St Mark's Basilica - Venezia, Italy
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denben
N 45° 26.068 E 012° 20.359
33T E 291889 N 5034659
St Mark's Basilica is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy. It is located at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace.
Waymark Code: WMWYKZ
Location: Veneto, Italy
Date Posted: 10/31/2017
Views: 12
The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark (Italian: Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco), commonly known as Saint Mark's Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Marco), is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture.
From perhaps 1063 the present basilica was constructed. The consecration is variously recorded as being in 1084-5, 1093 (the date most often taken), 1102 and 1117, probably reflecting a series of consecrations of different parts. Originally it was the chapel of the Doge, and has only been the city's cathedral since 1807, when it became the seat of the Patriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, formerly at San Pietro di Castello.
For its opulent design, gold ground mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building has been known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold).
The Horses of Saint Mark were installed on the balcony above the portal of the basilica in about 1254. They date to Classical Antiquity, though their date remains a matter of debate. The horses were long displayed at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, and in 1204 Doge Enrico Dandolo sent them back to Venice as part of the loot sacked from Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. They were taken to Paris by Napoleon in 1797 but returned to Venice in 1815. After a long restoration, since 1970s the originals have been kept in St Mark’s Museum inside the basilica and the horses now on the facade of the cathedral are bronze replicas.
There are three iconostases in St, Mark’s. The most important of the three is undoubtedly the Gothic iconostasis which separates the nave from the presbytery . The work of the Venetian brothers Pierpaolo and Jacobello dalle Masegne, it consists of 14 beautiful statues in white marble depicting the 12 Apostles with the Virgin and St. Mark and is dated towards the end of the 14th century.
The holy masses celebrated in the basilica are free of charge and you do not have to make a reservation as for the visits. The entrance for the Holy Masses and for the prayer is from the Porta dei Fiori (north façade, Piazzetta dei Leoncini).
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