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110-651: Established in 1669, Old South Church is one of the older religious communities in the United States. It was organized by Congregationalist dissenters from Boston's First Church . It was known as the Third Church (to distinguish it from the First and Second Congregational churches in the city). The Third Church's congregation met first in their Cedar Meeting House (1670), then at the Old South Meeting House (1729) at

220-425: A rose madder background with overlays of ochre, bay leaf green, warm gray, and persimmon, and highlights of metallic gold. Most of the interior structure, except for the carved wood frieze along the balconies, was already in place by 1875. High above the crossing of the transepts and nave is the lantern, or cupola. The ceiling of the lantern was painted a deep Prussian blue with a pattern of gilded stars to represent

330-525: A church dedicated to Saint Mark wherein the relics would ultimately be housed. Giustiniano further specified that the new church was to be built between the castrum and the Church of Saint Theodore to the north. Construction of the new church may have actually been underway during Doge Giustiniano's lifetime and was completed by 836 when the relics of Saint Mark were transferred. Although the Participazio church

440-537: A full-time Secretary of the National Council. Coordinating missionary work was one of the primary functions of the National Council. Many of the National Council's affiliated societies were originally interdenominational when founded. Foreign missionary work was carried out by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions , an organization that predated the creation of the National Council. In 1928,

550-465: A greater denominational consciousness, which ultimately led to the 1865 Boston meeting where they began the process of establishing standards of church procedures (polity) and adopted a statement of faith, known as the Burial Hill Declaration. That was followed by the denominational organizational meeting in 1871. In 1927, motivated by the ecumenical movement , Congregationalists united with

660-416: A long and complex evolution. Particularly in the thirteenth century, the exterior appearance of the church was radically altered: the patterned marble encrustation was added, and a multitude of columns and sculptural elements was applied to enrich the state church. It is probable that structural elements were also added to the façades or modified. The exterior of the basilica is divided into two registers. On

770-448: A raised dais upon which the original altar was located. The Participazio church was severely damaged in 976 during the popular uprising against Doge Pietro IV Candiano ( in office 959–976 ) when the fire that angry crowds had set to drive the Doge from the castrum spread to the adjoining church. Although the structure was not completely destroyed, it was compromised to the point that

880-577: A recruiting center for the Union Army under minister Jacob Manning. Though the congregation was not entirely abolitionist, it strongly supported the Union cause. The conclusion of the Civil War was followed by an expansive time of increased inclusion for the congregation. Under minister George Angier Gordon, the congregation moved from its meeting house at Washington Street to its Back Bay location in 1875, occupying

990-486: A replacement campanile and a new chapel to be named in memory of the Reverend George Angier Gordon. The tower was dismantled, and early 1930s technology of steam shovel and steel pilings provided a lasting solution. Today, the pitch and height of the tower are tested annually and records attest to its enduring stability. The bell wheel, which by motion of a heavy rope swings the large bell, had deteriorated by

1100-409: A state sanctuary. Remnants of the Participazio church likely survive and are generally believed to include the foundations and lower parts of several of the principal walls, including the western wall between the nave and the narthex . The great entry portal may also date to the early church as well as the western portion of the crypt, under the central dome, which seems to have served as the base for

1210-595: A statement of faith, known as the Burial Hill Declaration. Denominational organization came in 1871 with formation of the National Council of Congregational Churches, which existed until its merger in 1931. In 1928, there were 5,497 Congregational churches in the U.S. with a membership of 939,130. These churches were served by 5,648 ministers. The Congregational churches originated from the Puritans of colonial New England. Congregationalists were traditionally Calvinists strongly committed to congregational polity , from which

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1320-439: Is roofed in alternating bands of red and dark gray slate and the roofline finished with ornamental iron cresting. A tall tower, or campanile , is the trademark feature of Old South and is visible from several Boston neighborhoods. The tower, on the western end of the church, rises to a height of 246' and houses the church's 2,020-pound bell. This is the second campanile built on the same site, designed by Allen & Collens it

1430-662: Is "in art that the heart, the head, and the hand of a man come together." In 1905 the congregation engaged Louis Comfort Tiffany to redecorate the sanctuary. Tiffany headed a group of artisans called the Associated Artists who worked largely in a style now described as the Aesthetic Movement . Tiffany was a part of an emerging American view of design in the United States, increasingly taking fewer cues from Europe. Tiffany had decorated Mark Twain's home in Hartford, Connecticut,

1540-455: Is a large granite rock, which according to tradition was brought to Venice from Tyre following the Venetian conquest . It is said to be the rock upon which Christ stood to preach to the people of Tyre. In 1486, Giorgio Spavento , as proto (consultant architect and buildings manager), designed a new sacristy , connected to both the presbytery and the choir chapel of Saint Peter; the location of

1650-530: Is entered from the narthex through a screen carved in the Venetian Gothic style from French Caen limestone . Hidden among the carved foliage that decorates the screen can be found a squirrel, lizard, owl, and snail. A similar theme of animals is also found in the carving of the building's exterior. The interior of the chancel at the east end of the church, behind the choir, is faced by a running screen of wooden arches with quatrefoil lunettes adapted from

1760-448: Is expressed primarily in the mosaics in the lunettes. In the lower register, those of the lateral portals narrate the translatio , the translation of Saint Mark's relics from Alexandria to Venice. From right to left, they show the removal of the saint's body from Egypt, its arrival in Venice, its veneration by the Doge, and its deposition in the church. This last mosaic is the only one on

1870-453: Is known of the appearance of the Orseolo church. But given the short duration of the reconstruction, it is probable that work was limited to repairing damage with little innovation. It was at this time, however, that the tomb of Saint Mark, located in the main apse, was surmounted with brick vaults, creating the semi-enclosed shrine that would later be incorporated into the crypt when the floor of

1980-475: Is located behind the pulpit and is on a hydraulic platform so that it may be raised for concerts and recessed for worship services. The organ's pipes are located behind and to the right and left of the chancel and also at the back of the rear balcony above the entrance to the Sanctuary (32' and chamade). Ten ornately painted wooden pipes are mounted at the front of each side balcony. In December 2008, construction at

2090-400: Is not known, but it is likely to have been under Doge Giovanni Soranzo ( in office 1312–1328 ), whose tomb is located in the baptistery, an indication that he was responsible for the architectural adaptation. Similarly entombed in the baptistery is Doge Andrea Dandolo who carried out the decorative programme at his personal expense. The mosaics present scenes from the life of Saint John

2200-408: Is similar to the 1875 design in its use of Moorish arches. The first tower, completed in 1875 along with the present Narthex and sanctuary, had begun to list by the late 1920s. The cause was determined to be the faulty footings and piles anchored in the soft former swampland. They were insufficient for the load of the tower. The congregation engaged the architectural firm of Allen & Collens to design

2310-550: Is surmounted by a bronze and silver Crucifix , flanked by statues of the Virgin and Saint Mark, together with the Twelve Apostles. On the left of the screen is the ambo for readings from Scripture, while the on the right is the platform from which the newly elected Doge was presented to the people. Behind, marble banisters mark the limit of the choir, which after the reorganization by Doge Andrea Gritti ( in office 1523–1538 )

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2420-564: Is the cathedral church of the Patriarchate of Venice ; it became the episcopal seat of the Patriarch of Venice in 1807, replacing the earlier cathedral of San Pietro di Castello . It is dedicated to and holds the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist , the patron saint of the city. The church is located on the eastern end of Saint Mark's Square , the former political and religious centre of

2530-637: The translatio , the removal of Saint Mark's body from Alexandria in Egypt by two Venetian merchants and its transfer to Venice in 828/829. The Chronicon Venetum further recounts that the relics of Saint Mark were initially placed in a corner tower of the castrum , the fortified residence of the Doge and seat of government located on the site of the present Doge's Palace . Doge Giustiniano Participazio ( in office 827–829 ) subsequently stipulated in his will that his widow and his younger brother and successor Giovanni ( in office 829–832 ) were to erect

