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Home > Italy Travel Guide > Venice Travel Guide > St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco)

St. Mark's Basilica Travel Guide

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Introduction
History
Location

ATTRACTIONS

West Façade
South Façade
North Façade
Interior
Flagpoles

INFORMATION

Useful information
Links

Introduction

St Mark's Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Marco) is the most famous of the churches of Venice and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies on St Mark's Square, adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace and has been the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice since 1807. For its opulent design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power from the 11th century on, the building was known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (“church of gold”).

History

Originally the palace chapel of the Doge, it became important in 829 when the remains of St Mark were transferred to Venice from Alexandria and interred in the Cappella di San Marco, which 150 years later in 976, was destroyed by fire but soon rebuilt. Its present ground-plan, which is derived from the Church of the Apostles at Constantinople, dates from 1063 and consists of a Greek cross, covered by five domes, with two side-aisles on the west arm pointing towards the Piazza di San Marco. In 1094 the basilica was consecrated in the presence of the Emperor Henry IV and was raised to the status of official state church.

Three Procurators were appointed “Custodians of St Mark” to supervise the building and maintenance. In the following centuries they supervised structural alterations to the basilica and its decoration; the mosaics were done in the 12th and 13th centuries. The 13th century also saw the raising of the outer domes, the construction of the portico on the façade, the vaulting of the west porch, the installation of the bronze horses and the addition of the Byzantine parts of the Pala d'Oro. In the 14th century the upper part of the façade and the domes were decorated in Gothic fashion and the pulpits and the Baptistery constructed. Further embellishments followed in the 15th-16th century (altars, font, mosaics) and in the 17th-19th century (mosaics).

The whole of Venice was legally compelled to take part in the rich furnishing of the State church. In 1075 the Doge Domenico Selvo passed a law that obliged all returning ships to bring back something precious to decorate the “House of St Mark”, which is why today the basilica boasts over 500 columns of rare marble, porphyry, alabaster and jasper brought back from the East and Asia minor.

Location

Address: Piazza di San Marco I-30100 Venice
Transit: From Piazzale Roma:
By the water-bus lines :
1 (in about 40 minutes)
52 direct (in about 20 minutes)
82 direct (in about 30 minutes)
On foot it takes about 40 minutes to reach it.
From the Train Station (Santa Lucia):
By the water-bus lines :
1 (in about 35minutes)
52 direct (in about 25 minutes)
82 direct (in about 25 minutes)
On foot it takes about 30-45 minutes to reach it.

West Façade

The main façade on the Piazza is divided into five huge doorways. Over the portals is a terrace with a balustrade and above that five blind arches decorated with mosaics and topped by the Evangelists in gilded towers. Late Gothic ornamentation and figures. Above the central arch the so-called “Angel Staircase” leads up to the Patron Saint, St Mark. Behind the façade are the lead-covered domes.

The most remarkable of the mosaics decorating the portals is the one in the portal on the extreme left which dates from the 13th century and depicts the Translation of the Body of St Mark to the Basilica.The other mosaics are from the 17th and 18th centuries and the Last Judgment over the center portal dates only from 1836.The central arch and the panels of the doors are richly decorated with reliefs and sculptures.

South Façade

Until 1503, when this façade was enclosed, it was intended to be an imposing ceremonial entrance facing the lagoon, with a large door leading into the atrium (left) and the Baptistery (right). Besides the two griffins (in the first arch) it is worth noting a Byzantine mosaic of the Virgin (13th century) between the arches of the upper floor, in front of which nowadays two lamps are kept burning; at the time of the Republic black tallow candles were lit to comfort those under sentence of death who were executed in front of the Colonne di Marco e Teodora on the Molo.

Pilastri Acritani In front of the façade are two marble pilasters with magnificent reliefs (sixth century) Also the spoils of war, these were carried off by the Venetians in 1256 from the port of Acre.

Tetrarchs As the Roman Empire begun the process of disintegration, Emperor Diocletian imposed a new Imperial office structure: a four co-emperor ruling plan called “The Tetrarchy”. This porphyry (purple marble) statue represents the inter-dependence of the four rulers. It was taken from Constantinople, during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, and set into the south-west corner of the basilica at the level of the Piazza San Marco. The missing foot of one of the figures was discovered in Istanbul in the 1960s, where it is still on display.

