Photos of the Santa Maria Assunta Torcello Byzantine Mosaics

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Photos of the Santa Maria Assunta Torcello Byzantine Mosaics, Venice Italy. The incredible Romanesque Art of the Torcello . Photos by photographer Paul E Williams.  (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Santa Maria Assunta Torcello Byzantine Mosaics,

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Photos of the Florence Baptistry Mosaic Art & Bronze Doors (Battistero di San Giovanni).

Photos of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, Mosaics (basilica di Santa Maria Assunta) Torcello, Venice,  Italy. 

Torcello Island

The Church of Santa Maria Assunta is one of the oldest in Venice built in 639. It was built as a Byzantine style Basilica when Torcello was one of the main Islands of Venice. Torcello was the first island to be inhabited in 452 AD. Torcello rapidly grew in importance as a political and trading centre: in the 10th century it had a population often estimated at 10,000–35,000 people. In the 14th century swamp areas around Torcello increased and its canals silted up. With the rise in Malaria the Venetians left Torcello to inhabit other Island.

The Church of Santa Maria Assunta

Today the Church of Santa Maria Assunta and its associated monastery buildings stand almost alone of Torcello. The church was built in 864 under the direction of Bishop Adeodatus II over an earlier church. In characteristic Romanesque Basilica style it has a central Naive and two Aisle with an apse at the eastern end of the naive.

Virgin Mary Mosaic

In the domed semi circular roof of the apse is a Byzantine style mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Child Jesus. They depicted alone in the centre of the dome standing above a register depicting the saints. The background of the mosaic is gold. It is a strikingly simple composition which would have looked magical when lit by flickering candles in the dark Romanesque church.

The depiction is known as Virgin Hodegetria which is an Eastern Orthodox Icon style. depiction of the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to him as the source of salvation for humankind.