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Construction Period: From 1063 to 1071
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Location: Venice, Italy
Venice was established as a safe haven amidst the marshes in 813. The remains of Saint Mark were taken from Alexandria, Egypt, and brought to the city in 828 due to pious devotion. Previously, a church was built to honor him but was destroyed by a fire in 976. The current church is adjacent to the former Doge’s Palace, which began construction in 1063 and was consecrated in 1094.
(Photo: davidpatterson)
This is a unique structure in Western Europe, partly due to its architectural shape and partly due to the extraordinary richness in decorative mosaic materials. Both characteristics are a result of Venice’s nature as a maritime trade empire, looking eastward towards Constantinople rather than westward. The design of the church resembles the much older Church of the Apostles, built by Justinian in Constantinople, which was destroyed after the Turkish invasion.
Like the imperial church, St. Mark’s Basilica has a Greek cross layout: four equal-length arms form the central nave, transept, and the sanctuary, topped with domes above the arms and the intersection. The sanctuary ends in a semi-circular apse at the rear of the church, and around the nave and transept, outside of the domes, are walkways. To elevate the structure, St. Mark’s has two levels; initially, there were galleries above the walkways, but these were later removed, making the walkways two-tiered, although the upper walkway has a balustrade alongside the vaulted arches connected to the columns. The result is a complex lattice of interconnected spaces with mystical views glimpsing through the marble columns.
Surrounding the nave, to the north, east, and west, but not unified with the nave, is a single-story narthex covered by a series of smaller domes. The mosaic materials in these domes are arranged in concentric circles as if telling a continuous story. Small in scale and sufficiently captivating, the mosaics are one of the aspects that many find enchanting compared to the entire church. The creation of the Fish Bird is an example of creativity flourishing in an extraordinarily free manner.
Construction
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(Photo: frittsorgan) |
St. Mark’s Basilica is actually built of brick, but every surface is clad in marble or intricate mosaic materials, creating an overall effect of extreme richness. From a structural engineering perspective, the church is not innovative and does not compare in scale or boldness to the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The main ground floor is built on unstable mud from Venice, which, even when reinforced with a floating foundation or wooden piles, faces the threat of disaster – a risk that is still evident today in the uneven floor.
The church was completed in 1071 and is essentially similar to the church we see today. The western façade still retains its five deep portals, aligned with marble and covered with semi-circular mosaic panels, complemented by smaller semi-circular windows on the upper level, of which only the central window remains glassed. These small windows are adorned with a type of Gothic decoration that, according to John Ruskin, resembles sponges.
Fact Sheet:
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Total Length: 76m
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Width of the Transverse Nave: 61m
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Width of the Romanesque Hall: 47m
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Main Dome:
– Diameter: 13m
– Interior Height: 29m
– Exterior Height: 40m.
Decoration
Over the millennia, the structure has accumulated many works of art, some of which, like the decorations on marble and mosaic materials, are integral to the construction. Other works, such as the Pala d’Oro (Golden Altar) and the Bronze Horses, were gathered from various locations.
The final mosaic work, although following the Byzantine style, is crafted by Italian artisans in the Ravenna tradition from the 6th century, forming a complex doctrinal diagram of Christianity, from creation to the apocalypse. The mosaic work commenced immediately after the church was built and continued into the 12th and 13th centuries. On the ground floor, the exterior walls are clad in marble, primarily using materials from ancient Rome, taken from various sites across Europe. On the upper level, many red or green discs indicate that classical columns have been layered to form panels according to patterns.
From the main western entrance, visitors enter through a portico with many columns or the Romanesque hall, where the mosaic materials in the domes depict scenes from the Old Testament: the Creation, Adam and Eve, the Fall, Cain, Abel, Noah and the Great Flood, the Tower of Babel, the story of Moses and Joseph, and finally, the story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt.
Inside the church, scenes are taken from the New Testament – the life of Jesus Christ, the Crucifixion, and the Ascension, the Acts of the Apostles, concluding with the Day of Judgment. The lives of the Apostles, especially that of Saint Mark, are depicted in considerable detail. Not all details date back to the medieval period. During the Renaissance, many areas of the vaults and walls were restored according to designs by leading painters in Venice, including Tintoretto.
(Photo: jsu)
Among the treasures acquired from medieval times, two of the most significant are the Pala d’Oro (Golden Altar) and the Bronze Horses. The Golden Altar was crafted by artists from Constantinople in 975 but underwent many changes and additions. The altar’s screen features many images painted in colorful enamel and decorated with gemstones. Six large panels along the top depict the Passion of Christ and the death of the Virgin Mary, with the Archangel Michael in the center. Other panels illustrate the life of Christ and various saints.
The Bronze Horses are part of the spoils taken by the Crusaders from Constantinople in 1204 – a shameful episode of the Fourth Crusade. The bronze horses still stand proudly above the western entrance (or were placed there but have since been replaced with replicas). There is still much debate over the dating and provenance of these bronze horses.
It takes several days to fully appreciate all the wonders within St. Mark’s Basilica. Some treasures are now housed in museums outside the main structure. In fact, the entire basilica serves as a museum, yet it retains its original function and significance, embodying the unique flavor of the past, a monument that makes both the living and the dead feel proud.