2640-472: The Black Death . The icon acquired a political role as the palladium of Venice in the sixteenth century when it came to be identified as the sacred image that had been carried into battle by various Byzantine emperors. In 1589, the icon was transferred to the small Chapel of Saint Isidore where it was made accessible to the public, and subsequently it was placed on the side altar in the northern crossarm. It

2750-462: The Cambridge Platform . In this, Congregationalists were similar to Baptists , but where Baptists practiced believers baptism by immersion , Congregationalists practiced infant baptism . Largely through the influence of Jonathan Edwards , Congregationalists came to adopt a moderate form of Calvinism known as New England theology and in a more radical form as New Haven theology . By

2860-682: The Colonial Revival style were replacing Victorian ornament with a simpler classicism. Theodore Roosevelt's 1902 White House renovation removed all of the Tiffany influence. In Tiffany's redecoration, Old South's stained glass windows were covered by insets of translucent tinted purple glass. The original polychrome stenciled plaster walls were painted purple, then stenciled in a series of geometric patterns with metallic silver paint intended to appear as mother of pearl inlay. Similar to Tiffany's work at Mark Twain's Hartford, Connecticut home, or his design for

2970-509: The Concio , the general assembly, had to alternatively convene in the cathedral of San Pietro di Castello to elect Candiano's successor, Pietro I Orseolo ( in office 976–978 ). Within two years, the church was repaired and at the sole expense of the Orseolo family, indications that the actual damage was relatively limited. Most likely, the wooden components had been consumed, but the walls and supports remained largely intact. Nothing certain

3080-587: The Evangelical Protestant Church of North America . This was a pietistic denomination of Swiss and German origin with about six thousand members, most of whom were located in the vicinities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cincinnati, Ohio . The Evangelical Protestants were easily absorbed into the National Council. They shared with the Congregationalists an affinity for liberal theology , social activism and congregational polity. In 1913,

3190-692: The Four Evangelists and on the extremities, facing one another, the Virgin and the Archangel Gabriel in allusion to Venice's legendary foundation on the 25 March 421, the feast of the Annunciation. Culminating in the Last Judgment over the main portal, the sequence of mosaics in the lateral lunettes of the upper register present scenes of Christ's victory over death: from left to right, the Descent from

3300-460: The Puritan migration to New England in the 17th century. The Congregational church was the established church of Connecticut until 1818 and Massachusetts until 1833. The Puritans and their Congregationalist descendants had much in common with Presbyterians . Both denominations shared a Reformed theology ; however, Congregationalists practiced a more decentralized form of church governance described in

3410-517: The Republic of Venice , and is attached to the Doge's Palace . Prior to the fall of the republic in 1797, it was the chapel of the Doge and was subject to his jurisdiction, with the concurrence of the procurators of Saint Mark de supra for administrative and financial affairs. The present structure is the third church, begun probably in 1063 to express Venice's growing civic consciousness and pride. Like

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3520-679: The Venetian Gothic style. The style follows the precepts of the British cultural theorist and architectural critic John Ruskin (1819–1900) as outlined in his treatise The Stones of Venice. Old South Church in Boston remains one of the most significant examples of Ruskin's influence on American architecture. The architects, Charles Amos Cummings and Willard T. Sears , also designed the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum . The exterior of

3630-522: The Venetian–Genoese Wars . Venetian sculptors also integrated the spoils with local productions, copying the Byzantine capitals and friezes so effectively that some of their work can only be distinguished with difficulty from the originals. In addition to the sixteen windows in each of the five domes, the church was originally lit by three or seven windows in the apse and probably eight in each of

3740-432: The chancel was raised during the construction of the third church. Civic pride led many Italian cities in the mid-eleventh century to begin erecting or rebuilding their cathedrals on a grand scale. Venice was similarly interested in demonstrating its growing commercial wealth and power, and probably in 1063, under Doge Domenico I Contarini ( in office 1043–1071 ), St Mark's was substantially rebuilt and enlarged to

