Venice: Italy’s famous city of Venice has sunk in the biggest flood in more than half a century. The St. Mark’s Basilica is the largest Catholic Church in the city. This is the sixth time in 1200 years of history that the basilica has entered the water. The Archbishop of Venice, Francisco Moraglia, expressed his concern that the water in the basilica would do irreparable damage to the structure of the shrine.
The construction of the present basilica began in 1063 AD. The basilica was erected in 1094, and the name of St. Marcos was given to the shrine. The remains of Saint Mark, who had been transported from Alexandria in Egypt by Venetian traders, were preserved on the main altar. There are about eight thousand square meters of Bible stories painted on the marble of the basilica. This shrine is now the victim of a massive flood and its dire consequences. Meanwhile, a state of emergency is declared in Venice.
