St Mark's Basilica stands beside the Doge's Palace on St Mark's Square in Venice. The first church on the site was built to house the relics of the Evangelist Mark, which Venetian merchants brought from Alexandria in the late 820s. That church burned in the 10th century, and the present building, a Byzantine-inspired structure with a Greek-cross plan and five domes, was consecrated in 1093. Its interior is covered with gold mosaics, and the treasury holds many works taken from Constantinople after the Fourth Crusade in 1204. For centuries it served as the chapel of the doges and became the cathedral of Venice only in 1807.
Before and after
- c. 820sAl-Khwarizmi writes the book that gives algebra its name
- from 821 CE to 873 CETahirid dynasty
- 823 CEOrigins of Shingon Buddhism
- 13 June 823 CEBirth of Charles the Bald
- 828 CEConstruction of St Mark's Basilica
- c. 830sThe House of Wisdom flourishes in Baghdad
- from 833 CE to 907 CEGreat Moravia
- 834 CEOrigins of Sarkel
- c. 841 CEOrigins of Dublin
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- from 618 CE to 907 CETang dynasty
- 622 CEConstruction of Prophet's Mosque
- 637 CEConstruction of Potala Palace
- from 800 CE to 1258Islamic Golden Age
- 1070Construction of Windsor Castle
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 9th century.