Pala d'Oro (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, "Golden Panel") is the high

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...

of the Basilica di San Marco in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

(and in Italian may refer to other gold altar frontals elsewhere). It is universally recognized as one of the most refined and accomplished works of Byzantine enamel, with both front and rear sides decorated. It was created and expanded in several phases over many centuries. Most of the enamel panels were made in Constantinople or Italy in a Byzantine style, but some were probably looted in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

during the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

in 1204 and brought from there to Venice.

History

The Pala d'Oro was thought to be first commissioned in 976 by Doge Pietro Orseolo, where it was made up of precious stones and several enamels depicting various saints, and in 1105 it was expanded on by Doge Ordelafo Faliero. In 1345, the goldsmith Giovanni Paolo Bonesegna was commissioned to complete the altarpiece by

Andrea Dandolo Andrea Dandolo (13067 September 1354) was the 54th doge of Venice from 1343 to 1354. He was elected to replace Bartolomeo Gradenigo who died in 1342. Early life Trained in historiography and law, Dandolo studied at the University of Padua, w ...

, who was the procurator at the time, and later became doge. Bonesegna added a Gothic-style frame to the piece, along with more precious stones.Vio, 2000, p. 167. Dandolo also included an inscription describing what his own additions were, along with those of his predecessors.Vio 2003, p. 300

Paolo Veneziano Paolo Veneziano, also Veneziano Paolo or Paolo da Venezia (active by 1333, died after 1358) was a 14th-century painter from Venice, the "founder of the Venetian school (art), Venetian School" of painting, probably active between about 1321 and 13 ...

was commissioned to make wood panels to provide a cover (Pala Feriale) for when the altarpiece was not on display. Veneziano was commissioned between 1342-4 to make this cover, where it was dated 1345 and signed by him along with his sons, Luca and Giovanni.Gibbs 2014 The cover is made from two pieces. The top plank features the Man of Sorrows in the center, who is surrounded by the Virgin and Sts.

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, George,

Mark Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

, and

Nicholas Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Ancient Greek, Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In ...

. The bottom plank shows narratives of Life, Martyrdom, Burial, and Translation of St Mark. The wooden panels were opened to the public during liturgies only. In the 15th century, Veneziano's "exterior" altarpiece was replaced by a wooden panel which remains today, though the Pala is now always open. In 1995, Veneziano's wooden Pala Feriale cover underwent conservation treatment funded by the non-profit organization Save Venice Inc.

Description

The

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

is 3 meters (9.8 ft) wide by 2 meters (6.6 ft) tall. It is made of gold and silver, 187 enamel plaques, and 1,927 gems. These include 526 pearls, 330 garnets, 320 emeralds, 255 sapphires, 183 amethysts, 175 agates, 75 rubies, 34 topazes, 16 carnelians, and 13 jaspers.

Top Section

The altarpiece consists of two parts. The enamels in the top section of the Pala d'Oro contain the

Archangel Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second ...

at the center, with six images depicting the Life of Christ on either side of him, which were added in 1209. They show the ''

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem The triumphal entry into Jerusalem is a narrative in the four canonical Gospels describing the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem a few days before his crucifixion. This event is celebrated each year by Christians on Palm Sunday. According to the ...

'', ''

Descent into Limbo In Christian theology, the Harrowing of Hell (; Greek: – "the descent of Christ into Hell" or Hades) is the period of time between the Crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. In triumphant descent, Christ brought salvation to the souls ...

'', Crucifixion, Ascension, Pentecost, and ''

Death of the Virgin The Death of the Virgin Mary is a common subject in Western Christian art, and is the equivalent of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Eastern Orthodox art. This depiction became less common as the doctrine of the Assumption gained support in t ...

''. It's generally thought that these were not originally part of the altarpiece, as their stylistic features place them into the 12th century, and they were probably looted during the

.Gonosová 1978, p. 332.

Bottom Section

The bottom section contains the enamels that told the Life of St. Mark. These were created in 1105 in

, and were commissioned by

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Ordelaffo Falier.Vio, 2000, p. 166. They used to be positioned along the base, but have since been moved to their current position along the sides and the top row of this section. Also in the bottom section is an enamel depicting Christ at the center of the altarpiece, and the four circular enamels around him are images of the

Four Evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

. To the right and left of Christ are the twelve apostles, six to each side. Above Christ is an empty throne, which represents the

Last Judgement The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...

and the

Second Coming of Christ The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is the Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus Christ will return to Earth after his ascension to Heaven (which is said to have occurred about two thousand years ago). The ...

, with angels and archangels on either side of it. Underneath Christ and the apostles are the twelve prophets, with the Virgin—flanked by Falier and Empress

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...

—at the center.

Doge Falier and Empress Irene

The two figures surrounding the Virgin are images of Doge Ordelaffo Falier and Byzantine Empress Irene.Buckton and Osborne 2000, p. 43. The depiction of Falier seems to be slightly off as his head is too small in proportion to his body. There is evidence that shows the original head was removed, and replaced with a new one. There are also scratches on the enamel from when the previous head was removed, and some type of wax or paste was used to fill in the gaps where the replacement piece didn't exactly fit.Buckton and Osborne 2000, p. 44. While there have been theories that the previous head depicted an emperor, that explanation doesn't quite fit. Emperors are usually depicted with red footwear, but this figure wears black, with no sign of having been altered. Additionally, the enamel bears Falier's name, which would have required much effort to change and would have left evidence behind. The most likely explanation is that the original head was in fact Falier's head, but without a halo. Later, church officials — possibly even Falier himself — decided to replace it to include a halo. The scepter he holds restricted how much could be altered, which required the crafters to make the new image slightly smaller.

Notes

References

*Bettini, Sergio, "Venice, the Pala d'Oro, and Constantinople", in Buckton, David, et al.
''The Treasury of San Marco Venice''
1984, Metropolitan Museum of Art, (fully available online or as PDF from the MMA). * Buckton, David, and John Osborne. "The Enamel of Doge Ordelaffo Falier on the Pala d'Oro in Venice." ''Gesta'' 39 no. 1 (2000): 43-49. * Gibbs, Robert (2014). "Paolo Veneziano." ''Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online.'' Oxford University Press. * Gonosová, Anna. "A Study of an Enamel Fragment in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection." '' Dumbarton Oaks Papers'' 32 (1978): 327-333. * Nagel, Alexander. "Altarpiece." '' Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online.'' Oxford University Press, 2014. * Paoletti, John T., and Gary M. Radke (1997). ''Art in Renaissance Italy''. New York: H.N. Abrams. * Vio, Ettore (2000). ''St Mark's Basilica in Venice''. London: Thames & Hudson. * Vio, Ettore (2003). ''St. Mark's: the Art and Architecture of Church and State in Venice.'' New York: Riverside Book Co.

Films

* Romer, John (1997), ''Byzantium: The Lost Empire''; ABTV/Ibis Films/The Learning Channel; 4 episodes; 209 minutes. (In Episode 3 Envy of the World" presenter Romer examines the ''Pala d'Oro'' in detail.) {{Byzantine Empire topics Byzantine art Culture in Venice Tourist attractions in Venice Gold objects St Mark's Basilica Altarpieces