The estimated completion time for the restoration work on St. Mark’s Basilica is two years, with funding from the Ministry of Culture of 3 million euros.
Newsroom (12/07/2023 15:00, Gaudium Press) The Basilica of Saint Mark has always suffered from the phenomenon of high water, being submerged on several occasions with considerable amounts of salt water. The 3.3 million euro loan, granted by the Ministry of Culture, will go towards the restoration of the areas most damaged by the severe floods of 2019.
A first work will focus on the stone and marble slabs that cover the inner walls of the Basilica’s atrium. The slabs, which have been subject to renovation work since the second half of the 19th century, will be removed because salt crystallization has created erosion and cracks.
Another renovation will be on the mosaic floor of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, which lost almost 2 square meters of surface area due to the tidal invasion of November 2019. The mosaic floor will undergo a demanding detachment operation, and the compromised mortars will be removed and the mosaic stones relocated. The reconstruction of the lost design will be based on old photographs and a paper mold of the area.
Built in 1063, St. Mark’s Basilica is, together with the Bell Tower, the most iconic building of Venice. Until the end of the 18th century, St. Mark’s was the Ducal chapel, and therefore the center of Venice’s civil and religious history. Over time, it underwent several renovations: the facades were entirely covered with polychrome marble and lead-covered wood was placed over the five domes. Each historical period has left important characteristics in the Basilica.
The company responsible expects the work to take two years and four months to complete.
Compiled by Florence MacDonald
