Basilica di San Marco

The Basilica di San Marco, known also as the Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark, or simply Saint Mark's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, Italy. It is the most famous church in the city, and one of the best-known examples of Byzantine architecture. The basilica was such a symbol of opulence and power that it was often referred to as the Chiesa d'Oro, the "Church of Gold".^[1]

The cathedral was secretly situated atop an Assassin Tomb dedicated to Amunet,^[2] and an Isu vault that once housed part of Vejovis' dagger.^[3]

History[edit | edit source]

The Basilica was first built in 828 to house supposed relics from Saint Mark the Evangelist stolen from Alexandria, with the present Byzantine-style basilica being constructed in 1063. Many of the decorations were brought back from the Crusades or given as gifts from wealthy merchants. The church was considered the Doge's personal chapel, with a passageway inside connecting it to the Palazzo Ducale next door.^[4]

By the 15th century, a cenotaph for Amunet was located in a tomb below the floor of the basilica, accessible by a secret staircase. Sometime after 1485, the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze explored the church and discovered the entrance to the tomb, retrieving an Assassin Seal from it to unlock the Armor of Altaïr in the Sanctuary below Monteriggioni.^[2]

At some point in the 1480s, the Assassin Giulia, on a mission from Ezio to track down an item for the Brotherhood, discovered that it was housed in the Basilica. Upon arriving there, she noticed Templar guards stationed outside, refusing entrance to the church, which prompted her to enter through a window. While on the rafters, she noticed another Templar, this one methodically searching the church for something. Giulia assassinated the Templar, who revealed to her the existence of a treasure in a hidden vault beneath the Basilica. Giulia found a puzzle contraption behind a nearby tapestry and solved it, causing the wall to move inward and the vault to open to her.^[3]

In 1797, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Venice,^[5] dissolving the approximately 1,100 year old republic^[6] and stealing the four bronze horses that adorned the Basilica. They would later be returned,^[5] but only after his defeat in 1815.^[7]

In 2022, afer reliving Giulia's memories, Joey revealed to Colm that part of Vejovis' dagger was in the Venice vault,^[3] and Colm left to book their flights to Venice. After arriving at the Basilica, the pair found the entrance Giulia had used, still hidden behind a tapestry, and opened the way into the vault.^[8]