The
clock tower, designed by Maurizio Codussi, was built between 1496 and
1506; the wings were an addition, perhaps by Pietro Lombardo. Above the
clock face is the Madonna. During Ascension week and at Epiphany, the
Magi come out and bow to her every hour, in an angel-led procession. At
other times of year the hours and minutes are indicated in Roman and
Arabic numerals on either side of the Madonna; this feature dates from
1858 - one of the earliest examples of a digital clock in the world. On
the roof, statues of two burly Moors, made of gunmetal and cast in 1497,
strike the hour. Another Moore (Roger) sent a villain flying through
the clock face in the film Moonraker.
After
lengthy restoration, the tower reopened in 2007. The tour reveals the
workings of the clock, which dates from 1753 and was a remake of the
original of 1499. Until 1998 the clock was wound manually by a
temperatore who lived in the tower. Amid controversy the last incumbent
was replaced by an electrical mechanism. The tour concludes on the roof
of the tower with a fine view over piazza San Marco, the basilica and
the palace.Note that there is no lift and the stairs are steep and narrow. Tours can be booked at the Museo Correr, by calling 041 520 9070 or online.
Basilica di san marco
Often
seen as the living testimony of Venice's links with Byzantium, St
Mark's basilica is also an expression of the city's independence. In the
Middle Ages any self-respecting city state had to have a truly
important holy relic. So when two Venetian merchants swiped the body of
St Mark (though some historians believe they got Alexander the Great's
remains by mistake, a theme developed by Steve Berry in his 2007 novel
The Venetian Betrayal) from Alexandria in 828, concealed from prying
Muslim eyes under a protective layer of pork, they were going for the
very best - an Evangelist, and an entire body at that. Fortunately,
there was a legend (or one was quickly cooked up) that the saint had
once been caught in the lagoon in a storm, and so it was fitting that
this should be his final resting place.
The
Venetians were traders, but they never looked askance at a bit of
straightforward looting as well. The basilica - like the city as a whole
- is encrusted with trophies brought back from Venice's greatest
spoliatory exploit, the Sack of Constantinople in 1204, during the
free-for-all that went under the name of the Fourth Crusade.
The
present basilica is the third on the site. It was built mainly between
1063 and 1094, although the work of decoration continued until the 16th
century. The church only became Venice's cathedral in 1807, ten years
after the fall of the Republic; until then the bishop exerted his
authority from San Pietro in Castello.
Next
door to the Palazzo Ducale, Venice's most important church was
associated with political as much as spiritual power. Venetians who came
to worship here were very aware that they were guests of the doge, not
the pope.
Exterior
The first view of the basilica from the western end of piazza San Marco is an unforgettable experience. It is particularly impressive in the evening, when the mosaics on the façade glow in the light of the setting sun (as they are mostly 17th- and 18th-century replacements, the distance improves them). The façade consists of two orders of five arches, with clusters of columns in the lower order; the upper arches are topped by fantastic Gothic tracery.
The first view of the basilica from the western end of piazza San Marco is an unforgettable experience. It is particularly impressive in the evening, when the mosaics on the façade glow in the light of the setting sun (as they are mostly 17th- and 18th-century replacements, the distance improves them). The façade consists of two orders of five arches, with clusters of columns in the lower order; the upper arches are topped by fantastic Gothic tracery.
The
only original mosaic (c1260) is the one over the northernmost door, The
Translation of the Body of St Mark to the Basilica, which is the
earliest known representation of the church. Of curiosity value is the
17th-century mosaic over the southernmost door, which shows the body of
St Mark being filched from Alexandria and the Muslims reeling back in
disgust from its pork wrapping.
The
real treasures on show are the sculptures, particularly the group of
three carved arches around the central portal, a Romaneque masterpiece.
The inner curve of the outer arch is the liveliest, with its detailed
portrayals of Venetian trades, arts, crafts and pastimes. The upper
order, with fine 14th-century Gothic sculpture by the Dalle Masegne
brothers and later Tuscan and Lombard sculptors, can be seen from the
Loggia.
Visible through the doors, the
narthex (covered porch) has an opus sectile marble floor; a small
lozenge of porphyry by the central door is said to mark the spot where
the Emperor Barbarossa paid homage to Pope Alexander III in 1177. The
influence of Islamic art comes through in the few remaining grilles that
cover the wall niches where early doges were buried. Above, a series of
13th-century mosaics in the Byzantine style shows Old Testament scenes.
The south façade, towards the Palazzo Ducale,
was the first side seen by visitors arriving by sea and is thus richly
encrusted with trophies proclaiming La Serenissima's might. There was a
ceremonial entrance to the basilica here as well, but this was blocked
by the construction of the Zen Chapel in the 16th century. At the corner
by the Doge's Palace stand the Tetrarchs, a fourth-century porphyry
group of four conspiratorial-looking kings. These come from
Constantinople and are usually accepted as representing Diocletian and
his Imperial colleagues. However, popular lore has it that they are four
Saracens turned to stone after an attempt to burgle the Treasury.
The
two free-standing pillars in front of the Baptistry door, with Syrian
carvings from the fifth century, come from Acre, as does the stumpy
porphyry column on the corner, known as the Pietra del Bando, where
official decrees were read.
The north
façade, facing piazzetta dei Leoncini, is also studded with loot,
including the carving of 12 sheep on either side of a throne bearing a
cross, a seventh-century Byzantine work. Note the beautiful 13th-century
Moorish arches of the Porta dei Fiori, which enclose a Nativity scene.
Interior
A lifetime would hardly suffice to see everything contained in this cave of wonders. The lambent interior exudes splendour and mystery, even when bursting with tourists. The basilica is Greek cross in form, surmounted by five great 11th-century domes. The surfaces are totally covered by more than four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) of mosaics, the result of 600 years of labour. The finest pieces, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, are the work of Venetian craftsmen influenced by Byzantine art but developing their own independent style. The chapels and Baptistry were decorated in the 14th and 15th centuries; a century later, replacements of earlier mosaics were made using cartoons by such artists as Titian and Tintoretto. However, most of these later mosaics are flawed by the attempt to achieve the three-dimensional effects of Renaissance painting.
A lifetime would hardly suffice to see everything contained in this cave of wonders. The lambent interior exudes splendour and mystery, even when bursting with tourists. The basilica is Greek cross in form, surmounted by five great 11th-century domes. The surfaces are totally covered by more than four square kilometres (1.5 square miles) of mosaics, the result of 600 years of labour. The finest pieces, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, are the work of Venetian craftsmen influenced by Byzantine art but developing their own independent style. The chapels and Baptistry were decorated in the 14th and 15th centuries; a century later, replacements of earlier mosaics were made using cartoons by such artists as Titian and Tintoretto. However, most of these later mosaics are flawed by the attempt to achieve the three-dimensional effects of Renaissance painting.
In the apse,
Christ Pantocrator is a 16th-century reproduction of a Byzantine
original. Beneath, in what may be the oldest mosaics in the church, are
four saint-protectors of Venice: Nicholas, Peter, Mark and Hermagoras.
The central dome of the Ascension, with its splendidly poised angels and
apostles, dates from the early 13th century. The Passion scenes on the
west vault (12th century) are a striking blend of Romanesque and
Byzantine styles. The Pentecost dome (near the entrance) was probably
the first to be decorated; it shows the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Four
magnificent angels hover in the pendentives.
In
the right transept is the Miraculous Rediscovery of the Body of St
Mark: this refers to an episode that occurred after the second basilica
was destroyed by fire, when the secret of the whereabouts of the body
was lost. The Evangelist obligingly opened up the pillar where his
sarcophagus had been hidden (it's just opposite and is marked by an
inlaid marble panel). Notice, too, the gorgeous 12th-century marble,
porphyry and glass mosaics on the floor.
Baptistry & Zen Chapel
The Baptistry contains the Gothic tomb of Doge Andrea Dandolo and some interesting mosaics, including an image of Salome dancing. In the adjoining Zen Chapel is the bronze 16th-century tomb of Cardinal Zen (a common Venetian surname). The baptistry and chapel are very rarely open.
The Baptistry contains the Gothic tomb of Doge Andrea Dandolo and some interesting mosaics, including an image of Salome dancing. In the adjoining Zen Chapel is the bronze 16th-century tomb of Cardinal Zen (a common Venetian surname). The baptistry and chapel are very rarely open.
Chancel & Pala d'Oro
The Chancel is separated from the body of the church by the iconostasis - a red marble rood screen by the Gothic sculptors Jacobello and Pier Paolo Dalle Masegne, with fine statues of the Madonna, the apostles and St George. Access to the Chancel is via the San Clemente chapel to the right, with a mosaic showing merchants Rustico di Torcello and Buono di Malamocco, apparently about to FedEx the body of St Mark to Venice. St Mark's sarcophagus is visible through the grate underneath the altar. It was moved here from the 11th-century crypt in 1835; the crypt remains a popular venue for society weddings, though it's closed to the rest of us.
The Chancel is separated from the body of the church by the iconostasis - a red marble rood screen by the Gothic sculptors Jacobello and Pier Paolo Dalle Masegne, with fine statues of the Madonna, the apostles and St George. Access to the Chancel is via the San Clemente chapel to the right, with a mosaic showing merchants Rustico di Torcello and Buono di Malamocco, apparently about to FedEx the body of St Mark to Venice. St Mark's sarcophagus is visible through the grate underneath the altar. It was moved here from the 11th-century crypt in 1835; the crypt remains a popular venue for society weddings, though it's closed to the rest of us.
The indigestibly opulent Pala d'Oro
(Gold Altar-piece) is a Byzantine work and, for a change, was acquired
honestly. It was made in Constantinople in 976 on the orders of Doge
Pietro Orseolo I and further enriched in later years with amethysts,
emeralds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and topaz, topped off with a Gothic
frame and resetting in 1345. It's a worldly corner of the church, this.
Set in the frame of the curving sacristy door are bronze busts of its
maker, Sansovino, and his friends, Titian and Aretino, who helped to get
him out of prison in 1545. Aretino was a poet and playwright who moved
to Venice in 1527 after scandalising Rome with his Lewd Sonnets. A great
satirist and hedonist, he is said to have died laughing at a filthy
joke about his sister.
The left
transept contains the chapel of the Madonna Nicopeia (the Victory
Bringer), named after the tenth-century icon on the altar, another
Fourth Crusade acquisition. The St Isidore chapel beyond, with its
14th-century mosaics of the life of the saint, is reserved for private
prayer and confessions, as is the adjacent Mascoli chapel. The
altarpiece in this chapel, featuring Saints Mark and John the Evangelist
with the Virgin between them, is a striking piece of Gothic statuary.
The chapel's mosaics, dating from 1430-50, have a definite Renaissance
look to them. They are mostly by Michele Giambono, although some of the
figures have been attributed to Jacopo Bellini and to the Florentine
Andrea del Castagno, who was in Venice in 1432.
Loggia & Museo Marciano
Of all the pay-to-enter sections of the basilica, this is definitely the most worthwhile - and it's the only part of the church you can visit on Sunday morning. Up a narrow stairway from the narthex are the bronze horses that vie with the lion of St Mark as the city's symbol; here, too, is Paolo Veneziano's exquisite Pala Feriale, a painted panel that was used to cover the Pala d'Oro on weekdays. The Loggia also provides a marvellous view over the square.
Of all the pay-to-enter sections of the basilica, this is definitely the most worthwhile - and it's the only part of the church you can visit on Sunday morning. Up a narrow stairway from the narthex are the bronze horses that vie with the lion of St Mark as the city's symbol; here, too, is Paolo Veneziano's exquisite Pala Feriale, a painted panel that was used to cover the Pala d'Oro on weekdays. The Loggia also provides a marvellous view over the square.
The
original bronze horses are now kept indoors. They were among the many
treasures brought back from the Sack of Constantinople, where they had
stood above the city's Hippodrome. For many years they were attributed
to a Greek sculptor of the fourth century BC, but the idea that they may
be a Roman work of the second century AD has recently come into favour:
the half-moon shape of their eyes is said to have been a Roman
characteristic. They were at first placed in front of the Arsenale, but around 1250 were moved to the terrace of the basilica.
In
1797 it was Napoleon's turn to play looter; the horses did not return
to Venice from Paris until after his defeat at Waterloo. Apart from the
parentheses of the two World Wars, when they were put away in safe
storage, they remained on the terrace until 1974, when they were removed
for restoration. Since 1982 they have been on display inside the
basilica, with exact but soulless copies replacing them outside.
TreasuryThis contains a hoard of exquisite Byzantine gold and silver plunder - reliquaries, chalices, candelabras. If you can stand the glitter, the highlights are a silver perfume censer in the form of a church and two 11th-century icons of the Archangel Michael.
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