Liturgical furniture in the Basilica of San Marco : the ciboria in the main chapel and in the chapels of the Nicopeia and Sacramento

Abstract

Three pieces of liturgical furniture in the eastern part of the Basilica of San Marco – the three ciboria in the chapel of the Nicopeia, in the main chapel, and in the chapel of the Sacramento – lead to the hypothesis that the three canopies were conceived and assembled simultaneously. All three items can be dated to the mid-thirteenth century, perhaps during the rule of Doge Ranieri Zen (1253–1268). The strong resemblance of these structures to each other suggests a global approach corroborated by analysis of the component elements, namely the capitals, the archivolts, the coating, the basis, and the frames. The data gathered suggest a common chronology and a common patron, although the identification with Ranieri Zen remains plausible but uncertain.