Venice. A city on water, a city of bridges, carnivals, and… saints. The main symbol of Venice is the winged lion. But few know that the lion is the symbol of Saint Mark, and Saint Mark himself… was stolen. More precisely, his relics were smuggled from Alexandria (Egypt) to Venice in 828. This is one of the most daring and successful relic transfer operations in history. So, how two Venetian merchants deceived Muslims, hid an evangelist under pork meat, and made Venice rich and famous. Who is Saint Mark Mark is the author of the second Gospel, a companion of the Apostle Peter, the founder of the church in Alexandria. It is believed that he died a martyr's death in 68 AD — he was dragged through the streets of the city to death. Buried in Alexandria. In the 4th century, Christians built a church over his grave. The symbol of Mark is the winged lion. Why a lion? Because the Gospel of Mark begins with the "voice crying in the wilderness," and the lion is a symbol of strength and royalty. In Venice, the winged lion with a book became the city's emblem. By the 7th century, Alexandria had fallen under Arab Muslim rule. Christians suffered persecution. The relics of Saint Mark were in danger of destruction or desecration. That's when the Venetians appeared. Venice seeks its own saint In the 9th century, Venice was not yet a great republic, but already ambitious. It had a problem: unlike Rome, Constantinople, and Ravenna, Venice did not have its own saint whose relics would rest in the city. And that was important — saints protected the city, attracted pilgrims (read, money), and gave status. The Venetian Doge (ruler) Giovanni I Partecipazio dreamed of a saint for the basilica he was building (the future Saint Mark's Basilica). In 827, two Venetian merchants — Buono di Tribuno and Rustico di Torcello — set off for Alexandria on trade missions. And perhaps with a secret mission. Operation "Pork Stew" Upon arriving in Alexandria, the merchants learned that t ... Read more