Basilica di san marco - the pearl of venice. In the footsteps of Inferno: Golden Cathedral of San Marco Opening hours of the Cathedral of San Marco

The main secret of the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni is the Sanctuary, where the light and durable armor of Altair... After some time, Mario decides to show them to Ezio. To obtain Altair's equipment and armor, stored behind bars, you need to find six key seals of the legendary assassins - Kulan-Gala, Darius, Wei Yu, Amunet, Iltani and Leonia - buried in Italy. Uncle, no matter how much he tried, did not manage to find them, but he still does not lose hope, although he has long given up on active searches. The locations of the assassin's tombs with seals are marked on the map with special black icons in the form of the letter A. The icons appear immediately or after visiting viewpoints, starting from the fourth sequence.

Before receiving each seal, you will have to pass a test, proving the seriousness of your intentions. Trials consist of overcoming obstacles for a while or finding a way. An unpleasant surprise during the hunt for seals will be the behavior of the camera, which at key moments will choose unsuccessful angles and viewing angles, leading to offensive disruptions, snags and marking time. Each location, in addition to the main reward, hides one or two secret areas where treasure chests are hidden. It is not necessary to look for them, in this case, only the reward will be missed - several hundred gold coins (replaying the assassin's tombs in AC2 is available through the "Caches" in the "DNA" section in the main menu of the game). The collected seals are placed in the slots on the Assassin statues in the Sanctuary in the basement of Villa Monteriggioni. All seals can be collected in the ninth sequence, before the Venice Carnival.

Legendary Assassins:

• Mongol Kulan-Gal - shot Genghis Khan's horse with a bow.
• Persian Darius - killed Xerxes with a hidden blade.
• Chinese Wei Yu - killed with a spear the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang.
• Egyptian Amunet - killed Cleopatra with a snake.
• Babylonian Iltani - poisoned Alexander the Great.
• Roman Leonius - stabbed Caligula with a dagger.

Assassin Tombs locations in Assassin's Creed 2:

• Darius's seal (plot task "The Mystery of the Novella", sequence 4.4):
  • Florence : Catacombs under the Cathedral of Santa Maria Novella in the eponymous quarter in the eastern part of the city, entrance through a guarded courtyard on the east side of the building.
• Iltani Seal (task "The Mystery of the Cathedral"):
  • Florence : Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in the San Giovanni quarter of the city center, entrance at the north wall.
• Wei Yu seal (task "The Secret of Torre Gross"):
  • Tuscany / San Gimignano : At the base of the Torre Grossa tower, south of the central square with the Church of Santa Maria Assunta.
• Kulan-Gala seal (task "The Secret of Ravaldino"):
  • Forli : Behind the northern wall of the Rocca di Ravaldino fortress in the southwestern part of the city.
• Amunet seal (task "The Secret of San Marco"):
  • Venice [

St. Mark's Square is the central square of Venice and one of the most famous squares in the world, the city's treasure and, to some extent, its "curse" - because of the millions of tourists who flock here at any time of the year from dawn to dusk.

In this article you will find useful information on visiting all the famous buildings - architectural monuments of Venice, located on San Marco.

It's no secret that from about nine in the morning to 18.00-19.00 (and in the high tourist season and longer), St. Mark's Square is literally teeming with tourists who climb into each other's frame, queue up at all museums and palaces and fill the cafes and restaurants of Piazza and near it, despite the absolutely inhumane prices. Most of the visitors arriving in Venice are so-called "one-day" - sightseers who come to the city for one day as part of a short sightseeing tour or get off the ramp of cruise ships moored off the coast of Venice. Naturally, under limited time conditions, all these people move mainly along San Marco or in its immediate vicinity.

Therefore, the main advice: If possible, avoid getting to know San Marco at this time. The idea of \u200b\u200bthe main square of Venice will be completely different if you see it empty, calm and even mystical - for example, on a January evening, when already at seven or eight o'clock people disperse to hotels and restaurants, and the alarming and ominous ringing of the bells of the Campanile San -Marco. In summer, in order to find an area empty (for example, for photography), you often have to get up before dawn and "guard" it in order to take shots with the first rays of the sun with practically no people.

San Marco is divided into two parts - the Piazza itself and the Piazzeta - the part of the square that faces the sea, with a pier for vaporetto and gondolas.

