Mabe's Guide to Venice, IT

• St.Mark's Basilica

The Basilica of St. Mark is the most important monument in the city. It functioned once as Ducal Chapel.

The story of the Basilica began in 828, when the body of St. Mark the Evangelist was brought there and very soon the building of a new church was started to honour the Saint, whom the Venetians acclaimed as the new patron and symbol of their city, in place of the Greek Saint Theodore. Thus the first Church of St. Mark arose and was consacrated in 832. In 976 it was partly destroyed by the fire. It was reconsecrated in 978 and the growing wealth of Venice compelled the Venetians to renew the temple of their protecting Saint, to make it greater and more beautiful. The third Church of St. Mark (the present Basilica) was begun under the reign of doge Domenico Contarini, about 1063 and was solemnly consecrated in 1094.

The Basilica of St. Mark is considered the most solemn monument of Venetian-Byzantine art ever built, until the middle of the 13th century. The 14th century has left traces of the considerable works of restoration which may be seen especially in that daring and fanciful Gothic crown to the façade, of pinnacles, kiosks and crockets.

On April 7th 1529, when the fabric was much perished statically from fires and probably from negligence, it was entrusted to the intelligent care of the famous Tuscan architect Jacopo Sansovino.

He gave his attention, on one hand to the strenghtening of the external walls and the cupolas which, for many years in danger of crumbling, had been shored up with supports, and on the other hand to the enriching of the fane with the new sculptures and mosaics. With the 17th century the period of the most notable changes and additions closes: it was then that the patient work of preserving, strenghtening and protecting began.