Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato

The Basilica dei Santi Maria e Donato in Murano preserves a celebrated ensemble of medieval architecture and mosaic. Its twelfth-century floor and gold-ground apse image connect the island with the Byzantine artistic traditions of the Venetian lagoon.

Why it matters

The church's history extends beyond Murano's association with glassmaking. Originally dedicated to the Virgin, it acquired the additional dedication to Saint Donatus after the arrival of relics from Cephalonia in 1125, brought by the fleet of Doge Domenico Michiel.

What to notice

The elaborate brick apse combines a blind lower arcade with an upper gallery and carved decorative panels. Inside, the floor mixes marble and coloured glass in animal and plant motifs, including peacocks, eagles and vines. The praying Virgin in the apse stands against a golden background. Modern glass works by Ermanno Nason and Luciano Vistosi add another artistic layer.

Context and history

Tradition places the first church in the seventh century. Later rebuilding culminated in the medieval basilica, whose mosaic pavement is dated to around 1140. The surviving ensemble records the interaction of architecture, stone carving and mosaic within a lagoon religious foundation.