San Marco is a

minor basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

dedicated to

St. Mark Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Accor ...

the Evangelist located in the small Piazza di San Marco adjoining

Piazza Venezia Piazza Venezia () is a central hub of Rome, Italy, in which several thoroughfares intersect, including the Via dei Fori Imperiali and the Via del Corso. It takes its name from the Palazzo Venezia, built by the Venetian Cardinal, Pietro Barbo ...

. It was first built in 336 by Pope Mark, whose remains are in an urn located below the main altar. The basilica is the national church of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

in Rome.

History

In 336, Pope Mark built a church devoted to one of the Evangelists, his patron saint,

, in a place called ''ad Pallacinas''. The church is thus recorded as ''Titulus Marci'' in the 499 synod of

Pope Symmachus Pope Symmachus (died 19 July 514) was the bishop of Rome from 22 November 498 to his death. His tenure was marked by a serious schism over who was elected pope by a majority of the Roman clergy. Early life He was born on the Mediterranean isla ...

. At that time it became one of the stational churches of the city (Monday of the third week in Lent). After a restoration in 792 by

Pope Adrian I Pope Adrian I ( la, Hadrianus I; died 25 December 795) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 772 to his death. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman. Adrian and his predecessors had to contend with periodic ...

, the church was rebuilt by

Pope Gregory IV Pope Gregory IV ( la, Gregorius IV; died 25 January 844) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from October 827 to his death. His pontificate was notable for the papacy’s attempts to intervene in the quarrels between Emperor Loui ...

in 833. Besides the addition of a Romanesque bell tower in 1154, the major change in the architecture of the church was ordered by

Pope Paul II Pope Paul II ( la, Paulus II; it, Paolo II; 23 February 1417 – 26 July 1471), born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 August 1464 to his death in July 1471. When his maternal uncle Eugene IV ...

in 1465–70, when the façade of the church was restyled according to the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

taste with a

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cul ...

and

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...

, using marbles taken from the

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world ...

and the Theatre of Marcellus. The façade is attributed to

Leon Battista Alberti Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher, and cryptographer; he epitomised the nature of those identified now as polymaths. H ...

. Paul II being a Venetian by birth, assigned the church to the Venetian people living in Rome. Madama Lucrezia a piazza san marco

The last major reworking of the basilica was started in 1654-57 and completed by Cardinal

Angelo Maria Quirini Angelo Maria Querini or Quirini (30 March 1680 – 6 January 1755) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Biography Born in Venice, he entered the Benedictine Order in Florence in 1695 and was ordained in 1702. From 1710 to 171 ...

in 1735–50. With these restorations, the church received its current

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

decoration.

Interior

The floor of the church is below the ground level of the Renaissance period, and therefore steps lead down to the interior. The church retains its ancient basilica format, with a raised sanctuary. The inside of the church is clearly Baroque. However, the basilica shows noteworthy elements of all her earlier history: * the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

mosaics, dating to

(827-844), show the Pope, with the squared

halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

of a living person, offering a model of the church to

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

, in the presence of

Mark the Evangelist Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...

, Pope Saint Mark and other saints; * the wooden ceiling, with the emblem of

(1464-1471), is one of only two original 15th-century wooden ceilings in Rome, together with the one at

Santa Maria Maggiore The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the large ...

; * Cardinal Angelo Maria Querini (Cardinal Priest of S. Marco 1728–1743) restored the Choir, renewed the pavement of the Chapel of the Sacrament, and rebuilt the high altar. * the tomb of Leonardo Pesaro of Venice, aged 16, by

Antonio Canova Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was inspired by the Baroque and the cla ...

(1796). In the portico are several early Christian grave stones, as well as the gravestone of Vannozza dei Cattanei, the mistress of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia.

