Ancestor City Of Venice Discovered By Satellite Imaging

The DUCAL PALACE and the CHURCH OF ST. MARK

A significant step in the evolution of the Venetian state is the construction of the Doge's Palace, in those days probably more a castle than a palace: the **** of the government building is in fact more than anything a statement that a durable political system is established.

Near the Palace, the Church of St. Mark was soon to be erected and the church was dedicated to the Evangelist who was appointed as the patron saint of the city. Today we might find it difficult to appreciate the importance attached to saints and relics in the Middle Ages. In addition to their mystical properties, they were symbols of the wealth and power of the State... Politics and religion were arm in arm.

So the most desirable for the Venetians were the relics of S. Mark the Evangelist. The saint, in fact, had been officially recognized as the preacher who converted the people of the lagoons to Christianity and founded the patriarchate of Aquileia (the most important religious authority in Italy after the Pope). So St. Mark was the most suitable patron...the snag was now to strip Aquileia of the right to the saint's patronage. The only way to solve this... holy mess was to acquire the relics of the saint which were stolen from Alexandria in Egypt by two Venetians who covered their prize with quantities of pork to avoid possible inspections by the Moslem guards.

The Venetians then - in order to justify their move - made up the story that St. Mark, on his way to Alexandria, had been caught in a violent storm and had been forced to land on one of the islands of the Venetian lagoon. And while he was marooned, an angel had appeared to him and said "Pax Tibi Marce, Evangelista Meus": Peace be unto thee, Mark, my Evangelist". So this was sold as a prophecy that the saint mortal remains would find final repose in Venice despite the fact that he had returned to Alexandria, had died there and his remains were there for over 8 centuries!

The acquisition of the body of St. Mark - or "pious theft" to borrow Venetian words - was above all a political maneuver, in fact the relics were not placed in S. Pietro di Castello, which was the seat of the bishop, but rather in the church which was going to become the doge's chapel: in other words, entrusted to the head of state. The State of the Venetians was to become henceforward the State of St. Mark.
The cult of St. Mark thus offered a strong political and religious belief to the people, who felt safe and protected by the Evangelist.

The winged lion, which according to the vision of St. John in the Book of Revelation is the symbol of St. Mark, became the emblem of the city and is to be found everywhere to look after the Venetians