Monument of the Doge Marino Morosini
St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice

Part of the 13th-century expansion of the civic role of the St. Mark’s Basilica involved the enlargement of the narthex, which enhanced the space available for ceremonies and processions. For these reasons, a north arm was built in the second half of the century, laid out as a series of domed bays with semi-circular apses. The tomb of Marino Morosini, doge from 1249 to 1253, was placed in the newly created north arm of the narthex and was the first monumental ducal tomb to be erected in the Basilica. It was done with precious 4-7^thcentury marble slabs, part of the loot from Greece and Turkey, its entire bay serves as a frame for the tomb. After a gap of approximately two decades, works on the narthex mosaics are thought to have been resumed soon after the tomb’s placing in the north arm. Venetian Heritage in march 2001 funded the restoration of this work of great historic and artistic significance. The mausoleum is raised on two blocks of Istrian stone which made restoration delicate and laborious, for the tomb had to be disassembled, restored piece by piece, and then reconvened.