The magnificent architectural ensemble of Piazza San Marco is Basilica (Cathedral) of Saint Mark, Doge's palace, on three sides the Piazza is framed buildings with colonnades are Old Procurat, New Procurat and Napoleon's Wing (Ala Napoleonica) connecting the two buildings. Today, part of the halls of the historic Novy Prokurat and Napoleon's Wing is Correr Museumdedicated to the history of the city, the life of Venice and the Venetians.

At the bottom of the former Procuratorate buildings are cafes and restaurants with a rich history, including the oldest in Italy florian cafe, opened at the end of 1720. If you face St. Mark's Cathedral, there is a small Piazzeta dei Leoncini... Another building of San Marco stunning with its elegance and detail is Clock tower (Torre dellʻOrologio) with a statue of a lion holding an open book, a zodiac clock and figures of bell-ringers on the roof.

In the middle of the square overlooking the whole of Venice campanile (bell tower) of St. Mark's Cathedral. The building overlooks the Piazzetta and the Doge's Palace, where Archaeological Museum and National Library of Saint Mark... On the embankment of the Grand Canal next to the Doge's Palace there are two ancient columns with a very interesting history, one of the symbols of the square - Column of Saint Mark and Column of Saint Theodore.

Opening hours of the Cathedral of San Marco

Low season (November to April (Easter)

Basilica - 9.45 - 17.00, Sundays and holidays - from 14.00 to 16.00. Free admission.

Pala d'Oro - from 9.45 to 16.00, Sunday and holidays - from 14.00 to 16.00 (entrance 2 euros)

Treasury - from 9.45 to 16.00, Sundays and holidays - from 14.00 to 16.00 (entrance 3 euros)

High season (March / April to November)

Basilica - 9.45 - 17.00, Sundays and holidays - from 14.00 to 17.00. Free admission

Museum of St. Mark - from 9.45 to 16.45 (entrance 4 euros)

Pala d'Oro - from 9.45 to 17.00, Sunday and holidays - from 14.00 to 17.00 (entrance 2 euros)

Treasury - from 9.45 to 17.00, Sundays and holidays - from 14.00 to 17.00 (entrance 3 euros)

Keep in mind that you cannot enter St Mark's Basilica with luggage (for example, even with a small backpack on your back). Bulky items can be checked in at the Ateneo San Basso, which is located on the Piazzetta dei Leoncini (to the left of the cathedral). Also, you cannot take pictures and shoot inside the video, talk loudly and go into the cathedral in open clothes.

Opening hours of the Doge's Palace

From April 1 to October 31 - from 8.30 to 19.00 (ticket sales end at 18.00, since it takes at least an hour to see the Palace)

Ticket price (in 2019) - 20 euros (this is a combined ticket that is also valid for the entrance to the Correr Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the San Marco National Library). Discount: for children from 6 to 14 years old, students from 15 to 25 upon presentation of a certificate, seniors over 65 years old - 13 euros.

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This city is a unique temple built in the Byzantine style. The Cathedral of St. Mark, or the Cathedral of San Marco, is loved by the locals and is considered one of the main places of tourist pilgrimage in Italy.

The stolen saint

Somewhere in the eighties of our era, brave merchants from Venice stole the relics of the saint in Alexandria, which they brought to their hometown. Thus, they tried to provide their fellow tribesmen with protection from all hardships and shocks. The fact is that, according to legend, an angel once appeared to the saint during his travels, announcing that he would find peace only in Venice. So the brave traders just fulfilled God's will.

Initially, the "city fathers" reacted favorably to this religious feat. In order to provide the saint with a worthy final resting place, the Basilica of San Marco was built. But the first temple was unlucky - it burned down. True, the remains of the saint survived.

Fearing revenge from the robbed Alexandrians, and possibly of heavenly punishment, the local clergy decided on a bold hoax. A new cathedral was built on the site of the basilica destroyed by fire, and then it was announced to the people that the relics of Saint Mark had materialized here by themselves. The city was jubilant!

San Marco as a place of worship and cultural monument

The Cathedral of San Marco quickly became famous. People came here in hours of joy and sorrow, here rulers were crowned and heroes were buried. However, the temple itself had not only religious, but also political significance: its grandeur and beauty were supposed to show the whole world that the Venetian Republic deserves respect.

