Basilica of St Mark

The mosaic floor of the Basilica undulates up and down in a rolling wave pattern.

Let's just come out and say it: there simply is no church in Europe more lavishly decorated, more exquisitely mosaicked, more glittering with gold than San Marco,the cathedral of Venice.

Built in the 11th century, St. Mark's guiding principle in architecture and decoration is Byzantine, but Romanesque and Gothic styles have left their mark as well over six centuries of expansion and decoration.

The atrium, ceilings, walls, and multiple domes are all encrusted with over 40,000 square feet of gold-backed mosaics crafted between the 12th and 17th centuries.

The oldest of these mosaics were created by Eastern masters, and later ones were based on cartoons by Tintoretto, Veronese, and Titian.

 

Sacred Jewels