from The Treasury of San Marco, Venice
The single most important work in St. Mark's is the Pala D'Oro, the gold and enamel altar screen, which was constructed in Constantinople and Venice over the course of four centuries. It was begun by Greek artists in Constantinople at the commission of Doge Pietro Orseolo in 976; enriched with new enamels by order of Doge Ordelafo Falier (1105); enhanced again in 1209 by Doge Pietro Ziani, who assembled the most precious enamels and goldwork after the Fourth Crusade; and given its present shape by Doge Andrea Dandolo, 1345.
Source: Texas Humanities Resource Center, Austin, Texas.
Hang in there, the pictures get much, much better but are quite big and will take some time to load. My apologies for the quality of this one - it was the best I could find of the Pala d'Oro anywhere on the the Web! They should have gotten Norman Tellis to take the pictures - Ed.
continued next page:
