May 26, 2024 - Classic Italy
St. Mark's Basilica

This evening we were to go on a private tour of the Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark commonly known as St Mark's Basilica.

On the short walk to the Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs stands out.

The entry to St Mark's in the Atrium.

Civic pride led many Italian cities in the mid-eleventh century to begin erecting or rebuilding their cathedrals on a grand scale.  Venice was similarly interested in demonstrating its growing commercial wealth and power, and probably in 1063, under Doge Domenico I Contarini (in office 1043–1071), St Mark's was substantially rebuilt and enlarged to the extent that the resulting structure appeared entirely new.

More Atrium.

The present structure is the third church, begun probably in 1063 to express Venice's growing civic consciousness and pride. Like the two earlier churches, its model was the sixth-century Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, although accommodations were made to adapt the design to the limitations of the physical site and to meet the specific needs of Venetian state ceremonies. Middle-Byzantine, Romanesque, and Islamic influences are also evident, and Gothic elements were later incorporated. To convey the republic's wealth and power, the original brick façades and interior walls were embellished over time with precious stones and rare marbles, primarily in the thirteenth century. Many of the columns, reliefs, and sculptures were spoils stripped from the churches, palaces, and public monuments of Constantinople as a result of the Venetian participation in the Fourth Crusade. Among the plundered artefacts brought back to Venice were the four ancient bronze horses that were placed prominently over the entry.
 

The Basilica is dedicated to and holds the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of the city, and one of the four Gospel writers of the New Testament.

Mark the Evangelist, also known as John Mark or Saint Mark, was the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Most modern Bible scholars have concluded that the Gospel of Mark was written by an anonymous author rather than an identifiable historical figure, though the topic remains contentious among experts. According to Church tradition, Mark founded the episcopal see of Alexandria, which was one of the five most important sees of early Christianity.

According to tradition, in AD 49, about 16 years after the Ascension of Jesus, Mark travelled to Alexandria and founded the Church of Alexandria, having already been in Egypt for 4-5 years. The Coptic Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and the Coptic Catholic Church all trace their origins to this original community.  Aspects of the Coptic liturgy can be traced back to Mark himself.   He became the first bishop of Alexandria and he is honoured as the founder of Christianity in Africa.

According to the Coptic tradition, Mark was born in Cyrene, a city in the Pentapolis of North Africa (now Libya). This tradition adds that Mark returned to Pentapolis later in life, after being sent by Paul to Colossae, Philemon, and serving with him in Rome.  From Pentapolis he made his way to Alexandria.but there the pagans of the city resented his efforts to turn the Alexandrians away from the worship of their traditional gods.  In AD 68, they placed a rope around his neck and dragged him through the streets until he was dead.

One last look in the Atrium.

At left, on the ceiling, is the Pentecost Mosaic.

"In a golden heaven, the dove of the Holy Spirit shoots out a pinwheel of spiritual lasers, igniting tongues of fire on the heads of the 12 apostles below, giving them the ability to speak other languages.  It has distinct "Byzantine" features:  a gold background and apostles with halos, solemn faces, almond eyes, delicate blessing hands, and rumpled robes, all facing forward.  It's one of the oldest mosaics in the church (created in 1125 AD)".  -- Rick Steves

Now looking at the Central Dome and the Ascension Mosaic.

"Christ -- having lived his miraculous life and having been crucified for man's sins -- ascends into the starry sky on a rainbow.  In Byzantine churches, the window-lit dome represented heaven, while the dark church below represented earth -- a microcowm of the hierarchical universe."  -- Rick Steves

We headed downstairs to the crypt under the main alter.

 ZZZ

Behind the main altar is the magnificent Golden Altarpiece, also known as the Pala d'Oro (Italian, "Golden Panel"), made of 250 blue-backed enamels with religious scenes, all set in a gold frame and studded with 15 rubies, 300 emeralds, 1,500 pearls, and assorted sapphires, amethysts, and topaz.  It was created in 1100.

It is universally recognized as one of the most refined and accomplished works of Byzantine enamel, with both front and rear sides decorated.

The Pala d'Oro was thought to be first commissioned in 976 by Doge Pietro Orseolo, where it was made up of precious stones and several enamels depicting various saints, and in 1105 it was expanded on by Doge Ordelafo Faliero.  In 1345, the goldsmith Giovanni Paolo Bonesegna was commissioned to complete the altarpiece. 
 

Unfortunately, we did not get to see the Basilica's Treasury or San Marco Museum (upstairs).

Much of the plunder from the Venetian and Crusader sack of Christian Constantinople in April, 1204 is displayed in the Treasury.

In April 1204, Venetian and Crusader forces, as part of the Fourth Crusade -- sacked and destroyed most of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

The Byzantine Empire was left poorer, smaller, and ultimately less able to defend itself against the Muslim conquests that followed. The actions of the Crusaders accelerated the collapse of Christendom in the east, and in the long run helped facilitate the later Muslim conquests of southeastern Europe.  The city was finally besieged and conquered by the Muslims in 1453, remaining under its control until the early 20th century, after which it was renamed Istanbul under the Ottoman Empire's successor state, Turkey.

The Crusaders looted, pillaged, and vandalized Constantinople for three days, during which many ancient and medieval Roman and Greek works were either seized or destroyed. The famous bronze horses from the Hippodrome were sent back to adorn the façade of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, where they remain.   The Venetians stole religious relics and works of art, which they later took to Venice.

The sack of Constantinople is considered a turning point in medieval history. Reports of Crusader looting and brutality horrified the Orthodox world; relations between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches were wounded for many centuries afterwards.  Orthodox in this context means Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.

Eight hundred years after the Fourth Crusade, Pope John Paul II twice expressed sorrow for how the events transpired. In 2001, he wrote to Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens, saying, "It is tragic that the assailants, who set out to secure free access for Christians to the Holy Land, turned against their brothers in the faith. The fact that they were Latin Christians fills Catholics with deep regret."

I must say the Venetians redeemed themselves somewhat by being major players in the great naval victory over the Muslims at Lepanto on 7 October 1571.

Here is a photo from Wikipedia of the the famous bronze horses from the Constantinople Hippodrome, which were sent back to adorn the façade of St Mark's Basilica in Veniceo.  Now they are inside the Treasury, replicas adorn the outside.  Photo by Tteske.

One last look at the Basiilica.