Back to Venice

Our return to Venice concentrated first on Piazza San Marco, the Basilica, and the Orologio. From its origins in the early 9th century, the basilica has been an important point of reference for everyone from the early Doges (or 'Doxe', meaning leader) to the current tourists and students.  Once the Venetians stole the relics of St. Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria, effectively replacing the previous Saint Theodore (whose column is in the Piazzetta, next to the Lion of St. Mark), their ascendency to supreme power in the Adriatic began and remained for centuries.  The Basilica's pronounced Byzantine style makes it the most 'eastern' of 'western' churches and perfectly symbolizes Venice as a crossroads between east and west.  The mixture Byzantine, later Medieval and Renaissance styles of Venetian art are eloquently on display in perhaps the most beautiful piazza in all of Europe, St. Mark's Square.

Among the quintessentially Venetian features of our trip, we had a glance at some glasswork. More is on the way, but this was a first taste.