
Piazza San Marco of rectangular form like an immense salon rich with precious marbles, is considered the most beautiful in the world. It is enclosed to the north by the Torre dell’Orologlo (Clock Tower, 1496) with its famous statues of two Moors who sound the hours, and by the Procuratie Vecchie, ancient home of the Procurators of St. Mark; to the west by the Napoleonic wing; to the south by the Procuratie Nuove (1585-1640).
On the eastern side, which opens to the Lagoon, stands the Basilica Di San Marco (11th to 15th centuries), built in Romanesque-Byzantine style, with five cupolas of oriental aspect, to hold the body of St. Mark the Evangelist. On the terrace which divides the two stories of the facade stands the famous work of Greek origin, the copper-gilt Four Horses (4th to 3rd centuries, В. C.).
From the atrium, lined with marbles and columns and with its splendid vaulted mosaic ceiling illustrating stories from the Bible (13th a), one reaches the church’s three entrance portals, with the”well” of the central portal which allows for the sight of the vaulted mosaic ceiling depicting Paradise (11th c.).
The interior, in the form of a Greek cross with three naves per arm, divided by colonnades along which run the galleries (matronei), is resplendent with golden light reflected by the mosaics which cover the walls and vaulted ceilings. These mosaics, initially the work of Venetian and Byzantine artists, were in part redone following cartoons made by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese. The earlier mosaics can be recognized by their stylized forms and the hieratic character of the figures such as Christ, Mary, the Prophets and Apostles, and in particular the Ascension in the central cupola. On the ciborium-covered altar (6th – 13th centuries) is the famous Pala d’Oro, an altarpiece which is a masterpiece of goldsmith’s art from the 10th century, studded with gold, gems and enamels. Read the rest of this entry »
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