Venice: the golden basilica
When one thinks of gold in Venice, one inevitably thinks of the Basilica d’Oro, St. Mark’s Basilica. It truly is a church glittering with gold, adorned with approximately 8,000 square meters of mosaics composed of Murano glass and gold leaf. In reality, St. Mark’s boasts a rich palette of colors, both inside and out.
In order to appreciate all the colours and mosaics of St Mark’s, patience and a spirit of observation are required. You will see the many stories of old and new testament narrated in the mosaics and the various shades of colours, including those of the stone and porphyry with their colours and veins altered by time, restoration and weathering, but still vibrant, true natural patterns. Nowhere else does marble require such attention.
A knowledgeable guide can greatly enhance the experience. St. Mark’s is arguably the most complex building in Venice from both a constructional and decorative standpoint. Add to this the various restorations over the years, and the story becomes even more intricate, continuing to evolve to this day. The beautiful book by Renato Polacco, who was also my professor at the University of Venice, is titled in fact “San Marco: The Golden Basilica.”
In 2022, I published an article, which you will find in the book Aldebaran VI- Storia dell’Arte , dedicated to two 17th century mosaics by Padovanino and Maffeo Verona inside St Mark’s Basilica and an unknown episode concerning them.
And in 2025 I will publish another one, but this time the ‘protagonists’ will be different and there will be ‘less gold’.
The use of gold
Byzantine mosaics made extensive use of gold leaf. These mosaics were intended to create a celestial and otherworldly atmosphere in sacred spaces. The reflective quality of gold symbolised God’s light and divine presence. Used mainly in religious art in the Middle Ages, gold was also found in the background of icons, mosaics, triptych panels and architectural settings.
Gold was also used to adorn the frames of paintings adorning Venetian palaces and very often also the decorative stuccoes on ceilings. Of course, 24-carat gold leaf is also used in Murano glass.
The battiloro in Venice
The battiloro, or goldbeaters, were skilled artisans who transformed gold into ultra-thin leaves, known as gold leaf. This process involved hammering gold into delicate sheets that could be used for gilding. In Venice, gold leaf was widely used to embellish everything from religious icons and frames to furniture and buildings. The craft of the battiloro was highly esteemed, as their work contributed to the ‘shimmering beauty’ that characterizes Venetian art and architecture, but the last Venetian battiloro will probably close its doors next year
The enduring appeal of gold in both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance lies in its symbolism and visual impact. Technically, gold leaf was applied through a process called gilding, which involved laying thin sheets of gold on a prepared surface. This process required immense skill and precision, showcasing the mastery of the artists.
Gold can be used not only for decoration, but also through special processing for aesthetic use and as a precious ingredient for fine dishes.
The Cà d’Oro
The gold of the Cà d’Oro (Franchetti Gallery) has adorned the Gothic facade for centuries, a luminous feature that gave the palace its name. However, it still gleams within the panels adorned with gold leaf by Gothic painters, which are part of the permanent collection.
The Golden way and the Biennale: ancient and contemporary artworks
In 2024 some precious Renaissance and Gothic panels with gold leaf were on display in the Cà d’Oro in a small exhibition, a collaboration with the National Gallery of Umbria. The exhibition, titled “The Golden Way: The Path of Gold”, occupied a specially created starry space within the blue room on the second floor (note that the first floor is currently closed for restoration). This exhibition served as a preview of what will be hold in Perugia.
Fragments of Masterpieces with gold were lent to the Galleria Franchetti in Venice, including works by Gentile da Fabriano, which engage in dialogue with Michelangelo Pistoletto, and three-dimensional pieces by Lucio Fontana. The exhibition also features Carol Rama, an exceptional and unconventional Italian painter, known for her portrait of Massimo Milo. Interestingly, this particular work, executed on jute canvas, was adorned with canine teeth believed to be from Milo himself—a concept that holds intrigue for those who have studied music history- like me on his book. Alongside these historical pieces, contemporary artists such as Alberto Burri, Gino De Dominicis, Lucio Fontana, Marisa Merz, and Michelangelo Pistoletto were showcased.
The exhibition logo features the beautiful golden reliquary of Saint Giuliana, created by Cataluccio da Todi in the 14th century. While it originally contained a saint’s relic, it now houses an artwork by Marisa Merz—a juxtaposition that resonates with the audience.
For Sandra Gamarra Heshiki, the artist who represented Spain at the last Venice Biennale, the gold leaf was used to highlight and erase Spain’s colonialist past on paintings inspired by those on display in European museums and to highlight the colonialist extractivism of the conquerors in relation to the natives.or Sandra Gamarra Heshiki, the artist who represented Spain at the last Venice Biennale, the gold leaf was used to highlight and erase Spain’s colonialist past on paintings inspired by those on display in European museums and to highlight the colonialist extractivism of the conquerors in relation to the natives
In many of these paintings, gold was one of the main characters. This is because gold (any kind of gold) can be a passion, and certainly the search for wealth and gold was one of the reasons for those who sailed the seas to find and conquer it in the Americas centuries ago.
FIORELLA PAGOTTO — I am an art historian and a writer, author of essays on art history and biographies of artists. I also deal with the history of architecture and the history of architectural restoration. I have been a guide to the city of Venice and the Veneto villas since 2012, when I passed the Veneto Region exam.
Venice, december 2024
