Pala d'Oro

Pala d'Oro

Literally “Golden Pall” or “Golden Cloth”, the Pala d’Oro is the retable of the high alter at the Basilica di San Marco in Venice. It measures 3 meters wide by 2 meters tall and features a total of 187 enamel plaques along with numerous precious and semi-precious gems. The Pala d’Oro is made up of two parts. At the top, a central enamel of Michael the Archangel is surrounded by three images from the Life of Christ (Entry into Jerusalem, Harrowing of Hell, the Crucifixion, Ascension, Pentecost, and the Komesis) on each side (added in 1209). These enamels, made in Constantinople, are thought to have been looted during the Fourth Crusade. On the bottom, enamels show the life of St. Mark, and were commissioned by the Doge in 1105, and also made in Constantinople. There are additional enamels in this section, with Christ at the center along with depictions of the Evangelists, all twelve apostles, a representation of the Hetoimasia (prepared or empty throne), angels and archangels, the twelve prophets and the Virgin, and a depiction of the Doge and the Byzantine Empress Irene.

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