Venice is known for its transportation on canals, historic background, rich culture, and of course beautiful architecture. But what shines brightest above it all is Basilica di San Marco, or St. Mark’s Basilica, a huge cathedral that will take your breath away.
St. Mark’s Basilica is located on the main island of Venice and is the city’s most important monument. With its sparkling mosaics, marble floors, and gold details, it is considered one of the world’s prime examples of Byzantine architecture.
St. Mark’s Basilica was built in the 9th century and houses the corpse of St. Mark the Evangelist, one of the four Gospel writers and 12 Apostles. His body was stolen from Egypt and brought to Venice in 828 AD.
Mosaics are one of the most prominent parts of the architecture of the Basilica. There are more than 85,000 square feet of mosaic that were done over a time span of eight centuries in the church. There are also more than 500 columns, with most being Byzantine and dating back to between the 6th and 11th centuries. In addition, there are capitals (tops of columns) from the 3rd century in the Basilica.
Much of the treasures of St. Mark’s Basilica came from the Crusades and Constantinople (current-day Istanbul), specifically the Fourth Crusade which resulted in the conquest of Constantinople in 1204. During this time, St. Mark’s Basilica unexpectedly received a large sum of money, in addition to treasure. The treasure includes four bronze horses, an icon of the Madonna Nicopeia, enamels of the Golden Altar-piece, relics, crosses, chalices, and patens. They were installed in the Basilica, adding to the beautiful and symbolic details of the architecture seen today. The Pala d’Oro, the Byzantine high altar retable in St. Mark’s Basilica, is covered in thousands of gems including 1300 pearls, 300 emeralds, 300 sapphires, 400 garnets, 100 amethysts, and rubies and topazes as well.
Giovanna Lorenzon, from the Italian town of Pieve di Soligo, was the guide of our Venice walking tour. She said that the current Basilica is actually the third one built on the remains of the first and second churches. She also said that the gold accents throughout the church are made of real gold, while the colorful mosaic pieces are made of glass. The real four bronze horses are located in the museum inside the Basilica, but there is a replica of them outside above the upstairs terrace.
“The four horses are at least 2000 years old,” Lorenzon said.
If you go inside and enter the museum, you will see the real sculptures. The horses are huge, and because they were made so long ago, in 95 AD and 96 AD, they are very scratched up and have a greenish gold color.
According to the information board in front of the sculptures, the horses came from Constantinople when they were sent as war booty during the Fourth Crusade. They now serve as a symbolic way to portray the religious and political legacy of the Byzantine era.
From the top floor on the inside, you can also see the beauty and intricate details of the design of the church. From the marble floor, to the domed ceilings, and of course the glistening gold and colorful mosaics that cover the ceiling and walls, St. Mark’s Basilica is truly something you don’t want to miss.
If you’re planning on visiting St. Mark’s Basilica, make sure you check the mass times, because you can only visit the second floor where the museum is (and don’t have access to the first floor) if they are preparing for mass. Because it is a church, you must be appropriately dressed as it is when you visit any other church or cathedral in Italy. This means your shoulders and knees must be covered.
You can get to St. Mark’s Basilica by taking the vaporetta, the water bus transportation in Italy. Get off at the San Marco stop and keep walking. St. Mark’s Basilica will be right there on your right, large and sparkling, you can’t miss it. Along with the bell tower and Doge Palace, it is in the Piazza San Marco, the main square of Venice.
Entrance to the Basilica is free admission, but during busy times, you will have to wait in line outside to get in. Once inside, you have about 10 minutes to tour the church. There is an option to reserve tickets online (free, but you have to pay a service charge) so you don’t have to spend as much time waiting to get in. There is also an option to get a guided walking tour of the basilica. However, to see the things in the St. Mark’s Museum upstairs, you have to pay a fee of 5€. It is absolutely worth it because it gives you access to the upstairs terrace outside, and you can get the most beautiful view of the piazza below from up there. Just remember that photo, film, and luggage are not allowed inside.
So come check out the church of gold and see how it has made its “Mark” on Venetian history!
