St. Mark's Basilica: History, Art, and Sacred Mystery

Introduction: A Cathedral Unlike Any Other

It is a given fact that countless great cathedrals, monasteries, and other holy places have been built over the ages as a testament to human devotion to God. In even more practical terms, that devotion was often tempered and blended with a generous portion of servitude to one's feudal lord, with the unspoken incentive that one got to keep one's property, position, or even one's life by giving good service—and if one did not, things might not go as well as one would hope.

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, may well hold an additional distinction of its own—not only as a sign of devotion to God, but as an edifice that stands uniquely as a visual means of atonement for sin, an effort at retribution for what might well be termed a "divine crime." But exploring that story means putting the proverbial cart before the horse. First, it helps to get a sense of the lay of the land for the environs of San Marco itself.

Architecture and Setting of San Marco

"Lay of the land" is indeed an apt phrase when describing St. Mark's Basilica, since the church is in fact a major architectural and historical anchor of the city. It is located adjacent to the Residence of the Doge—the duke, or main patriarch, of Venice and Genoa—and serves as the focal point of the central Piazza. Modeled after the original Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (536–546), the basilica as it stands today is actually the third church erected on the present site. Its first incarnation came about in 828, when its construction (by unknown architects) was ordered by Doge Giustiniano Partecipazio to commemorate the interment of the body of the evangelist Mark. After a fire in 976, the church was rebuilt, then added to and expanded greatly in the latter half of the eleventh century, although retaining much of the original foundation and masonry. Different consecration dates appear in historical records—ranging from 832 to 1094—but the basilica has served as the patriarchal seat and cathedral of the city only since 1807, when it replaced the former cathedral of San Pietro di Castello.

The church itself is built in the shape of a Greek cross, with each arm consisting of three aisles separated from one another by round arches upon marble columns, and five large domes held up by massive pillars. Although it reflects a wide variety of architectural styles—the present-day basilica is a mixture of Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, and Moorish—the church's origins remain primarily Byzantine, with heavy influences from the Orient. Its exterior is decorated with marble brought back after the Venetian conquest of Constantinople in 1204, and some of the pillars are even reputed to have been conveyed to Venice from the original Temple of Solomon.

Artistic Treasures: Gold, Mosaic, and Sculpture

St. Mark's well earns its nickname "The Church of Gold." Gold mosaics—some 4,000 square meters of them—cover the ceilings and walls, with sacred scenes that focus on the life and death of the evangelist. Farthest to the left of the main entrance is a scene depicting the body of St. Mark being transported to the Basilica. To the left of the central arch, a mosaic is entitled The Venetians Pay Tribute to the Body of St. Mark. To the right of that same central arch is a representation of the Arrival of St. Mark's Body in Venice, while the far right mosaic backtracks in time with its depiction symbolizing the Removal of St. Mark's Body from Alexandria. Centrally located is a later mosaic by L. Querena entitled The Last Judgement, dating from 1836. Additional mosaics attributed to thirteenth-century Venetian masters cover the arches and domes, illustrating scenes from both the Old and New Testaments.

An especially lavish use of gold in the Basilica is the famed Pala d'Oro, or Golden Altarpiece, commissioned by Doge Pietro Orseolo in 978 and restructured in 1105 by Doge Ordelaffo Faliero. Measuring 11 by 4½ feet, it is an ornate screen in a gilded frame containing 80 enamel plaques made in Byzantium, surrounded by diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and topaz. Among the scenes portrayed on this screen is A Scene from the Life of St. Mark, a tempera work dating from 1345 by the artist Paolo Veneziano (c. 1300–1360), considered the first known painter of the workshop of San Marco. The painting represents a scene in which St. Mark himself appears on a boat to calm a storm threatening the safety of those transporting his body from Alexandria. At the bottom it is signed: Magr. Paulus Cu Luca. Et Iohe Filiis Suis Pinxerunt (hoc opus)—that is, "Painted by Master Paul with his sons Luke and John." Like much of the basilica, this Golden Screen has had its restorations: once in 1105 and again in 1209, but from all accounts historians and tourists alike agree that, just as with the reconstruction of the Campanile, these restorations were carried out with loving care that preserved and enhanced its inherent beauty.

But all that glitters is not the sole artistic treasure the basilica can claim. Enhancing its graceful slightly pointed arches—the earliest of their kind in Italy—are Byzantine bas-relief and sculpture honoring such diverse subjects as Hercules and the Boar, St. George, St. Demetrius, the Archangel Gabriel, and Hercules and the Deer.

Contained in the main portal is also a collection of sculptured images called the Labours of the Months. Portraying various everyday jobs or "labors" delineated by certain months of the year, these images include November's carving of a bird-hunter and December's depiction of a butcher killing a pig. The carvings, dating from about 1275, are largely unattributed, but they are said to be heavily influenced by Benedetto Antelami, an Italian sculptor of the Parma school who was active between 1170 and 1230. His works can be seen in great detail in the Baptistry at Parma.

The Bronze Horses and the Campanile

Also brought back to Venice at the time of the Fourth Crusade were the four famous bronze horses that grace the west façade. Originally part of a Greco-Roman triumphal quadriga—a sculpture of a chariot drawn by four horses abreast—and placed in the Arsenal, they have had various "resting places" over the centuries. They were even removed to Paris by Napoleon at one point before being returned in 1815. Due to weather damage over the subsequent centuries, the originals were at last restored and placed on display in the Museum of the Basilica, while duplicates have taken their place on the basilica's terrace.

The basilica commands attention not only with its impressive exterior ornamentation but with its sheer size and height. Pilgrims who climb its Loggia (veranda) can see both the famous Venetian Lagoon and the surrounding islands. They can even compare the views between the Basilica itself and the bell tower (Campanile) which, at 99 meters (272 feet), is the tallest building in Venice. This tower dominated the skyline for centuries until—unexpectedly and without explanation—it collapsed in 1902. Fortunately, the 1912 reconstruction of the Campanile was done on its original site and with an eye toward restoring it as closely as possible to its original form.

Conclusion: A Lasting Treasure

In light of the treasure we still have on hand to behold—one that has withstood more than its share of trouble to stand today—perhaps it is not important to know which story is authentic. Perhaps motivations and secret sins matter less than the labor of love that is St. Mark's and all it stands for. The basilica's enduring legacy invites reflection not only on its artistic magnificence but on the complex human impulses—devotion, guilt, ambition, and faith—that brought it into being.

Perhaps all that really matters is what we can see before us: a treasure that has lasted hundreds of years, one that uplifts the spirit as well as the senses. Perhaps that, in and of itself, is sufficient proof that indeed "the winged lion" still watches over Venice with a special fondness.