Which Byzantine church in Venice is famous for its five-domed Greek-cross plan?

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St Mark’s Basilica in Venice is famous for its five-domed Greek-cross plan.

The present basilica was begun in 1063 after earlier churches dedicated to Saint Mark had been destroyed or replaced. Its design drew heavily on Byzantine models, especially the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, and it became one of the clearest expressions of Venice’s commercial and cultural ties with the eastern Mediterranean.

The building’s five major domes cover the crossing and the four arms of the Greek cross. Marble revetment, imported columns, and extensive gold-ground mosaics give the interior a richly Byzantine appearance, although the church also incorporates Romanesque and later western features.

St Mark’s is not a Byzantine imperial church in Constantinople. It is a Venetian monument that adapted Byzantine forms and materials into the ceremonial church of the Venetian state.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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