11th century works from Constantinople whereas
those of the main apse and the north side apse are mediaeval copies of the same type. So only two capitals had
been plundered and copies of the other six had to be made in order to have the same columns in all three apses. It
may be surmised that the two pillaged capitals were acquired in Constantinople with the intention of placing
them in a privileged position in the church in Venice. Perhaps what was wanted in Venice was capitals similar to
those of the decorations of Constantinople's main church. Probably in that period it was not possible to find more
than those two in Constantinople so it was necessary to resort to copies. he scroll capital of the apse and the
Ionic ones on the walls of the west arm find their prototypes in the Justinian church of St. Sophia.
Regularity, alternation of the elements and symmetry also prevail in the north and west narthexes. In the
northern one the aim was to place, one next to the other against the internal walls, only Proconnesio shafts with
the same vertical veining. As for the Ionic capitals, between each of the two pairs of mediaeval capitals there is
one dating to the 6th century. In the west narthex, being the main narthex of the church, there are actually
several pairs of 6th century Ionic capitals set in a dense sequence next to other pairs dating to the 12th century,
again on similar shafts of Proconnesio marble. In the west narthex the side doors with columns in   ##
are flanked by particularly precious capitals with lion and eagle heads on facing globes, standing on late-antique
shafts of white-black breccia, a marble from Aquitaine but, as documented, used in Constantinople in an imperial
context as an especially precious stone. In the embrasures of the side portals there are also columns with rippled
capitals. hese free columns that support neither vaults nor anything else were erected subsequently, to be
precise only during the façade decoration phase in the 12th century. heir parts, which may have come from the
area of the imperial palace in Constantinople, have the purpose of intensifying the row of columns on the west
narthex wall, analogously to the dense column sequence of the west façade and, at the same time, obtaining
development with regard to the exterior. Without these columns the surface of the walls between the pairs of
columns would have seemed bare in comparison with the façade. he contrast with the west wall of the narthex,
completely without columns, is thus increasingly highlighted. his contrast evidently originated in the aim to
give importance to the interior wall of the church that is first seen by the visitor, accentuated with the addition of
other 13th century columns. Entering the narthex a scene of great monumentality opens up, based on the
determining effect of the white-black breccia columns with their precious capitals, free of any load-bearing
function.

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The £
  Further information

he high altar retable of St. Mark's - the £
 - is universally considered to be the most precious and
refined expression of Byzantine genius and the cult of light, understood as the raising of man towards God. It
glorifies the evangelist and contains his relics.

Pala derives from the Latin palla, cloth, sometimes decorated with images of saints and used to cover the altar or
embellish its background during the church service. hese cloths were then replaced by gold or silver -
frequently found at least in Venetian lagoon area churches - hence the name Pala d'Oro (gold) or d'argento
(silver). he most famous of all is the one in St. Mark's, ordered from Constantinople by the doge Ordelaffo
Falier in 1102 and completed in 1105.
It consists of 2 parts: the £
 proper and the wooden container behind it.
Since its origins it has been opened only during liturgical celebrations in the Basilica, a tradition that continues
today. he rest of the time it is covered by another altar-piece known as "ferial", a painting on wood. he oldest
of these was done by Paolo Veneziano and his sons in 1343-1345 depicting stories of St. Mark and other saints.
It is now in the Church Museum. he present day one, the work of a late Gothic master, dates to the first half of
the 15th century and may be admired on the rear side of the retable.

In the centre of the precious piece the majestic figure of Christ blessing is dominant, surrounded by the
Evangelists holding open the book in which the words of holy scripture are replaced by gems, thus highlighting
the preciousness of the word. Beneath Christ, Virgin Mary praying and, at her sides, the doge Ordelaffo Falier
and empress Irene.
Above Christ, the etimasia, the preparation of the throne of the Last Judgement, for God's second coming to
earth, between two cherubim and two archangels. Above: the Crucifixion.
At the sides, in three registers one above the other, there are twelve prophets, twelve apostles and twelve
archangels. Aligned above are almost all the celebrations of the Byzantine Church: from the left, the
Annunciation, the Nativity, the Presentation at the emple, the Baptism of Jesus, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion,
the Descent into Limbo, the Resurrection, the Incredulity of homas, the Ascension and Pentecost.
At the sides in a vertical position there are ten small pictures: on the left the salient events in the life of St. Mark
and, on the right, episodes relating to his martyrdom in Alexandria and the transfer of his body to Venice. he
great upper frieze from one of the three churches in the monastery of Christ Pantocrator in Constantinople shows
the archangel Michael in the centre and six panels with Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, the Descent into Limbo,
the Crucifixion, the Ascension, Pentecost and the Virgin Sleeping. he altar panel is completed by numerous
enamelled medallions portraying saints worshipped by the Venetians.

