Latest / The Story of Italy: Rome, Renaissance, and the Birth of Modern Europe — Fexingo History / How the Venetians Stole the Relics of Saint Mark
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Venice on this show — the Arsenal, the fleet, the balance of power. But there's one story that really captures how Venice thought about itself, and it starts with a theft. Luna: A theft? In the name of religion, I'm guessing? Lucas: Exactly. In the year 828, two Venetian merchants named Buono da Malamocco and Rustico da Torcello sailed to Alexandria, which was then under Muslim rule, and they stole the body of Saint Mark the Evangelist. They smuggled it out of the city under a pile of pork — because the Muslim guards wouldn't touch pork. Luna: Wait — they hid a saint's body under pork? That's both brilliant and deeply irreverent. Lucas: It is. And the story gets better. According to the account, they wrapped the relics in a cloth and covered them with pork and cabbage leaves. When the customs officials inspected the ship, they saw the pork, made a disgusted face, and waved them through. The merchants then sailed straight back to Venice, where the doge — Agnello Tribuno — received the relics with full honors. Lucas: Now, why did Venice want Saint Mark so badly? At the time, Venice was a rising maritime republic, but it lacked something crucial: an apostolic foundation. Rome had Peter and Paul. Constantinople had Andrew. Milan had Ambrose. Venice had... no major saint of its own. Its patron was Saint Theodore, a minor Byzantine military saint. Not exactly a heavy hitter. Luna: So they needed a brand-name apostle to compete. Lucas: Exactly. And Saint Mark was perfect — he was the author of the second Gospel, he had founded the Church of Alexandria, and he was associated with the region where Venice's trade networks were strongest. By acquiring his relics, Venice could claim direct apostolic succession and assert its independence from both the Byzantine Empire and the Papacy. Lucas: The relics were initially housed in the Doge's chapel, the Cappella Ducale, which was attached to the Palazzo Ducale. But within a few decades, the decision was made to build a grand basilica worthy of the saint. That became the Basilica di San Marco, which we know today as one of the most stunning buildings in the world. Luna: And it was built to house the body? Lucas: Yes, and to make a political statement. The basilica was modeled on the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople — the burial church of the Byzantine emperors. Venice was saying, 'We are the new Constantinople, and Saint Mark is our imperial saint.' The design, with its five domes and Greek-cross plan, was a deliberate copy. Lucas: But here's the twist: the Venetians didn't just build a church. They created a whole civic mythology around Saint Mark. The lion of Saint Mark became the symbol of Venice itself — you see it on flags, coins, and ships all across the Mediterranean. And the doge, who was originally a Byzantine official, now derived his authority from the saint. When a new doge was elected, he was presented to the people in the Piazza San Marco, with the basilica as the backdrop. Luna: So a relic heist basically founded Venetian identity. Lucas: It really did. And there's an irony — historians have debated whether the relics were actually Saint Mark's. There were competing claims from other churches, and the whole story is suspiciously convenient. But for the Venetians, belief was enough. The relics were authenticated by a miracle: when they opened the casket, a sweet fragrance filled the air, which was taken as a sign of divine approval. Lucas: The basilica itself became a reliquary on a massive scale. Over the centuries, Venice filled it with treasures from across the world — icons, mosaics, and the famous Pala d'Oro, a golden altarpiece studded with gems that was commissioned from Constantinople. Every object reinforced the message: Venice is the true heir to apostolic tradition and imperial glory. Luna: It's almost like they were building a sacred stage set for their own power. Lucas: That's exactly what it was. And the investment paid off. When the Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople in 1204, Venice was able to claim a huge share of the loot — much of which ended up in San Marco. The Venetians presented themselves as the defenders of Christianity, even as they were building an empire on trade and piracy. Lucas: You know, speaking of how this show gets made — and the kind of deep dives we do into stories like this — it's all thanks to listeners who chip in through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No ads, no sponsors, just people who love history keeping it going. Luna: Yeah, and it's a small group that makes a huge difference. Every bit helps us spend more time on the research and less on worrying about funding. Lucas: Exactly. So if you've been enjoying these episodes — and you want to keep Venice and Saint Mark and all the rest coming — that's how it works. Anyway, back to the basilica. So the building itself has a fascinating history of construction and renovation. The first church burned down in 976 during a revolt, and it was rebuilt bigger and better. The current structure is actually the third incarnation, completed around 1094. Luna: And the relics survived the fire? Lucas: According to tradition, yes — but they were lost for a while. In 1094, during a period of reconstruction, the relics were 'rediscovered' inside a pillar of the church, revealed by a miraculous light. This was perfectly timed to renew devotion and justify further investment. The Venetians were masters of using sacred narrative to advance political goals. Lucas: The basilica also served as the doge's private chapel, but it was open to the public. It was the heart of civic religion. Every major state ceremony took place there — the election of the doge, the blessing of the fleet, the celebration of victories. The relics of Saint Mark were carried in processions through the Piazza, connecting the saint directly to the people. Luna: So the theft of the relics wasn't just a one-time heist — it set off centuries of political and religious theater. Lucas: Exactly. And it's a reminder that in the medieval world, relics were power. They attracted pilgrims, brought in donations, and conferred legitimacy. Venice's ability to acquire and display Saint Mark's body was a masterstroke of branding. It made the city a pilgrimage destination and a spiritual authority in its own right. Lucas: There's also a darker side. The theft from Alexandria contributed to tensions between Christian Europe and the Muslim world. And the Venetians weren't above stealing relics from other Christian cities, either. They saw themselves as entitled to the treasures of Christendom, by any means necessary. Luna: A kind of sacred imperialism. Lucas: Exactly. And that sense of entitlement fueled Venice's rise, but also its eventual decline. When the republic fell to Napoleon in 1797, the French stripped San Marco of many of its treasures. The relics of Saint Mark were hidden by the Venetians to prevent desecration, and they weren't rediscovered until 1811, when they were placed back under the altar where they remain today. Lucas: So the story of Saint Mark's relics is really the story of Venice itself: ambitious, opportunistic, deeply religious in a pragmatic way, and absolutely convinced of its own destiny. And it all started with two merchants and a pile of pork. Luna: That's an image I won't forget.