Cardinal Priests of S. Marco

11th-12th centuries

* Johannes (attested 1059). * Atto (attested 1072 - 1084). Excommunicated by

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

as schismatic. * Robertus (attested 1086). * Romanus (attested 1098 - 1118). Supported the

Antipope Clement III Guibert or Wibert of Ravenna ( 10298 September 1100) was an Italian prelate, archbishop of Ravenna, who was elected pope in 1080 in opposition to Pope Gregory VII and took the name Clement III. Gregory was the leader of the movement in the chur ...

(Wido). * Bonifatius (1111 - 1130?). Supported the

Pope Anacletus II Anacletus II (died January 25, 1138), born Pietro Pierleoni, was an antipope who ruled in opposition to Pope Innocent II from 1130 until his death in 1138. After the death of Pope Honorius II, the college of cardinals was divided over his succe ...

in the schism. * Petrus (1130). * Guido (1133 - 1143). * Gilbertus (1143-1150). * Rolandus Bandinelli (1151 - 1159). Elected

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...

. * Johannes (1170 - 1190→).

13th-14th centuries

Goffredo da Castiglione Pope Celestine IV ( la, Caelestinus IV; c. 1180/1187 − 10 November 1241), born Goffredo da Castiglione, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States for only a few days from 25 October 1241 to his death in 10 November 1241. ...

(September 1227 - 1239). Promoted Bishop of Sabina. * Guillaume de Bray (May 1262 - 29 April 1282). *

Pietro Peregrosso Pietro Peregrosso (born in Milan, ca. 1225; died in Anagni, or Rome, 1 August 1295) was a Roman Catholic legal scholar, ecclesiastical bureaucrat, and Cardinal (1288-1295). He had a sister, who was a nun at the convent of S. Agnete de Archagniago ...

( 1289 - 1 August 1295). *

Bertrand de Déaulx Bertrand de Déaulx (or Deaulx, or Deux; ''Lat''. Bertrandus de Deucio) was a French bishop, diplomat and Cardinal. He was born, perhaps around 1290, in Castrum de Blandiaco in the diocese of Uzès; or in Déaulx. He died in Avignon in 1355. T ...

(18 December 1338 - 4 November 1348). Promoted Bishop of Sabina. * Franciscus de Aptis (23 December 1356 - 25 August 1361). * Jean de Blauzac (Blandiaco) (17 September 1361 - 1372). Promoted Bishop of Sabina. * Petrus Amelii (18 December 1379 - 10 August 1389). *

Giovanni Fieschi Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * '' Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend ...

(1390 - died before December 1384). *

Ludovico Donati Ludovico Donato (died 1385 or 1386) was an Italian Franciscan. He became Minister General of his order, of the Rome obedience during the Western Schism, in 1379. In 1383 he was created a Cardinal, the first ever from Venice. He was arrested with ...

, O. Min. (21 December 1381 - December 1386). * Jean de Blauzac (17 Seotenber 1361 - September 1372). Promoted Bishop of Sabina.

15th century

* Angelo Correr (Corrario) (12 June 1405 - 30 November 1406). Elected Pope. *

Antonio Calvi Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular ...

(2 July 1409 - 2 October 1411). *

Guillaume Fillastre Guillaume Fillastre (the Elder) (b. 1348 at La Suze, Maine, France; d. Rome, 6 November 1428) was a French cardinal, canonist, humanist, and geographer. Life After graduating as doctor ''juris utriusque'', Fillastre taught jurisprudence at Reim ...

(6 June 1411 - 6 November 1428). * Pietro Barbo (16 June 1451 - 30 August 1464). Eected Pope. *

Marco Barbo Marco Barbo (1420 – 2 March 1491) of Venice was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church (1467) and patriarch of Aquileia (1470). He was a member of the noble Barbo family and a third cousin of Pietro Barbo, who became Pope Paul II. In Rome ...

(2 October 1467 - 2 March 1491). * Lorenzo Cibo de Mari (14 March 1491 - 21 December 1503).

