Page 84 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

82  VENICE AREA B Y AREA

3 Basilica San Marco

This awesome Basilica, built on a Greek cross plan and crowned with five huge
domes, is the third church to stand on this site. The first, built to enshrine the
body of St Mark in the 9th century, was destroyed by fire. The second was pulled
down in the 11th century in order to make way for a more spectacular edifice
designed by an unknown architect (1063–94), reflecting the escalating power
of the Republic. The basilica continued to be remodelled over the following
centuries, and in 1807 it succeeded San Pietro in the sestiere of Castello
(see p124) as the cathedral of Venice; it had until then served
as the doge’s private chapel for State ceremonies.

St Mark and Angels

. Horses of St Mark
The four horses are replicas
of the gilded bronze
originals (see p86), now
protected inside the Basilica.

KEY
1 The Pentecost Dome, showing
the Descent of the Holy Ghost as a . Central
dove, was probably the first dome Doorway
to be decorated with mosaics. Carvings
The central arch features
2 The Ascension Dome features 13th-century carvings of the
a magnificent 13th-century mosaic Labours of the Month. The grape
of Christ surrounded by angels, the harvester represents September.
12 Apostles and the Virgin Mary.
3 St Mark’s body, believed lost in
the fire of AD 976, supposedly
reappeared when the new church
was consecrated in 1094. The
remains are hous ed in the altar.
4 Allegorical mosaics
5 St Mark’s Treasury
6 The so-called Pilasters of Acre
in fact came from a 6th-century . Façade Mosaics
church in Constantinople. A 17th-century mosaic shows the smuggling out of
7 Baptistry Alexandria of St Mark’s body, reputedly under slices
of pork to deter prying Muslims.

082-083_EW_Venice.indd 82 8/18/17 11:15 AM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.4)
Date 15th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm