History
The history of Venice and the Basilica di San Marco are very
much intertwined. According to Venetian
legend, the city was founded on the day of the Annunciation, March 25,
421. Because of its isolating geographical
features, the city of Venice developed independently of other European
cities.
Originally, the patron saint of Venice was St. Theodore, but
after two Venetian merchants took the body of St. Mark from Alexandria and
brought it to Venice in 828, St. Mark became the new patron saint. In 829, the Basilica di San Marco was constructed at the forefront of the city
along the Adriatic Sea to protect the relics of St. Mark.
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In 976, as part of a revolt against the doge, rebels burned
the Basilica di San Marco, completely destroying it. It remained destroyed until the early 1070s
when Doge Domenico Contarini commissioned the rebuilding of the Basilica di San Marco, which was
finished by Venetian and Byzantine architects in 1071. This building is the building that still
stands today.
In 1172, two columns featuring sculptures of St. Theodore
and St. Mark were placed outside the Basilica
di San Marco. In 1204, the Venetians
sacked Constantinople, stealing artwork that was eventually brought back to the
Basilica di San Marco such as the Quadriga and the Tetrachs.
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The Basilica di San
Marco functioned as a church as well as the doge’s personal place of
worship. Throughout the years, the
numerous works of art inside the basilica have preserved Venetian culture and
history. Today, the Basilica di San Marco is a popular tourist attraction for its art
and architecture.