3850-399: The firmament of God. The limestone tracery of the west wall of the sanctuary, with its foliage and animals, combined with the highly carved foliated woodwork and the overhead representation of the nighttime sky was intended to echo God's creation. Above the doors on the east chancel walls are glass mosaics of the tree of life by Antonio Salviati . A third mosaic by Salviati originally hung in

3960-447: The lunettes . But many of these windows were later walled up to create more surface space for the mosaic decoration, with the result that the interior received insufficient sunlight, particularly the areas under the galleries which remained in relative darkness. The galleries were consequently reduced to narrow walkways with the exception of the ends of the northern, southern, and western crossarms where they remain. These walkways maintain

4070-410: The statue of the four tetrarchs embedded into the external wall of the treasury, and the porphyry imperial head on the south-west corner of the balcony, traditionally believed to represent Justinian II and popularly identified as Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola . After a section of the narthex was partitioned off between 1100 and 1150 to create an entry hall, the niche that had previously marked

4180-484: The tympanum above the tower's front doors. That mosaic was relocated to the vestibule when the tower was rebuilt 1922-1937. The combined effect was extremely rich; at once a spiritual and sensuous experience, and in great contrast to the chaste interior of Old South Meeting House on Washington Street. Stylistically the 1875 interior was in harmony with the Ruskinian Gothic exterior, and expressed Ruskin's ideal that it

4290-658: The "war whoops" that started the Boston Tea Party . During the Unitarian Movement of the early 19th century, Old South was the sole Congregational Church in Boston to adhere to the doctrine of Trinitarianism . In 1816 Old South Church joined with Park Street Church to form the City Mission Society , a social justice society to serve Boston's urban poor. During the American Civil War , Old South became

4400-635: The 19th century, Congregationalists were forming voluntary organizations for mutual cooperation and support among churches called associations. In some places, state-wide general associations were organized. In 1801, the Congregationalist churches of New England entered into a formal agreement with the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America called the Plan of Union . It remained in effect until 1852. By that time, Congregationalists had developed

4510-740: The American Board sponsored 718 missionaries throughout the world. Several missions agencies operated within the United States under the umbrella of the Church Extension Boards. The Congregational Home Missionary Society (org. 1826) was a church planting agency that as of 1930 was responsible for four out of every five American Congregational churches in existence. In 1927, the society sponsored 1,539 missionaries. The Congregational Church Building Society (org. 1853) raised funds for grants and loans to build churches and parsonages . The Congregational Sunday School Extension Society (org. 1917)

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4620-573: The Baptist on the walls and, in the ante-baptistery, the infancy of Christ. Directly above the bronze font, designed by Sansovino, the dome contains the dispersion of the Apostles , each shown in the act of baptizing a different nationality in reference to Christ's command to preach the Gospel to all people. The second dome, above the altar, presents Christ in glory surrounded by the nine angelic choirs . The altar

4730-512: The Chapel of Saint Isidore was constructed between 1348 and 1355 to house them. An annual feast (16 April) was also established in the Venetian liturgical calendar. The Mascoli Chapel, utilized by the homonymous confraternity after 1618, was decorated under Doge Francesco Foscari ( in office 1423–1457 ) and dedicated in 1430. Against the piers that support the central dome, on either side of

4840-558: The Congregational Churches of the United States The National Council of Congregational Churches of the United States was a mainline Protestant , Christian denomination in the United States. Its organization as a denomination was delayed by the Civil War. Congregational leaders met again in Boston, Massachusetts in 1865, where they began to hammer out standards of church procedures (polity) and adopted

4950-488: The Contarini church was a severe brick structure. Adornment inside was limited to the columns of the arcades, the balusters and parapets of the galleries, and the lattice altar screens. The wall surfaces were decorated with moulded arches that alternated with engaged brickwork columns as well as niches and a few cornices. With the exception of the outside of the apse and the western façade that faced Saint Mark's Square ,

5060-667: The Cross , the Harrowing of Hell , the Resurrection , and the Ascension . The central lunette was originally blind and may have been pierced by several smaller windows; the present large window was inserted after the fire of 1419 destroyed the earlier structure. The reliefs of Christ and the Four Evangelists, now inserted into the northern façade, may also survive from the original decoration of

