After the Fall of the Roman Empire, an Eastern Roman province of Venetia survived the conquest by the Franks. It gradually grew to become a crucial trade center between the Byzantine Empire and Europe.
After the Fall of the Roman Empire, an Eastern Roman province of Venetia survived the conquest by the Franks. It gradually grew to become a crucial trade center between the Byzantine Empire and Europe. Saint Mark’s Basilica was built in place of an older church and from the very start, became a symbol of the economic and political power of Venice. The design, a mix of Eastern and Western basilica, its ornaments—an imposing display of Byzantine mosaics and altar pieces, Gothic sculptures and lavish treasures stripped off the buildings of the old empire. The famous bronze Horses taken from Constantinople’s Hippodrome stood for centuries as symbols of Venice’s unruly defiance, and a legend of empires falling whenever they were moved, grew around the monumental sculptures. The Most Serene Republic of Venice fell to Napoleon’s conquest, and the Basilica has had to face the challenges of age, negligence and tourism.
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