SAN MARCO'S BASILICA VENICE ITALY
Visiting the Basilica of San Marco is a unique, almost mystical emotion. When you enter, your eyes don't have time to get used to the transition from light to shadow, which are already enraptured by the thousand flashes of the golden mosaic tiles. After all, if it was already nicknamed the "Golden Church" in the 11th century, there must be a reason!
The Basilica of San Marco intertwines history and faith, East and West, art and wealth. His is an anomalous beauty, the result of architectural contaminations and artistic stratifications, with his opulence and ever-increasing embellishments over the centuries, he tells us the events that made the Republic of Venice great.
A first church, used to house the remains of San Marco, was built next to the Doge's Palace as early as 828. The building was destroyed several times by fire and then rebuilt, the current basilica dates back to a reconstruction of the eleventh century, which follows the size and layout of the previous building.
The Byzantine character is perhaps what most characterizes the Basilica of San Marco. The architectural layout, with a Greek cross plan, dominated by five domes, is on the model of the ancient Basilica of the Holy Apostles of Constantinople. Even the massive use of mosaic decoration, with stories from the life of the saint, and taken from the Old and New Testaments, is typically oriental.
On the main altar, there is the priceless Pala d'Oro, decorated with more than eighty enamels and hundreds of precious stones, once exhibited only on the occasion of major religious holidays. The massive block dates back to the 14th century, some enamels however date back to the 10th-11th century.
After the Colosseum in Rome, the Basilica of San Marco is the second most visited monument in Italy