5170-840: The Genoese quarter in St Jean d'Acre as booty of the first Venetian–Genoese war (1256–1270) but actually spoils of the Fourth Crusade, taken from the Church of St Polyeuctus in Constantinople. Between 1503 and 1515, the entry hall was transformed into the funerary chapel of Giovanni Battista Cardinal Zen , bishop of Vicenza, who had bequeathed a large portion of his wealth to the Venetian Republic, asking to be entombed in St Mark's. The southern entrance

5280-579: The National Council adopted the Kansas City Statement of Faith . This confessional statement affirmed belief in the Trinity and the Bible's role in revealing God's will. It also affirmed the "freedom and responsibility of the individual soul, and the right of private judgment." The church's mission was described as "to proclaim the gospel to all mankind, exalting the worship of the one true God, and laboring for

5390-477: The National Council was to provide a forum to coordinate common programs and organizations of Congregational churches, such as managing a pension fund for Congregationalist ministers. A moderator presided over sessions of the Council. An Executive Committee elected by the Council was responsible for overseeing the work of the various agencies of the Council in between biennial sessions. Day-to-day affairs were managed by

5500-528: The White House's Red Room . The resulting work at Old South was a highly ornamented visual experience, unified by a limited color palette. In the early 1950s, possibly influenced by the minimalism of the International Style , a second renovation of the Sanctuary took place. The mid-20th-century renovation largely ignored the architectural history of the church. Louis Comfort Tiffany's paint and stenciling

5610-585: The actual domes below and gave greater visual prominence to the church. Various Near-Eastern models have been suggested as sources of inspiration and construction techniques for the heightened domes, including the Al-Aqsa and Qubbat aṣ-Ṣakhra mosques in Jerusalem and the conical frame erected over the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the early thirteenth century. The three exposed façades result from

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5720-471: The adjacent MBTA Copley station created a crack in the church's exterior and damage in the sanctuary. Out of fear that its use might cause further damage, the organ was not used from then until just before Easter in 2009. Old South Church is the owner of one of eleven remaining first-edition copies of the Bay Psalm Book . The Bay Psalm Book, printed in 1640 by Stephen Daye, "was the first book printed in

5830-410: The architectural lines. In addition to the reliefs in the spandrels , the sculpture at the lower level, relatively limited, includes narrow Romanesque bands, statues, and richly carved borders of foliage mixed with figures derived from Byzantine and Islamic traditions. The eastern influence is most pronounced in the tympana over the northern-most and southern-most portals. The iconographic programme

5940-410: The barrel vault forms the prelude to the mosaic cycle on the main façade, which narrates the translation of Saint Mark's relics from Alexandria in Egypt to Venice. The events depicted include the praedestinatio , the angelic prophecy that Mark would one day be buried in Venice, which affirms Venice's divine right to possess the relics. The authority of Saint Mark is demonstrated in the scenes that show

6050-457: The barrel vaults. The domes of the transept and the chancel are also smaller. As with the Holy Apostles, each dome rests on four barrel vaults, those of the central dome rising from quadripartite (four-legged) piers. But the two-tiered arcades that reinforced the vaults in the Holy Apostles were modified. In St Mark's there are no upper arcades, and as a result the aisles are less isolated from

6160-415: The building's construction was adopted, using old photographs and engravings as sources, and paint analysis to replicate original colors, the interior spaces were returned closely to their 1875 appearance. Walls were repainted rose madder and the original Cummings and Sears' stencil patterns were recreated. The cupola was reopened, once more admitting light to the Sanctuary below. Polychrome stenciling repeated

6270-419: The central and western domes are larger, accentuating the progression along the nave, and by means of a series of increasingly smaller arches, the nave visually narrows towards the raised chancel in the eastern crossarm, where the altar stands. The crossarms of the transept are shorter and narrower. Optically, their height and width are further reduced by the insertion of arches, supported on double columns within

