Description
Venice was a commercial crossroads of East and West throughout the Middle Ages. St. Mark’s Basilica (begun 1063) embodies in its architecture and art a unique blending of artistic cultures. Its ground plan is Byzantine, modeled on the ancient Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. So too the resplendent mosaics in the five golden domes. But the Venetian architect altered the plan to suit Catholic liturgical needs and local artists developed their own mosaic style to create a unique masterpiece of art and architecture.
