Within the Italo-Byzantine jewel that is St. Mark's in Venice, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by all the splendour that can be found there. Anyone with even a passing familiarity of that basilica will know only too well what I mean; it is really the sort of place that requires numerous visits if you are going to truly soak it all in.
If you go to the basilica, most will make a a beeline to the high altar and the nave but while you are there you'll also want to explore some of the other nooks and crannies of the basilica, including two smaller chapels that you might be tempted to hastily skip past, the Cappella di San Pietro and the Cappella di San Clemente.
Just like the main altar of the basilica, these chapels (which are located to either side of the presbytery) are bordered by beautiful polychrome marble balustrades -- smaller, of course, than that found before the high altar, but equally majestic.
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| The balustrade before the Cappella di San Clemente |
Moving into the chapels proper, both follow a similar design: the aforementioned balustrades before, hanging lampada above, and, behind, their altars, both of which are also accompanied by beautiful sculptural reliefs that function as retables. Marble revetments clothe the walls and each also contain beautiful cosmatesque pavements -- so do not forget to look down. To the eastern end of either chapel are apses containing full-figured mosaics of St. Peter and St. Clement respectively. These were completed by Greek, Byzantine mosaicists sometime within the first half of the twelfth century.
These apsidal mosaics, along with the balustrades, are, for me, the stars of this particular show.
Let's take a quick look.
The Cappello di S. Pietro
The chapel of St. Peter is located on the north side of the presbytery -- or, in other words, to the left of the sanctuary as you look toward the high altar from the nave. In addition to the aforementioned elements, the chapel also contains various scenes of the miracles, martyrdom and burial of St. Mark (That might seem like an odd inclusion for a chapel dedicated to the person of St. Peter, but any trip to Venice will tell you quickly enough that St. Mark reigns supreme there).
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| A general look at the Cappello di S. Pietro |
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| The apsidal mosaic of St. Peter |
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| The altar. For those who are curious, visible behind the altar is the entrance to the sacristy of the basilica. |
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| A marble relief of St. Peter |
The Cappella di S. Clemente
Located to the south of the presbytery (or, in other words, to the right of the high altar) is the Chapel of St. Clement, the third successor to St. Peter. This chapel contains a particularly beautiful image of Pope St. Clement, shown wearing a mitre, pallium and a beautiful conical chasuble covered in crosses.
A medieval or Renaissance era sculptural relief of the Madonna and Child can be found in this chapel, as well as twelfth century mosaics showcasing scenes taken from the lives of St. Peter and St. Clement. (This particular chapel also includes a mosaic showcasing the translation of the relics of St. Mark from Alexandria to Venice by Venetian merchants but regrettably I do not have a photo of it to share with our readers.)
For myself, these chapels are worthy of your attention the next time you should happen to find yourself in St. Mark's. In some regards they are relatively 'austere,' compared to the rest of the basilica at least, but their features and their character are such that they really and truly bring one into tangible contact with the great tradition of the churches of the first millennium, churches founded in tradition of both Rome and Constantinople, of the Western and Eastern portions of the Roman empire.
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