Saint Mark’s Basilica

The first church was destroyed in 976 in the fire of the Doge’s Palace, then rebuilt in the 11th century. It was erected to house the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist, said to have been boldly brought back in 829 from the city of Alexandria, Egypt.
This symbolic act marked the beginning of a profound relationship between Venice and Saint Mark. Its Greek cross plan is of byzantine inspiration, modelled on the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.
It has been enriched over the centuries to culminate today in a veritable chef d’œuvre blending Byzantine but also Islamic, Gothic and Renaissance influences.

When you stand in front of the basilica’s facade, you wonder if you’ve been teleported out of Italy!
Byzantine coupoles, Egyptian marble walls… In fact, as well as being richly decorated, its multiple inspirations make it completely unique.

We admire 5 arched portals, separated by marble columns, surmounted by richly sculpted arches and decorated with magnificent colored mosaics.

Angel: Let’s linger for a moment on the decoration of the left portal: it represents the entrance of Saint Mark’s body into the church.

Oriane: This is the oldest mosaic on this façade! It dates back to 1270. The same scene is depicted further to the right, this time dating from the 17th century.

The narthex, the vestibule before entering the nave, is a true work of art in itself. Its glittering mosaics, which cover the walls and vaults, welcome you into a visual dazzle. Intricate geometric patterns, images of saints and biblical scenes come to life before your eyes. You’ll marvel at the profusion of color, gold and light that fills the space.

The nave of the basilica is simply grandiose. As you enter this sacred space, your gaze is immediately drawn to the walls resplendent with shimmering mosaics. These mosaics, created with exceptional meticulousness, tell biblical stories and episodes from religious history. The vivid colors and infinite detail create a celestial atmosphere, transporting you into a world of devotion and contemplation.

Above you, the dome of Creation offers a breathtaking vision. This exceptional fresco depicts the biblical story of the creation of the world. The precise details, vibrant colors and illusionistic perspective plunge you into a dimension that is both artistic and spiritual. It’s a true artistic feat that testifies to the talent of the masters who brought this extraordinary fresco to life.

Angel: It’s magnificent! What light! How can these mosaics reflect so much light?

Oriane: It’s the type of mosaic that allows it. Unlike most mosaics, the tesserae that make them up are not stone but glass!
The colors are colored glass. For the gold and silver hues, a sheet of precious metal is sandwiched between two layers of colorless glass.
To accentuate the play of light and reflections offered by the glass-metal combination, the artists played with the angles to create a whole covered with thousands of faces.

Angel: Smart and successful! To be dazzled in the half-light of a church… Unprecedented experience!

But it’s not enough to visit San Marco with your nose in the air, you also have to take an interest in the pavement that you tread on throughout the visit.
It’s made of marbles and stones of every color and draws geometric shapes, circles, rosettes, triangles, spirals, stars, rhombuses… with dazzling mathematical precision!
And what’s even more astonishing is that these are not just flat geometric designs, but also optical illusions and relief effects created by gradient color effects.

Oriane: If I’d been given these kinds of drawings to construct at school, I’m sure I’d have liked geometry more!

Angel: Yes, but back then you were already blonde, weren’t you?

When you’re in the Basilica of San Marco, there are so many details to discover that you don’t know where to turn.
The marble iconostasis, (separation between nave and heart) and adorned with statues is magnificent, as is the main altar surmounted by 4 carved alabaster columns, behind which hides the famous golden altarpiece, the Pala d’Oro.

It is a golden altarpiece almost 3m50 wide by 1m40 high, inlaid with over 1900 precious stones and 80 enamels.
Commissioned in 976 by the Doge, it was made by Byzantine goldsmiths and then enriched over the centuries by Greek and Venetian artists until its current appearance in the mid-14th century.
Each enamel depicts an apostle, an angel, a prophet, an illustration from the Bible or a scene from Venetian life.

Angel: We’re having a treasure hunt?

Oriane: Dac but here it’s all together in the same room; it’s not very difficult!

In addition to relics of Saints or Doges in their velvet caskets, numerous calices more or less richly decorated, icons, incense burners, swords in gold and precious stones….

All the loot of Ali Baba returned from Constantinople particularly during the 4th Crusade around 1200. The masterpieces? The perfume burner, the Archangel Michael icon and the golden chalice.

It would be a shame not to go up, if only to admire the view of Saint Mark’s Square between the legs of the famous Saint Mark’s horses.

Oriane: Did you know that these Saint Mark’s horses are replicas?

Angel: Yes, but the real ones are there, in the museum…They were recovered in 1815 by Venice after a “loan” from Napoleon enabled them to be exhibited in Paris on the arc de triomphe du Carrousel. The ones in Paris are also replicas!

Oriane : These are traveling horses… Could we borrow them for a few weeks for the terrace of our apartment, just long enough to produce other replicas?

Angel: Aye, aie… Got any more good ideas like that? Instead of raving, check out this view! The San Marco square, that’s the real thing! The Palazzo Ducale too!

Oriane: It’s really beautiful!

Angel: Eh yes… This was the terrace reserved for the Doges and their loved ones to attend the Venetian feasts and ceremonies that took place on the Piazza San Marco!

In this museum, in addition to the real bronze horses you’ll be able to see fragments of mosaics from the 13th and 16th centuries.
Especially those showing Abraham with an outraged expression, eyebrows raised, due to the legendary gossip of the Venetians!
Recently renovated mosaics are on display in this museum, waiting to be returned to their original place; this is your chance to see them up close.
Up close, too, you’ll be able to admire the magnificent mosaics on the walls and coupes of the Basilica.
And the Doges banqueting hall is well worth a visit!

Most visitors to Venice are unaware of the significance of the 3 masts in front of the basilica.
In fact they corresponded to the 3 kingdoms conquered by the Doges in the course of history: Cyprus, Crete (then called Candia), and the Peloponnese (ancient Morea).
In the time of Napoleon, its disturbing symbols, as they could be equated with the tyranny associated with his conquests, were replaced by the symbols of Liberty, Virtue and Equality.