San Marco

If Venice was the highlight of my journey, the church of San Marco was the highlight of Venice. To a musician this is hollowed ground. In this very church, virtually unchanged since the sixteenth century, Claudio Monteverdi was the choir master, followed by Giovanni da Gabrielli. Antonio Vivaldi worked near here. This is one of the greatest buildings in the world, steeped in history. The entire surface is done in gold mosaics. As the floor has settled over the centuries the building is leaning here and there, the floor uneven -- but it is exactly the same as it was centuries ago. The atmosphere is dark, mysterious, almost oriental. Pictures were strictly vietato, forbidden, but many tourists ignored that and snapped away. I was awed to be here and moved to tears. San Marco!!