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The narthex, to the west of the main building, was set apart for catechumens and
penitents, and forms a grand apartment over 200 feet long by 30 feet wide ; it is in
two stories, the upper forming a gallery to the church. Further west is the outer
narthex and atrium, with marble columns and brick pillars.
To the north and south, forming continuations of the four great piers already
mentioned, are massive buttresses, 25 feet wide by 70 feet long, pierced with double
arches on the ground and upper story. These piers take the thrust of the main arches
and dome on the two sides where there are no semi-domes.
The domical method of construction governs the plan, which is subservient to it. The
square central space is crowned with a dome, 1 80 feet above the pavement, but in itself
only 47 feet in height above its base (i.e., less than a semi-dome).
The two semi-domes, east and west, abut against the great arches which support the
central dome and act as buttresses to it on the east and west sides. The smaller exedrae are
also covered with semi-domes, as has been stated. The pendentives carrying the central
dome have a projection of 25 feet and a height of over 60 feet.
LONGITUDINAL SECTION:-
The great piers supporting the dome are of stones, the rest of the building being of
brickwork.
The walls and piers are lined with beautifully-colored marbles (Phrygian white, Laconian
green, Lybian blue, Celtic black, white marble with black veins from the Bosphorus, and
Thessalian marble), in varied patterns, fixed by means of metal cramps.
The floors are laid with colored mosaics of various patterns, and the vaults and domes are
enriched with glass mosaics of the apostles, angels, and saints on a glittering golden ground.
The columns of many-colored marbles are used constructively to support the galleries
which rest on a variety of groined vaults. Moulded bronze rings encircle the column shafts at
their junction with the capitals and bases, and elsewhere.
Exedrae
Interior
Column with arch
PLAN:-
S. MARK VENICE : S. Mark, Venice , was erected, for the most part, between A.D. 1063-1071, the columns
and marble mosaics to the exterior being added between 1100-1350.
The plan of S. Mark is in the form of a Greek cross, of equal arms, covered by a dome in
the centre (42 feet in diameter), and one over each arm of the cross, and is deriyed from
the Church of the Holy Apostles at Constantinople.
The square piers, which carry the dome, are pierced on the ground floor and gallery
levels : the gallery arcade connects the piers on either side, the depth of the gallery being
that of the pier. The vestibules fill out the western arm of the cross to a square on plan.
The interior is richly veneered
with colored marbles casing the
lower part of the walls ; above, and
extending in one great surface over
vault and dome, is a lining of richly
colored glass mosaic, in which are
worked figures of saints mingled
with scenes from their lives, set off
by a broad background of gold.
Mosaic, in fact, is the real and
essential decoration of the church,
to which all architectural detail is
subordinated
The external facade has five entrances, enriched with shafts of many-colored marbles
brought from Alexandria and the ruined cities of the East, forming a rich and beautiful portal.
Mosaic panels also serve to enrich with color the spandrels of the arches. It must be
remembered that this and the external domes are a later casing upon the original exterior of the
usual Byzantine type.
The interior of St Marks Basilica is laid down in the Greek cross design and a central nave
is added with the side aisle at each arm. The interior is even more magnificent and worth
watching as compared to the outside decoration. It is adorned with spectacular marble floors
and about 8000 square meters if mosaics decorate the walls of the church. The canopy of the
church is known is the Pala DOro which means the Golden Pall in local language. It is called
so because it has the panels that are garlanded with gold and gems.