16th century

* Domenico Grimani (25 December 1503 - 27 August 1523). *

Marco Cornaro Marco Cornaro (c. 1286 – 13 January 1368), also known as Marco Corner, was the 59th doge of Venice, ruling between 1365 and 1368. His brief reign saw the loss of Venetian territory to Genoa and the Ottoman Empire, though Venice was to enjoy eco ...

(14 December 1523 - 20 May 1524). Appointed Bishop of Albano. *

Francesco Pisani Francesco Pisani (1494 – 28 June 1570) was an Italian Cardinal, born in Venice, the son of Alvise Pisani the noted banker, who was Procurator of S. Mark's, a member of the Council of Ten, and a Councilor of the Doge of Venice; and Cecilia Giust ...

He was a cardinal-deacon, and S. Marco was a deaconry ''pro hac vice''. (3 May 1527 - 21 June 1564). Appointed Bishop of Ostia. *

Luigi Cornaro Alvise Cornaro, often Italianised Luigi (1484, 1467 or 1464 gives a birth date of 1467 – 8 May 1566), was a Venetian nobleman and patron of arts, also remembered for his four books of ''Discorsi'' (published 1583–95) about the secrets to ...

(21 June 1564 - 2 June 1568). Opted for the titulus of S. Vitale. * Luigi Pisani (2 June 1568 - 3 June 1570) *

(9 June 1570 - 10 May 1584) econd term * Gianfrancesco Commendone (14 May 1584 - 26 December 1584). * Agostino Valier (14 January 1585 - 1 June 1605). Appointed Bishop of Palestrina.

17th century

* Giovanni Delfino (1 June 1605 - 23 June 1621). * Matteo Priuli (23 June 1621 - 13 March 1624). * Pietro Valier (18 March 1624 - 9 April 1629). * Federico Cornaro (26 April 1629 - 19 November 1646). * Marcantonio Bragadin (19 November 1646 - 28 March 1658). * Cristoforo Vidman (1 April 1658 - 30 September 1660). * Pietro Ottoboni (15 November 1660 - 13 September 1677). * Gregorio Barbarigo (13 September 1677 - 18 June 1697). *

Marcantonio Barbarigo Marcantonio Barbarigo (6 March 1640 – 26 May 1706) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the founder of the Pontifical Institute of the Religious Teachers Filippini and also founded both the Religious Teachers Filippini o ...

(1 July 1697 - 26 May 1706).

18th century

* Giambattista Rubini (25 June 1706 - 17 February 1707). * Giovanni Alberto Badoer (11 July 1712 - 17 May 1714). * Luigi Priuli (28 May 1714 - 15 March 1720). * Pietro Priuli (6 May 1720 - 22 January 1728). *

, OSB (8 March 1728 - 6 January 1755). * Carlo della Torre Rezzonico (17 February 1755 - 6 July 1758). Elected

Pope Clement XIII Pope Clement XIII ( la, Clemens XIII; it, Clemente XIII; 7 March 1693 – 2 February 1769), born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 July 1758 to his death in February 1769 ...

. *

Antonio Maria Priuli Antonio Maria Priuli (1707–1772) was a Roman Catholic cardinal who served as Cardinal-Priest of San Marco (1762–1772), Bishop of Padova (1767–1772), Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria della Pace (1759–1762), and Bishop of Vicenza The Di ...

(19 April 1762 - 26 October 1772). * Carlo Rezzonico (14 December 1772 - 26 January 1799).

19th century

* Ludovico Flangini-Giovanelli (2 April 1800 - 24 May 1802) translated to S. Anastasia. * Luigi Ercolani (22 July 1816 - 10 December 1825). *

Karl Kajetan von Gaisruck Karl Kajetan von Gaisruck (Italian: Carlo Gaetano (di) Gaisruck) (1769 – 1846) was an Austrian Cardinal and the archbishop of Milan from 1816 to 1846. He also held the title of ''Graf'' or Count. Early life Gaisruck was born on 7 August 1769 i ...

