St Mark's Basilica

This monument combines the political, social and religious history of the Venetian Republic . The cathedral was built in 829 during the reign of Doge Dzhustiano Partechipatsio to hold the remains of St. Mark the Evangelist , who became the sole protector of the city.After a fire in 927 years basilica was rebuilt in 1043-1071 Doge Domenico Contarini 's .

The lower part of the facade length of 51.8 meters, a little advanced , consists of five arched spans with columns, decorated with oriental capitals. Average arch wider than the other . Semicircle arch portals are covered with mosaics.Between the arches are beautiful Byzantine bas-reliefs of the XII century , depicting the Virgin Mary, St. George, St. Demetrios , etc. All the lower part covered terrace surrounded by a balustrade. In the upper part - five arches covered with mosaics , decorated with fantastic Gothic spire .The central arch is wider arches and other glazed, light goes through it to the cathedral. At the crowning element of the facade are revealed five round arch in the eastern style of XIII century.

The bronze horses.

On the terrace in front of a glazed central arch span are four famous bronze horses that once were gilded.This is a masterpiece of Greek IV-III century BC , which is attributed to Lysippos. These horses were brought to Venice from Constantinople Doge Enrico Dandolo in 1204 and have been installed on the terrace in 1250 . Recently restored to preserve the integrity of the Bronze Age. The originals are stored now in the museum of the cathedral, were replaced with copies .

Atrium of the Cathedral.

From the central portal can be accessed in the atrium - a beautiful gallery of color mosaics. It is divided into arch spans with a dome. The walls of the marble columns of various origins, some may have been taken from the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem .Mosaics on the arch, dome and semicircles depict scenes of the Old and New Testaments, as well as episodes from the history of Noah and the Flood. They are made by Venetian craftsmen of the XIII century .

interior .

The interior of the cathedral interior SoboraTrehnefny divided by arched openings on the marble columns with gilded capitals.The choir on the eastern tradition has been separated from the church iconostasis , decorated with polychrome marble, in the eight columns supporting the architrave , on which the statue of the Virgin Mary and the Apostles. Marble floors in some places paved with mosaics and uneven due to subsidence , which hammered the piles and where the cathedral stands .

In one of the chapels is stored Madonna Nikopeya ( victorious ), Byzantine icon of the tenth century , which was brought to Venice after the Fourth Crusade in 1204.

gold image .

The main altar of the cathedral holds the remains of the evangelist Mark in an urn behind bars .Above the main altar is set true medieval jewelry masterpiece - Pala d'Oro (\Nad glavnym altarem ustanovlen nastoyashchiĭ srednevekovyĭ yuvelirnyĭ shedevr - Pala dOro (\u0026quot;Zolotoĭ obraz\u0026quot;).V 978 godu dozh Pʹetro Orsyeolo zakazal etot altarʹ masteram Konstantinopolya.V 1105 godu on byl peredelan po zakazu dozha Ordelaffo Falʹero, a v 1209 godu dopolnitelʹno obogashchen vizantiĭskim zolotom i emalʹyu.The product of length 3.4 meters and 1.4 meters wide richly adorned with diamonds, emeralds, rubies , topaz .

The interior of the Baptistery .

At the center of the Baptistery is the baptismal font , made by Titian Minio , Desiderio da Firenze , and Francesco Segala in the XV century by Jacopo Sansovino figure . Segal also belongs to a statue of St.John the Baptist. Here, among the graves of the famous Doge's tomb is located , and Jacopo Sansovino . Granite slab Phoenician origin, on which stands an altar, perhaps , is that a stove with which Christ preached .Mosaic covering walls , arches and domes , is made Venetian masters in the XIV century and depicts scenes from the life of the Baptist and Jesus Christ.

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