St. Mark's Basilica was built between 326-and 348 AD and is located at Piazza San Marco in Venice. It is the mother church of the Venetian Catholic Church and is considered the first example of Romanesque architecture. The basilica has been destroyed and rebuilt three times due to natural disasters. The current building is the third incarnation of this architectural masterpiece that started its life as a small chapel in the 6th century. The gothic-style basilica features a unique roof design with two inverted pyramids pointing towards each other. This creates a cross shape that covers the entire area like a canopy. There are several interesting facts about the interior of the basilica that might surprise you. Inside the basilica is a large mosaic called “The Last Judgment” depicting Christ holding the keys to heaven (referring to the Book of Revelation) above his head on the right side of the nave while he holds the scales of justice below him on the left side of the nave.
On one side of the altar, you can find a golden statue of Mary and Jesus standing face-to-face. They were modeled after Michelangelo’s statues in Florence, Italy. St. Mark's Basilica is the largest church in Venice. In addition to being the largest church in Venice, St. Mark's Basilika is the third-largest Roman Catholic church in the world after St Peter's Basilica in Rome and St Paul's Cathedral in London. There are two bell towers on top of the basilica that ring out at different times to signal the start and end of services. One bell tower rings out at 9 am and 6 pm and the other at 11 am and 5 pm. The facade of the basilica has eight statues representing the evangelists, while inside are 16th-century paintings by Tintoretto depicting the life of Christ. Inside the basilica, there are over 400 altars, each dedicated to one of the patron saints of Venice.
The basilica was built between 1108 and 1132 AD and stands on the site where tradition says the apostle Mark preached Christianity to Venetians. The building was damaged again in 846 by invading Saracen armies under Caliph Al-Mamun. In 1083, the church was burned down by Norman invaders under Robert Guiscard. The basilicas were first constructed using wood, but after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, they were rebuilt in stone. This version is known as Renaissance architecture, and its influence can still be seen in many other buildings from that time period. As you enter the basilica, you'll pass under two large marble columns with ornate capitals that were added in 1508 and 1688 respectively. These were originally covered in gold leaf, but this has long since worn off.
Inside the church, you'll notice some interesting features like the golden mosaic floors and the elaborate bronze doors. The mosaics were created in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The basilica doors were designed by Andrea Palladio, an architect who worked in the mid-1600s. There are three different sets of doors, each representing a season.
The interior of the basilica is decorated with stunning paintings and sculptures. The dome above the altar contains the trompe l'oeil painting of Christ Pantocrator, while the ceiling depicts scenes from the life of Jesus. The nave has beautiful frescoes depicting various Biblical stories. On the sidewalls of the nave, look out for the tombstone of Doge Dandolo, who commissioned the building of the church. He died in 1205 and is buried inside.