Porch Like all Byzantine basilicas St Mark's has a porch (narthex). The mosaics of the domes and arches are 13th century (1220-1300); the only later addition was the “St Mark” inserted in the vaulting above the portal recess in 1545. Starting near the Zen Chapel and going north they depict the Creation, the story of Cain and Abel, the Building of Noah's Ark, the Building of the Tower of Babel, the stories of Abraham, Joseph and Moses.

Three portals lead to the interior of the church. All three are flanked by marble columns with richly ornamented capitals (sixth-ninth centuries). The left portal shows Abraham with the three angels; the right portal has a bronze door covered in silver with an inscription in Greek (10th century). The middle portal, Venetian 12th century work, was the main entrance to the church until 1064. In the outer wall of the narthex are 12th century tombs of the Doges.

North Façade

The north façade of the Basilica of St Mark, facing the Piazzetta dei Leoncini, contains in the last arch the Porta dei Fiori, the Door of the Flowers, which merits close examination. Its relief depicts the Nativity (13th century), framed by foliage, angels and Prophets. Also worth noting are two other relief's (towards the Piazza): the Etoimasia (seventh-eighth century) depicts the throne of the Judge with six sheep on each side (symbolizing the Twelve Apostles). The other relief shows Alexander the Great whose chariot is being drawn upwards by two griffins (10th century).

Interior

The basic shape of the Basilica di San Marco is Byzantine, yet it is an astonishing mixture of styles containing elements of nearly every architectural from from classical to 19th century. Its form of building and its art treasures, acquired by such a diversity of means, have made the Basilica di San Marco one of the most important works of art in the world.

Four huge pillars bearing the domes and six columns with gilded capitals divide it into a nave and two aisles. Each of the five domes is almost 13m in diameter and has 16 windows. The sumptuous mosaics that cover the domes (over a total surface area of 4,240 sq.m) fully justify its being popularly know as the “Basilica d'Oro”(Golden Basilica).

Before beginning to look round the church it is worth pausing to look at the dome mosaics, most of which date from between 1160 and 1200. Their chronological order begins in the east (above the choir), runs above the nave and finishes in the domes in the transept. The best view of the mosaics is from the galleries (anyone who is especially interested should take a telescope or binoculars). Access is from the inner portal.

The mosaics of the narthex show Old Testament narratives including a fine series showing the creation, on the right hand dome; inside the basilica, New Testament themes are shown, with marked Byzantine influence - the main domes show Pentecost, the Ascension, and the Pantocrator.

Flagpoles

The three huge cedar flagpoles in front of the façade were erected here in 1376 and their rich bronze bases were cast by Alessandre Leopardi in 1505. The base of the middle flagpole has relief's depicting Justice, Strength (an elephant) and Plenty. The southern flagpole base represents Venice's hegemony on land, and the northern one represents the Republic's hegemony at sea.

Useful information

Telephone: (+39) 041 5225205
Fax: (+39) 041 5208289
Email: biblioteca.proc@patriarcato.venezia.it
Open: From October 1st to March 31st :
Basilica: 9.45 a.m. - 4.45 p.m. (entrance free)
St. Mark's Museum: 9.45 a.m. - 4.45 p.m.
Pala d'oro: 9.45 a.m. - 4.45 -Sunday: 1.00 - 4.45 p.m.
Tesoro: 9.45 a.m. - 4.45 - Sunday: 1.00 - 4.45 p.m.
From April 1st to September 30th:
Basilica: 9.45 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. (entrance free)
St. Mark's Museum: 9.45 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Pala d'oro: 9.45 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.- Sunday: 2.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.
Tesoro: 9.45 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.- Sunday: 2.00 p.m.- 5.00 p.m.
Campanile:
October 1st - March 31st: 9.45 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.
April 1st - June 30th: 9.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
July 1st - September 30th: 9.45 a.m. - 8.00 p.m.
Tips: The visit inside the Basilica lasts about 10 minutes.
Visitors are recommended to respect the sacred place, in particular:
- Clothes be appropriate for a place of worship;
- You cannot enter the basilica with luggage. Luggage must be deposited in Ateneo San Basso (Piazzetta dei Leoncini - in front of the Gate of Flowers, north façade);
- Photos and filming are forbidden;
- Loud explanations are not allowed, the use of earphones is permitted.

Links

Offical site

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