Byzantine Culture

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St. Mark's Basilica in Venice

Explore St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, the cathedral of the Venetian patriarchate and a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture transplanted to Italy. Learn about its history, its mosaics, and its cultural significance.

St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, the cathedral of the Venetian patriarchate, is one of the most striking and most important examples of Byzantine architecture outside the Byzantine Empire. The basilica, with its Greek-cross plan, its five Byzantine domes, and its magnificent program of mosaic decoration, was deliberately modeled on the great churches of Constantinople, and it was a powerful expression of the Venetian claim to be the heir of Byzantium. The basilica is one of the most important monuments of medieval art and architecture, and it is a major element of the Byzantine legacy in the West.

The story of St. Mark’s Basilica is a remarkable example of the way in which a single building can embody the political ambitions, the cultural achievements, and the religious convictions of an entire civilization. The basilica, which was built over several centuries, is a living monument to the close ties between Venice and Byzantium, and it remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in modern Italy. The study of St. Mark’s is, in this sense, the study of one of the most important and most enduring elements of the Byzantine legacy in the Western world.

The Origins of the Basilica

The First Church

The first church on the site of St. Mark’s was built in 828, when the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist were brought to Venice from Alexandria. The relics had been acquired by two Venetian merchants, who had smuggled them out of Egypt in a barrel of pork fat, and the relics were received with great ceremony by the doge and the people of Venice. The relics of St. Mark, the patron saint of the city, were a major element of the Venetian civic identity, and the church that was built to house them was one of the most important buildings in the city.

The first church on the site was a small chapel, and it was soon replaced by a larger church. The second church, built in the early ninth century, was a basilica in the Roman style, with three naves and an apse. The second church was destroyed in 976, during a popular revolt, and it was replaced by a third church, which was the predecessor of the present basilica.

The Construction of the Present Basilica

The present basilica was begun in 1063, under the doge Domenico Contarini, and it was consecrated in 1094, under the doge Vitale Falier. The basilica was built in the Byzantine style, with a Greek-cross plan, five domes, and a magnificent program of mosaic decoration. The basilica was designed to be a symbol of the Venetian claim to be the heir of Byzantium, and it was built by Byzantine architects and decorators, who brought with them the techniques and the styles of the Byzantine world.

The basilica was the doge’s private chapel, and it was the principal religious building of the Venetian republic. The basilica was also the site of important state ceremonies, including the coronation of the doge, the reception of foreign ambassadors, and the celebration of the major feasts of the Venetian liturgical year. The basilica was, in this sense, a major element of the Venetian civic and political life.

The Architecture

The Plan

The plan of St. Mark’s Basilica is a Greek cross, with four equal arms extending from a central square. The central square is covered by a large dome, and the four arms are covered by smaller domes. The plan is essentially the same as the plan of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, and it is one of the most distinctive examples of the Byzantine architectural tradition in the West.

The plan of the basilica has been modified over the centuries, especially in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when the basilica was adapted to the needs of the Venetian liturgical practice. The most important modification was the addition of a chancel screen and a choir, which were added to the western end of the basilica, and the addition of the baptistery, the chapel of St. Isidore, and the chapel of the Madonna dei Mascoli.

The Domes

The five domes of St. Mark’s Basilica are the most distinctive feature of the building, and they are the most obvious sign of the Byzantine influence. The central dome is the largest, with a diameter of about 12 meters, and the four smaller domes are arranged around it. The domes are constructed of brick, and they are supported by pendentives, the curved triangular sections that were the hallmark of the Byzantine architectural tradition.

The domes of St. Mark’s were originally covered with gilded lead, and they were visible from far away, gleaming in the sun. The domes were restored in the nineteenth century, and they remain one of the most striking features of the basilica. The domes are decorated with mosaics, which depict scenes from the life of Christ, the life of St. Mark, and the Old Testament prophets.

The Mosaics

The Golden Basilica

St. Mark’s Basilica is famous for its magnificent program of mosaic decoration, which covers the walls, the vaults, and the domes of the building. The mosaics, which were executed by Byzantine and Byzantine-trained artists, cover more than 8,000 square meters, and they are one of the most extensive programs of mosaic decoration in the world. The mosaics have given the basilica its popular name, the “Golden Basilica” (La Basilica d’Oro).

The mosaic program includes scenes from the Old and New Testaments, the lives of the saints, the history of the relics of St. Mark, and the triumphal procession of the Venetians. The most important of the mosaics are the mosaic of the Pentecost in the central dome, the mosaics of the life of Christ in the atrium, the mosaics of the life of the Virgin in the apse, and the mosaic of the Last Judgment in the western narthex.

The mosaics were executed over a period of several centuries, beginning in the late eleventh century and continuing through the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries. The mosaics were the work of both Byzantine and Italian artists, and they represent a unique synthesis of the Byzantine and the Italian traditions. The mosaics are, in this sense, a major element of the Byzantine legacy in the West, and they have been the model for many other programs of mosaic decoration in the Italian world.

The Most Important Mosaics

The most famous of the mosaics at St. Mark’s is the Pentecost mosaic in the central dome, which depicts the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. The mosaic, which is dated to the twelfth century, is one of the most important surviving examples of Byzantine mosaic art, and it is a major witness to the Byzantine influence on the Italian artistic tradition.

The second most famous of the mosaics is the mosaic of the Translation of the Body of St. Mark, which is located in the apse of the basilica. The mosaic, which is dated to the thirteenth century, depicts the procession of the relics of St. Mark from Alexandria to Venice, and it is a major witness to the Venetian cult of the saint.

The third most famous mosaic is the mosaic of the Last Judgment in the western narthex, which is dated to the thirteenth or fourteenth century. The mosaic is one of the most extensive representations of the Last Judgment in the medieval world, and it is a major witness to the medieval eschatological tradition.