The facade of the basilica is decorated with Constantinople marble and unique carvings, the arches are covered with bizarre mosaics, and inside the temple is an interesting collection of cultural monuments, including works of great artists of the Renaissance.

But the most incredible luxury is the local altar, Pala d'Oro. Perhaps this is the main treasure of Venice. This masterpiece was created for half a century - a complex of eighty miniature icons adorned with precious stones and precious metals is not accidentally called the "golden altar". Today, entering the Cathedral of San Marco means touching the collection of treasures of the beautiful freedom-loving Venice. And at the same time - to receive the blessing of the saint, whose remains rest under the arches of the basilica.

“The one who, standing in St. Mark, does not feel that his heart is beating faster, he can afford to be buried, for he is dead, hopelessly dead ... The one who has St. Mark does not have a heartbeat, does not have it at all, "wrote the famous Austrian writer Franz Grillparzer.

Cathedral of Saint Mark (Italian Basilica di San Marco) - the Cathedral of Venice (until 1807, the court chapel at the Doge's palace ), which is a rare examplebyzantine architecture in Western Europe ... Located onst. Mark's Square, Near The Doge's Palace. The cathedral is not only outstanding monumentoh m italian Middle Ages art, but it occupies a lot of space in the blood vessel out architectural masterpieceabout in.

As the legend says, the evangelist - Mark was returning from a trip and was overtaken by a storm. He decided to take refuge in the Venetian lagoon. In a dream, an angel appeared to him and told him that in this place he would find peace. The angel's words are immortalized on the banner of the Venetian Republic: "Pax tibi Marce evangelista meus" - "Peace be with you, Mark, my evangelist."After his death, Mark was buried in Alexandria.

The original view of the Basilica.

While in Alexandria, the merchants Buono and Rustico learned that the Muslims were planning to destroy a number of Christian churches in order to make way for the construction of mosques. The Venetians decided to save the relics of the saint from inevitable desecration, especially since, according to Holy tradition, the preaching of Christianity in the cities of the Venetian lagoon is associated with the Apostle Mark.

With many precautions and tricks, the relics were removed, and after their arrival in Venice,apostle mark received the status of the patron saint of the city, giving him his symbol - a winged lion.

The construction of the first version of the building was started by the Doge Giustiniano Partchipazio in 829 and completed in 832 by his brother Giovanni. In 976, as a result of a fire, the cathedral suffered serious damage, but it was later restored

In 1071 the church was mostly completed, and in 1094 it was solemnly consecrated. The design of the cathedral lasted for several centuries, and each generation of Venetians brought something of its own into its appearance, saturating it with fabulous treasures.

During this time, a change in artistic tastes took place, which could not but be reflected in the cathedral, where elements of all styles are present. Although San Marco is woven from European styles, in general, it has a spirit of wondrous luxury of the East. He is especially good at night, when the beauty of fairy tales emanates from him.

Nowhere in the world - neither in the East nor in the West - is there anything like it. This is how the masters of Venice showed their talent already in the first major creation.

The Church of San Marco went down in history as the Cathedral of St. Mark, although it was not officially a cathedral during the entire Middle Ages (this role until 1807 belonged to the Church of San Pietro di Castello).
Gradually San Marco turned into a magnificent monument of architecture and art. The cathedral was not only a repository of sacred relics, but also the center of public life in Venice. Here the doge was initiated, naval commanders and condottieri received signs of their powers. Saint Mark was the religious and civic symbol of Venice.

In addition to history, the architectural component is also very interesting - the fact is that originally built in the form of a classical Greek basilica with a Romanesque facade, the cathedral over the years has become an arena of mixing different styles.

Suffice it to say that its appearance combines oriental marble, Romanesque and Greek bas-reliefs, Italian and Byzantine sculptures, as well as Gothic capitals. It is very important that, thanks to the talent of the master builders, all these so different elements together made up a very integral and organic architectural ensemble.

View of Piazza San Marco from above.

The shape of the cathedral is typically Byzantine and is an equal-ended Greek cross. Curious is the construction of the altar part, which is separated from the central nave by a Gothic iconostasis.

