The Basilica of St Mark in Venice holds the relics of Saint Mark, brought from Alexandria in 828 or 829. The present church was probably begun in 1063 under Doge Domenico I Contarini and was consecrated on October 8, 1094, replacing an earlier church badly damaged in 976. Before 1797 it was the Doge's private chapel.
Its style combines Middle-Byzantine, Romanesque, Islamic and Gothic influences. The plan is a cross with five domes, modeled on the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Gold-ground mosaics cover the domes, vaults and walls, spanning eight hundred years of styles.
The Pala d'Oro, a Byzantine enamel altarpiece on gilded silver, was installed in 1105. The four gilded bronze horses, spoils from Constantinople, once stood over the entrance and are now inside, with copies outside. The basilica stands at the eastern end of Saint Mark's Square, attached to the Doge's Palace.
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