[ he 

* ]

Three phases may be identified in the history of this precious work: - he lower part dates to the time of doge
Ordelaffo Falier (1102-1118). he enamels on the side frames, with stories of St. Mark, and on the upper frame
with six deacons and the Christological celebrations of the liturgical calendar date to the same period, as does the
central Pantocrator group.
- he upper part belongs to the second phase. he series of six Byzantine celebrations and the archangel
Michael in the centre perhaps arrived in Venice from Constantinople after 1204.
- he third intervention occurred between 1343-1345 when, at doge Dandolo's behest, two Venetian
goldsmiths were entrusted with the task of framing the whole within a Romanesque arch (upper part) and a
Gothic arch
St. Mark's Museum

St. Mark's Museum was established at the end of the 19th century. Recently the Museum has re-opened with a
new fitting out made possible by the extension of the Museum surface between the historic area on the Basilica's
vestibule and the former Doge's Sala dei Banchetti (Banquet Hall).

It houses objects of various kinds and origins that belong to the church.
One of the most prestigious works is the quadriga of St. Mark's, moved from its original position in the centre of
the façade after the last restoration.
In the Sala dei Banchetti there is the weekday altar-piece by Paolo Veneziano, a painting on wood dating to the
mid 14th century illustrating stories from the life of St. Mark. It was used long ago to cover the pala d'oro.
he Museum also contains Persian carpets, liturgical vestments, illuminated manuscripts with the texts of St.
Mark liturgies and fragments of ancient mosaics removed during restoration in the 19th century. hen there
are tapestries in wool with episodes from the Passion of Christ and others in silk and silver illustrating stories of
St. Mark.

On the occasion of the new fitting out, the official site of St. Mark's Museum has been launched in order to
illustrate its history, the works of art and the new spaces.

The
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Essential chronology of the Basilica

829
he body of St. Mark was transported from Alexandria, Egypt to Venice (Doge Giustiniano Partecipazio)
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

832
Consecration of the first church of St. Mark (Doge Giovanni Partecipazio)
............................................................................................................................. ................................................... ................

976-978
he church burned owing to the revolt against Doge Candiano IV and was rebuilt under Doge Orseolo I the Saint
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1063
Start of the rebuilding of the current church (Doge Domenico Contarini)
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1071-1084
Start of the mosaic decoration (Doge Domenico Selvo)
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1094
Consecration of the church (Doge Vitale Falier)
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1204
Fourth Crusade and transport of marbles and works of art into the basilica that had been brought to Venice following the
conquest of Constantinople (four horses, icon of the Madonna Nicopeia, enamels of the Golden Altar-piece, relics, crosses,
chalices, patens, today in the treasure: Doge Enrico Dandolo)
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................
 1265
Mosaic of St. Alipius with documentation of the exterior of the basilica
............................................................................................................................. ............................................. ......................

1343-1354
Construction of the Baptistery and Chapel of St. Isidore (Doge Andrea Dandolo)
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1394
Construction of the iconostasis and sculptures decorating it by Jacobello and Pier Paolo dale Masegne
Late 14th and early 15th centuries
Gothic decoration of the façade with spires, nichel, and sculptures of angels and saints
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1419
Fire on the front part of the basilica's roof
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

First half of the 15th century

uscan artists (Maestro Nicolò and Pietro Lamberti and perhaps Jacopo della Quercia) worked on the sculptures of the
façade and Florentine artists worked on the basilica's mosaics (Paolo Uccello is documented in 1425).
........................................................ ............................................................................................................................. ...........

Mid-15th century
Mosaic ornament of the Mascoli Chapel
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1486
Construction of the Sacristy next to the apse (followed by the rebuilding of the small church of St. heodore carried out by
Giorgio Spavento, the basilica's foreman)
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1496
Documentary evidence of the basilica in the painting by Gentile Bellini,  


 "


............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

.1504-1521
Construction of the Zen Chapel in the right wing of the atrium, which closed up the solemn entrance doorway coming
from the lagoon
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1529
Work done by Sansovino to strengthen the walls and domes of the church
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1617
Accommodation of the Nicopeia altar and the altar of the Holy Sacrament (to the left and right of the high altar)
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1797
Fall of the Republic
............................................................................................................................. ...................................................................

1807
he basilica became the see of the Patriarch of Venice, until then at San Pietro a Castello.
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