The altar barrier is made of dark red Verona marble, it is crowned with a large cross, on either side of which there are 14 statues - 12 apostles, as well as the Virgin Mary and Saint Mark. In the altar itself, there is a ciborium (a canopy over the throne), under which is the main altar of the church with the relics of St. Mark. It is hewn from a single piece green oriental marble and is supported by four columns of calcareous alabaster, each of which has 9 rows of reliefs depicting the story of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

Venice took over a lot from wise Byzantium. The main structure of the building is Byzantine. The building is crowned with five domes in the form of lanterns with gilded crosses of the 13th century. The façade has huge niches and half-open arches. The cathedral is complemented by marble facing and luxurious portals, decorated with two tiers of columns, arches with sculptures and mosaics above the entrance.

The cathedral received its festive decoration in the XII-XIV centuries. At the beginning of the 14th century, the building was crowned with a magnificent whimsical cornice in the Gothic style. The decoration details of San Marco date back to different times and their origins vary. For their artistic merit, they deserve to be told about them in detail.

Some of the reliefs were brought from Byzantium. Some of them represent various crafts, hunting or fishing scenes. The bronze doors of the entrances are very interesting: the two doors on the edges represent the beautiful works of Bertucci, made in 1300, as evidenced by the signature of the master and the date right on the doors. The middle door was converted from Byzantine. The decor is rich in mosaic decorations. The first ones were made in the XIII century.

The mosaic compositions of the main portal reproduce the scene of the Last Judgment, others are devoted to the story of the abduction and arrival of the body of St. Mark in Venice. The Latin inscriptions above them say that Saint Mark is brought in so that he "always protects the Venetians from enemies." Only the first of the mosaics have survived in their original form, and from them you can easily imagine what the cathedral looked like in the 13th century.

Other mosaics are located above the cathedral entrances: "The Abduction of the Body of St. Mark from Alexandria", "The Arrival of the Body of St. Mark in Venice", "The Venetian Signors meet the Body of St. Mark." The authors of these works are Pietro della Vecchia and Sebastiano Ricci. This is only a small part of the entire sculptural and mosaic decoration of the cathedral. Here, all the domes and vaults are filled with gold mosaics, the total area of \u200b\u200bwhich is more than 4000 m

Above the central entrance to the cathedral is the famous quadriga - four bronze horses, which in the 4th century BC. e. cast by craftsmen from the Greek island of Chios. First, the quadriga was brought to Rome, where it decorated the triumphal arch. In the IV century A.D. e. she was sent to Constantinople, where she was hoisted on the gates of the hippodrome and remained there for several centuries.
In 1204, Doge Enrico Dandolo took Constantinople at the head of the crusaders. As a trophy, he brought out the horses taken from the arch of the Byzantine emperor. Horses at first stood on a pedestal near the Doge's Palace, but in 1797, by order of Napoleon, whose troops occupied Venice, the horses were sent to Paris and installed on the Carousel Square opposite the Louvre, where the famous quadriga stayed for eighteen years.

Quadriga Original
After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, the horses were returned to Venice and hoisted over the central entrance to St. Mark's Cathedral. During the two world wars, the quadriga was lowered into cover. Now the priceless original is in the museum, and its bronze copy is on the dome of St. Mark's Cathedral.

Through the main entrance of the cathedral, you will enter the atrium, which was originally intended for jades (uninitiated). The walls are faced with marble and mosaics and depict events from the Old Testament. Especially impressive is the mosaic "Creation of the World and Man". Individual scenes are arranged in concentric circles. The whole story of Adam and Eve is described in great detail, and each day of creation is indicated by a white angel.

The Russian artist Surikov, seeing this mosaic, was so delighted with it that he wrote: "In old painting, and in the newest, I have never seen a legend conveyed with such a psychological truth."

Numerous mosaics cover the domes and arches of the cathedral. Huge compositions are created bit by bit by unknown craftsmen, from pieces of glass and stone.

The Venetians were introduced to the art of mosaics by Byzantine masters who came to Venice. Masters from Byzantium passed on the secrets of mosaic technique: the degree of light transmission and reflectivity of glass, stone and metal, the combination of gold with paints. In the IX-XIV centuries the Venetian school of mosaic painting was formed.

Gradually, the mosaics were arranged on the walls of the cathedral in a strict order, starting with the image of Christ and scenes from the life of the 12 apostles and ending with the images of all the saints and patrons of Venice.

