Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta –Venice

Description

Built in 639 and expanded in 824, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, in campiello Lazzari (island of Torcello) in Venice owes its present-day appearance to the partial rebuilding commissioned in 1008 by bishop Orso Orseolo, son of doge Peter II.
The church is basilica in style, divided into three naves with 18 columns in Greek marble and separated into 12 modules, with a marble portal whose 9^th century frame and architrave are decorated with 11^th century bas reliefs. Grandiose Venetian Byzantine mosaics embellish the interior, stretching from the floor to the decoration of the dome of the apse and the triumphal arch which features the 12 apostles, the Annunciation and the Mother of God. To the left of the main altar is the original inscription attesting the church’s foundation, the oldest document in Venetian history. The windows on the right flank have shutters of imposing stone slabs.
The basilica was part of the same religious complex as the Church of Santa Fosca and a baptistery dedicated to St. John. The nearby bell-tower is a commonly used reference point in the northern lagoon. Situated on the same square are the Palazzo del Consiglio and Palazzo dell'Archivio which house the Torcello Provincial Museum.

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