The Four Bronze Horses

The Loot from Constantinople

The four bronze horses of St. Mark’s, which are now displayed in the basilica’s museum, are among the most famous and most controversial objects in Venice. The horses, which are made of gilded copper, are ancient Greek or Roman, and they are believed to date to the second or third century. The horses were originally part of a larger sculptural group, probably a quadriga, which was displayed in Rome or in a Hellenistic city.

The horses were taken to Constantinople, and they were displayed in the Hippodrome of Constantinople, where they were seen by the Crusaders in 1204. After the Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople, the horses were taken to Venice and placed on the façade of St. Mark’s, where they became a symbol of the Venetian claim to be the heir of Byzantium. The horses have been a major source of controversy in modern times, with calls for their return to Constantinople, but they remain in Venice.

The horses are now displayed in the basilica’s museum, and a copy of the horses is on the façade of the basilica. The original horses, which have been damaged by exposure to the elements and by their long history, are among the most important surviving examples of ancient bronze sculpture, and they are a major witness to the cultural transmission from the ancient world to the medieval Mediterranean.

The Pala d’Oro

The Golden Screen

The Pala d’Oro, the golden screen, is the most valuable object in the basilica. The Pala d’Oro is a great altarpiece, made of gold and silver, and encrusted with thousands of precious and semi-precious stones, including rubies, sapphires, emeralds, amethysts, and pearls. The Pala d’Oro is located behind the high altar of the basilica, and it is exposed only on the major feasts of the Venetian liturgical year.

The Pala d’Oro was begun in 976, and it was enlarged and embellished over the centuries, with additions made in the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries. The Pala d’Oro is a major witness to the wealth and the artistic achievement of the Venetian republic, and it is one of the most important objects of medieval goldsmithing in the world.

The Pala d’Oro is decorated with scenes from the life of Christ, the life of the Virgin, the life of St. Mark, and the lives of other saints. The scenes are rendered in enamel and gems, and they are among the most beautiful and most detailed examples of medieval goldsmithing. The Pala d’Oro is a major element of the Venetian cultural heritage, and it has been the inspiration for many other works of medieval goldsmithing.

The Influence of St. Mark’s

The Venetian-Greek Style

The basilica of St. Mark’s was the model for a regional style of architecture and decoration, the Venetian-Greek style, which developed in the Veneto region in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The Venetian-Greek style combined the Byzantine and the Italian traditions, and it was the dominant style of the Veneto region during the period of the Venetian expansion.

The Venetian-Greek style was characterized by the use of Byzantine architectural elements, especially the pendentive domes and the Greek-cross plan, and by the use of Byzantine mosaic decoration. The style was used in the construction of many churches in the Veneto, including the churches of Torcello, Murano, and the islands of the Venetian lagoon. The style was also influential in the Italian peninsula, especially in the regions of Puglia, Calabria, and Sicily, which had been under Byzantine influence.

The Influence on Western Art

The basilica of St. Mark’s had a profound influence on Western European art and architecture. The basilica was visited by thousands of pilgrims and travelers each year, and its Byzantine architecture and decoration were a major source of inspiration for the artists and architects of Western Europe. The influence of St. Mark’s can be seen in the architecture of many Western European churches, especially in the use of the domes and the mosaic decoration.

The basilica of St. Mark’s was especially influential in the development of the Italian Renaissance. The basilica was visited by many of the leading Italian artists, including Giotto, the Pisani, and the Sienese painters, and the Byzantine art of the basilica was a major source of inspiration for the development of the Italian style. The influence of St. Mark’s can be seen in the work of many Italian Renaissance artists, especially in their use of gold backgrounds, mosaic decoration, and Byzantine iconographic conventions.

The Modern Basilica

The Restoration

The basilica of St. Mark’s has been the subject of several major restoration campaigns in the modern period. The most important of these campaigns was the restoration of the nineteenth century, which was led by the Italian architect Giuseppe Ferdinando Bonsignore and continued by Bartolomeo Bona and others. The restoration of the nineteenth century repaired the damage caused by centuries of exposure, and it was the basis of the present appearance of the basilica.

The restoration of the twentieth century, especially the restoration following the floods of 1966, was another major campaign, which was led by the Soprintendenza ai Beni Artistici e Storici di Venezia. The restoration of the twentieth century addressed the structural damage caused by the floods, and it was a major contribution to the conservation of the basilica.

The Modern Significance

The basilica of St. Mark’s is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, and it is a major element of the cultural heritage of Venice. The basilica is also an important religious building, and it is the cathedral of the Patriarchate of Venice, a Roman Catholic patriarchate that has jurisdiction over the Catholic faithful of the Veneto region.

The basilica is also a major symbol of the Venetian republic, and it is the focus of the annual Festa della Sensa, the celebration of the marriage of Venice to the sea, which is held on the Sunday after Ascension. The Festa della Sensa is a major event in the Venetian calendar, and it is a powerful expression of the Venetian civic and religious identity.

Conclusion

The basilica of St. Mark’s is one of the most important and most striking examples of Byzantine architecture outside the Byzantine Empire, and it is one of the most important monuments of medieval art and architecture. The basilica, with its Greek-cross plan, its five Byzantine domes, and its magnificent program of mosaic decoration, was deliberately modeled on the great churches of Constantinople, and it is a major expression of the Venetian claim to be the heir of Byzantium. The basilica has had a profound influence on Western European art and architecture, and it is one of the most important elements of the Byzantine legacy in the Western world. The study of St. Mark’s is, in this sense, the study of one of the most important and most enduring elements of the Byzantine legacy, and it is essential for understanding the cultural transmission from the Byzantine Empire to the Western world.

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