Preserved Byzantine features and mosaic in the center of the dome (XIII century) called "Ascension of Christ". On the supporting arches of the dome, there are scenes from the New Testament: the childhood of Christ, the miracles performed by him, the Crucifixion and Resurrection. The Venetian in these compositions manifested itself in the desire for colorfulness and festivity. The beauty of the mosaics and marble of the walls is combined with the ornamentation of the floor, which is especially striking in the brilliance of colors after the flood, when the water rises to the level of the atrium floor.

The southern façade is adorned with numerous decorative elements taken from Constantinople. Of greatest interest issculpture of the four tetrarchs, made of porphyry ... The tetrarchs are installed at the corner of the treasury, next to it are the Acritan pilasters.

The statue was made in the first halfIV century and was part ofconstantinople Philadelphia , built next to the column of Constantine.

• the most common version that gave the name to the composition is the co-rulers of the tetrarchy period: Diocletian, Maximian, Galerius and Constantius Chlorus;

The entire interior of the cathedral makes an indelible impression of grandeur and grandeur: huge domes, vaults reaching upward, mosaics sparkling with gilding, rich pattern of the stone floor.

Altar

In the middle of the cathedral there is an altar fence made of polychrome marble, decorated with columns and sculptures. The altar of the cathedral contains a unique treasure - the golden altar.

This is one of the richest altars that have survived to this day. The history of its creation is 400 years old. The altar was commissioned by the Doge Orseolo in 1105, redesigned for Falier, then in 1209 decorated with enamels and gold.

In the upper part of the altar are inserted six enamel plates with episodes of the Sacred history depicted on them - these enamels were most likely taken out during the Crusade from the Monastery of the Almighty in Constantinople. The lower part of the enamel depicts Christ surrounded by evangelists, angels, apostles and prophets, and also there are sculptural figures of Empress Irene and Doge Ordelaorfo Falier.

Enamels in themselves are the greatest value, and decorated with gold, diamonds, rubies and pearls are not only a work of art, but also the most valuable treasure.

On the left side of the cathedral is the altar of the Madonna with the icon "Madonna bringing victory", which is considered the patroness of Venice. This Byzantine icon belonged to the monastery of St. John the Theologian in Constantinople, where it was brought along with other valuable items after the Crusade. In the right wing of the baptistery there is a baptismal chamber.

One of the illustrious images kept here is the red-robed figure of Salome, with the head of John the Baptist on a platter. This work inspired A. Blok to write the following lines:

In the shadow of the palace gallery
Slightly illuminated by the moon
Hiding, Salome passes
With my bloody head.
Everything is asleep - palaces, canals, people;
Only a ghost sliding step
Just a head on a black platter
Looks longingly into the surrounding darkness.

Archangel Michael. Byzantine cloisonné enamel.

The rarest riches belonging to Venice and the Cathedral have long been kept in the San Marco Treasury. True, not all the treasures have reached us completely. But what has survived is also of interest. Visitors will be shown a marble relic in the form of an armchair made in the 4th century, Byzantine bowls, Egyptian rock crystal objects, a one-of-a-kind thing - the "grotto of Our Lady" made in Venice in the 13th century from various objects.

The cathedral is famous for its mosaics, including "The Descent from the Cross", "The Descent of Jesus Christ into Hell", "The Resurrection of Christ" and many others. The total area of \u200b\u200bmosaic paintings is about 4000 sq. meters.

The cathedral has five domes - one central and four above the branches of the cross. In turn, each of the domes also forms the center of the cross-domed group.

AT crypt (a place serving for the burial of the relics of saints) of the cathedral, some of the elements that historically date back to the first basilica have been preserved. There is a chapel in its center, decorated with marble openwork slab Byzantine work, it was under it that the relics of St. Mark were kept until 1835, which were then transferred to the main altar.

.

All the beauty and uniqueness of the cathedral can be described in the phrase of the famous English art critic John Ruskin (John Ruskin), who in 1851 said something like this:

“You can stand at St. Mark's Cathedral all day, carefully observing the reactions of people passing by, and during all this time you will not see a single one who would not raise their eyes to him. A soldier and a city dweller, an executioner and a poet, rich and poor - none of them can pass by and remain indifferent! ”.

Today, after so many years, nothing has changed. People from all over the world do not stop admiring the beauty of the building, admiring the cathedral.