Impressively ostentatious (Basilica San Marco (Venice))

Member Name: MykReeve

Product:	Basilica San Marco (Venice)
Date:	25/07/00 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Impressive religious art, no entrance fee

Disadvantages: Too much for me!

The Basilica San Marco is located at the east end of St Mark's Square in Venice, and is one of the best known landmarks in the city. Built on a Greek cross plan, the church has five huge domes, the current church is the third to be built on the site. The first was built in the 9th century to house the body of St Mark, and was destroyed by fire, supposedly along with his body, near the end of the 10th century. The second church was relatively shortlived, and pulled down in the 11th century to make way for the church that stands today. Admittedly there has been substantial work carried out on the church since then, and very little of the original 11th century construction is still visible.

The mosaic floor of the church has suffered badly from the subsidence of the city, and large cracks run across it. However, the main thing that people look at in the church is the exuberant quantity of gold all over the inside of the domes and on the walls of the church. Certainly, the mosaic of "Christ In Glory" within the enormous central dome, dating back to the 13th century, is remarkably impressive. There is a stunning array of religious statuary and ostentatious gold panelling throughout the church, and it's truly breathtaking to look around. The carvings on the central doorway of the church are also very impressive, dating back to the 13th century and depicting the "Labours of the Month".

Having said that, I'm not a great fan of this sort of thing, and so I really didn't spend that long touring the Basilica. For fans of religious art, this is truly a treasure trove, and could well take a full day to take in all of the art on display. It's free to wander round most of the areas of the church, but there's an entrance fee to go into the Museum, the Treasury and to view the ornate Pala d'Oro altarpiece. From the Museum, you can walk out to the balcony on the front of the church, from which you can look out over St
Mark's Square, as doges used to on ceremonies taking place there. There are services in the church nine times a day, and during these times, sightseeing is limited, so time your visit carefully if you want to visit the Basilica fully.

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