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Venice

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Venice-Basilica San Marco-The Palo d'Oro retable and the treasure room

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The corpse of san Marco rests in a sarcophagus located under the master altar. But behind that altar is the most extraordinary, the most incredible and beautiful pieces of the basilica and maybe of all Italy: the “PALA D’ORO.” It is easy to see from afar since there is always a human herd blocking your view (you are not the only one, unfortunately). Unique Byzantine and Venetian masterpiece, ordered by the doge Pietro Orseolo, executed in 976 in Constantinople, but taking its actual form in the 14th century, this large gold altarpiece, encrusted with enamels, precious stones, in massive gold, occupied a central role in the liturgy. It was often enhanced, transformed over the centuries (400 years!!). The main artist who sculpted it was Paolo Veneziano (signed with his sons Luca and Giovanni and dated 1345). When Napoleon conquered Venetia, he stole (or looted) a lot of enamels and precious stones (1,300 pearls, 300 sapphires, 400 garnets and 90 amethysts from the Pala d’Oro and went off to France with it. But there are still 2,000 pearls, sapphires, emerald, amethyst and other precious stones left on the retable. Also in the choir, above the altar, you can see a “baldacchino” (altar canopy), sustained by alabaster pillars, which are sculpted with scenes of the New Testament.
Look at the floor and the pavement. It is one mosaic, lightly curved and decorated with complex, geometric patterns, like scenes of a lion biting a wolf, an eagle attacking wild animal and a swan with a snake in its beak.
The entrance to the TREASURE ROOM (Tesoro) is via the south transept. Here you will have to pay to get in. Practically all guides describe this Tesoro as one of the richest collections of Byzantine art, with numerous relics and golden religious objects. I was rather deceived and learned that all these precious objects were also looted and pillaged by the crusaders during the 4th crusade when they passed Byzantium.
If you want to go upstairs to visit the upper gallery, return to the entrance vestibule, take your wallet out again, pay the fee and you will be able to see the basilica museum and the four famous horses, or at least their copies, since the originals are kept in a museum.