Photography is prohibited inside Basilica di San Marco so I bought this postcard to remind me of how amazingly beautiful the interior of this Byzantine church looks like. I didn't want to trust my memory with all the artistic and architectural details I saw inside. I craned, strained, and stretched my neck to marvel at the opulent ceilings, vaults, and walls of this place of worship. You can bet that I had a very stiff neck afterwards.
Indeed, the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. I long to gaze at its beauty again.
Basilica di San Marco is also referred to as Chiesa d'Oro (Church of Gold) because of its gilded mosaics which covers about 8,000 square meters of its walls, vaults, and cupolas.
"The mosaic decorations were developed through some 8 centuries of the Basilica's history. They represent stories from the Bible (Old and New Testaments), allegorical figures, events in the lives of Christ, the Virgin Mary, Saint Mark and other saints. The mosaics, with their warm colors, particularly gold, decorate the ample spaces of the Basilica, from 28 metres wide up to 21 metres high. As in Middle-Eastern churches, the interaction of the decoration with a dim, but ever changing light, according to the time of day, creates a range of evocative and intense effects." (Official website of St. Mark's Basilica)
"The intricately-patterned floor is a 12th-century mixture of mosaic and marble in geometric patterns and animal designs. A red medallion in the floor of the porch inside the main door marks the spot where, in 1177, Doge Sebastiano Ziani orchestrated the reconciliation between Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, and Pope Alexander III.
Over the high altar is a baldacchino on columns decorated with 11th-century reliefs. The altarpiece is the famous Pala d'Oro (Golden Pall), a panel of gold embedded with gems. It was commissioned from Byzantine goldsmiths in 976 and further embellished over the centuries. Napoleon stole some of the precious stones in 1797, but there are still plenty left, gleaming behind protective glass.
The choir stalls are embellished with inlaying by Fra Sebastiano Schiavone, and above them on both sides are three reliefs by Sansovino. On the two marble pulpits of the ambo are statuettes by the Massegne brothers (1394). Also in the choir are Sansovino's bronze statues of the Evangelists and Caliari's of the Four Doctors." (www.sacred-destinations.com)Words, no matter how creatively stringed together, and photos, no matter how expertly captured, cannot adequately convey and bring to life the resplendence of the architectural masterpiece that is Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco. One has to see and experience its grandeur.
Indeed, the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. I long to gaze at its beauty again.
Wishing you happy journeys...
This is my response to the Wednesday Postcard Meme of Willa of
