Basilica di San Marco, Venice 
Aerial view of Piazza and Basilica di San Marco. Image © Google Earth.
For more and larger photos, see our Basilica di San Marco Photo Gallery!
View of basilica and campanile from the Grand Canal. Photo
Beggs.
Facade of St. Mark's Basilica from the famous St. Mark's Square.
Corner of St. Mark's Basilica from St. Mark's Square.
Mosaic of the transfer of St. Mark's body. Photo © Branislav Slantchev.
Interior of St. Mark's Basilica. Photo
petunia2323.
Closer look at the golden ceiling mosaics. Photo © Branislav Slantchev.
The Pala D'Oro altarpiece. Public domain.
The original Horses of St. Mark.
The 15th-century gilded Lion of St. Mark. Photo © Branislav Slantchev.
St Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco in Italian) is the most famous of the many churches of Venice and one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture in the world.
Located just off the Grand Canal, the gleaming basilica dominates Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) and adjoins the Doge's Palace. San Marco is a cathedral: it has been the seat of the Archbishop of Venice since 1807.
History
The first St. Mark's church in Venice was a temporary building in the Doge’s Palace, constructed in 828, when Venetian merchants stole the supposed relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist from its original resting place in Alexandria, Egypt.
It is said the Venetians hid the relics in a barrel under layers of pork to get them past Muslim guards. The escapade is depicted in the 13th-century mosaic above the door farthest left of the front entrance of the Basilica.
The original St. Mark's church was replaced by a new one on the present site in 832. The new church was burned in a rebellion in 976, rebuilt in 978, and finally to form the basis of the present basilica in 1063.
The basilica was consecrated in 1094, the same year the body of Saint Mark was supposedly rediscovered in a pillar by Vitale Falier, doge of Venice at the time. The crypt then housed the relics until 1811. The building also incorporates a low tower, believed by some to have been part of the original Doge's Palace.
While the basic structure of the building has been little altered, its decoration changed greatly over time. The succeeding centuries, especially the fourteenth, all contributed to its adornment, and seldom did a Venetian vessel return from the Orient without bringing a column, capitals, or friezes, taken from some ancient building, to add to the fabric of the basilica.
Gradually, the exterior brickwork was been covered with various marbles and carvings, some much older than the building itself. A new frontage was constructed and the domes were covered with higher wooden domes in order to blend in with the Gothic architecture of the redesigned Doge's Palace.
What to See
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 — an area of around 8,000 square meters.
The 12th-century interior mosaics recount events of the New Testament, with the message of Christian salvation. The 13th-century mosaics depict scenes from the Old Testament, 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. The gold background is meant to impress, but also symbolizes the Divine and the light of God himself.
The 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. The 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.
The 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.
The Horses of Saint Mark were installed on the basilica in about 1254. They date to Classical Antiquity; by some accounts they once adorned the Arch of Trajan. The 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. They were taken by Napoleon in 1797, restored in 1815 and remained in place until the 1990s. They now reside in the basilica's museum in an upper gallery; replicas take their place on the facade.
The 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.
Quick Facts
| Address: | San Marco, Piazza San Marco |
| Phone: | 041-522-5697 |
| Vaporetto: | San Marco |
| Hours: | Basilica, Tesoro, and Pala d'Oro: summer Mon-Sat 9:45am-5pm; Sun 2-5pm (winter hours may be shorter). Museo Marciano: summer daily 9:45am-5pm (winter hours may be shorter) |
| Cost: | Basilica, free admission; Museo Marciano (St. Mark's Museum, also called La Galleria, includes Loggia dei Cavalli), 1.50€; Tesoro (Treasury), 2€ |
Article Sources
- Personal visit (September 2004).
- Eyewitness Travel Guide to Italy
- Eyewitness Travel: Top 10 Venice
- Frommer's Italy 2005.
More Information
- Basilica di San Marco - traveler reviews of the site on TripAdvisor
- Official Website of Basilica di San Marco - an excellent site in Italian and English, with fancy virtual tours and panoramic views
Related Travel Resources
- Venice Hotel Reviews - candid opinions at TripAdvisor
- Venice Hostels - no booking fees with HostelBookers
- Venice Hotels - wide selection at HotelTravel.com
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- Venice Car Rentals - low prices from AutoEurope
- Venice Travel Forum - tips and advice at TripAdvisor
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the Basilica di San Marco. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Venice Map or get our free Google Earth download.