(Gaysruck) (21 May 1829 - 19 November 1846). * Charles Januarius Acton (21 Dec 1846 Appointed - 23 Jun 1847 Died) * Giacomo Piccolomini (4 Oct 1847 Appointed - 17 Aug 1861 Died) *

Pietro de Silvestri Pietro is an Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice * Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his death * Pietro II C ...

(27 Sep 1861 Appointed - 19 Nov 1875 Died) * Domenico Bartolini (3 Apr 1876 Appointed - 2 Oct 1887 Died) *

Michelangelo Celesia Michelangelo Celesia, O.S.B. Cas. (13 January 1814 – 14 April 1904) was an Italian Benedictine monk who served as the Archbishop of Palermo from 1871 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1884. Biography He was born Pietro ...

, O.S.B. (25 Nov 1887 Appointed - 14 Apr 1904 Died)

20th century

* József Samassa (11 Dec 1905 Appointed - 20 Aug 1912 Died) * Franz Xavier Nagl (2 Dec 1912 Appointed - 4 Feb 1913 Died) * Friedrich Piffl (25 May 1914 Appointed - 21 Apr 1932 Died) *

Elia Dalla Costa Elia Dalla Costa (14 May 1872 – 22 December 1961) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate and cardinal who served as the Archbishop of Florence from 1931 until his death. Dalla Costa served as the Bishop of Padua from 1923 until 1931 wh ...

(13 Mar 1933 Appointed - 22 Dec 1961 Died) *

Giovanni Urbani Giovanni Urbani (26 March 1900 – 17 September 1969) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Patriarch of Venice from 1958 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. He was considered to be ov ...

(19 Mar 1962 Appointed - 17 Sep 1969 Died) * Albino Luciani (5 Mar 1973 Appointed - 26 Aug 1978). Elected Pope as

Pope John Paul I Pope John Paul I ( la, Ioannes Paulus I}; it, Giovanni Paolo I; born Albino Luciani ; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his death 33 days later. Hi ...

Cardinal Protectors

* Marco Cé (30 Jun 1979 Appointed - 12 May 2014 Died) *

Angelo De Donatis Angelo De Donatis (born 4 January 1954) is an Italian Catholic prelate who currently serves as Cardinal Vicar (officially Vicar General of His Holiness), Archpriest of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical ...

(28 Jun 2018 Appointed - )

References

Bibliography

* Darko Senekovic, ''S. Marco'', in D. Mondini, C. Jäggi, P. C. Claussen, ''Die Kirchen der Stadt Rom im Mittelalter 1050–1300'', Band 4 (M-O), Stuttgart 2020, pp. 47–68. * ''Roma'', collection "L'Italia", Touring Editore, 2004, Milano. * Macadam, Alta. ''Blue Guide Rome''. A & C Black, London (1994), * Domenico Bartolini, ''La sotterranea confessione della romana basilica di S. Marco'' (Roma: Crispino Peccinelli 1844). * Vincenzo Forcella, ''Le inscrizioni delle chiese e d' altri edifice di Roma'' Volume IV. (Roma: Fratelli Bencini 1874), pp. 341–376. * Mariano Armellini, ''Le chiese di Roma, dalle loro origine sino al secolo XVI'' (Roma: Editrice Romana 1887), pp. 327–329. * Barbara Zenker, ''Die Mitglieder des Kardinalkollegiums von 1130 bis 1159'' (Würzburg 1964), pp. 82–88. * Rudolf Hüls, ''Kardinäle, Klerus und Kirchen Roms, 1049-1130'' (Tübingen: Max Niemeyer 1977), pp. 185–187. * Werner Malaczek, ''Papst und Kardinalskolleg von 1191 bis 1216'' (Vienna: Österreichische Kulturinstitut im Rom, 1984) bhandlungen, 6

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rome, Saint Mark Titular churches Saint Mark 336 establishments 4th-century churches Burial places of popes Saint Mark 4th-century establishments in Italy