The grandeur of St. Mark's Basilica - Carly Lewallen




Italian architecture has always stood out to me, especially because of the intense attention to detail and form that the architects emphasize through their work. As a prominently catholic country, Italy is known to have magnificent and beautifully constructed churches. Basilica di san marco, or Saint Mark's Basilica, is arguably the most fascinating pilgrimage site in Venice. The Basilica was built around 829 BCE, and houses the remains of Saint Mark. Saint Mark references the gospel of mark in the new testament, and was also a very notable figure in the roman catholic church. The sculpted lions that are found throughout the building, act as a symbol of Saint Mark, and are also icons of the city of Venice. The element of the lions makes the backstory to the cathedral even more interesting to me! Learning about another aspect of Venetian architecture and the sacred history in the background has left me even more curious about worship sites of Catholicism. 

Sources: Britannica

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