The Horses of Saint Mark

This equestrian group has a long history. They are ancient, from classical Greece, and originally adorned the hippodrome of Constantinople. When that city was sacked in the Fourth Crusade (to the eternal shame of Christendom) they were looted and brought to Venice where they were placed above the entrance to San Marco. When Napoleon arrived in 1797 and put an end to the thousand years of the glorious Venetian Republic, he in turn looted them and brought the horses to Paris. They were returned to Venice in 1815. The horses outside are copies. The originals are in the museum, and here they are! By a stroke of good fortune nobody was around, and no guard to reprimand me for snapping a photo. The Horses of Saint Mark! They are magnificent!!

San Marco II

I have been to Venice before, but that was a long time ago, perhaps forty years. When I planned my itinerary I thought: let me see Venice once more before I die. I am so glad I made the effort to come here.
The Basilica of Saint Mark was originally consecrated in 1094 and expanded for centuries afterwards. If it seems oriental that is because it is, being heavily influenced by Byzantine style. The basilica is shaped like a Greek cross and it has five magnificent cupolas.
When I was here before I remember just walking into the church. Those days are now gone. I had to wait in line first in the hot sun to visit the loggia (affording great views) and the museum. There was a service going on at the time, so the church itself was not accessible. But we could hear the choir singing -- and it was magnificent. Later the screens blocking the view of the nave were removed and we could see the interior from the upper loggia. Breathtaking! I came back later to go into the church (and had to stand in line again). There are so many people here. Forty years ago there were fewer people on the planet and since then, with the liberation of Eastern Europe and Russia, the pool of tourists has swelled even more. (I have run into Russians and Chinese everywhere.)

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!!