6380-509: The central lunette. The four gilded bronze horses were among the early spoils brought from Constantinople after the Fourth Crusade. They were part of a quadriga adorning the Hippodrome and are the only equestrian team to survive from classical Antiquity . In the mid-thirteenth century, they were installed prominently on the main façade of St Mark's as symbols of Venice's military triumph over Byzantium and of its newfound imperial status as

6490-407: The central part of the church. The effect is of more unified sense of space and an openness that have parallels in other Byzantine churches constructed in the eleventh century, an indication that the chief architect was influenced by middle-Byzantine architectural models in addition to the sixth-century Church of the Holy Apostles. The chancel is enclosed by a Gothic altar screen , dated 1394. It

6600-447: The chancel, Doge Cristoforo Moro ( in office 1462–1471 ) erected at his personal expense two altars dedicated to Saint Paul and Saint James. The pier behind the Altar of Saint James is where the relics of Saint Mark are said to have been rediscovered in 1094: the miraculous event is depicted in the mosaics on the opposite side of the crossarm. The date of construction of the baptistery

6710-399: The church is primarily built of Roxbury Conglomerate commonly called puddingstone. Many arches, and several walls of stone, are striped with alternating courses of yellow-beige and deep red sandstone. The porticos and large open arches in the campanile are decorated with simple plate tracery . The upper arches of the porticos are decorated with screens of ornate wrought iron . The building

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6820-426: The church. The tribunes on either side of the chancel are faced with bronze reliefs that portray events in the life of Saint Mark and his miracles. Beyond the banisters is the presbytery, reserved for the clergy, with the high altar which since 1835 contains the relics of Saint Mark, previously located in the crypt. The ciborium above the altar is supported by four intricately carved columns with scenes that narrate

6930-689: The congregation's minister and deacons . At the same time, congregations voluntarily cooperated together in district associations and state conferences. Meetings of the National Council occurred every two years. Each district association elected one delegate to the Council, and each state conference elected two delegates, one of which had to be a woman. District associations with more than 10 churches were entitled to send one delegate for each additional 10 churches. State conferences with membership greater than 10 thousand were entitled to send two delegates for each additional 10 thousand members, and half of these additional delegates had to be women. The purpose of

7040-576: The corner of Washington and Milk Streets in Boston . Members of the congregation have included founders Edward Raynsford, Thomas Savage, John Alden , John Hull , Judith Quincy Hull and parishioners Daniel Quincy , John Alden Jr. , Samuel Adams , William Dawes , Benjamin Franklin , Samuel Sewall , and Phillis Wheatley . In 1773, Samuel Adams gave the signals from the Old South Meeting House for

7150-819: The denomination took its name. In 1931, the Congregationalists merged with the Christian Connection to form the Congregational Christian Churches . The National Council is a predecessor body to several American denominations, including the United Church of Christ , the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches , and the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference . Christianity • Protestantism American Congregationalism grew out of

7260-416: The earlier sacristy is not known. It was Spavento's first project and the only one he oversaw to completion. Decoration began in 1493. The cabinets, used for storing reliquaries , monstrances , vestments , and liturgical objects and books, were inlaid by Antonio della Mola and his brother Paolo and show scenes from the life of Saint Mark. The mosaic decoration of the vault, depicting Old-Testament prophets,

7370-414: The eastern wall of the crossarm in the thirteenth century, was later moved to the northern façade of the church, probably when the altar was rededicated in 1617 to the Madonna Nicopeia, a venerated Byzantine icon from the late-eleventh/early-twelfth century. The date and the circumstances of the icon's arrival in Venice are not documented. Most likely one of many sacred images taken from Constantinople at

7480-460: The events of the translatio . They constitute the oldest surviving representation of the transfer of Saint Mark's relics to Venice. The side altars in the transept were used primarily by the faithful. In the northern crossarm, the altar was originally dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist: the mosaics in the dome above show the aged figure of Saint John, surrounded by five scenes of his life in Ephesus . The stone relief of Saint John, placed on

7590-420: The extent that the resulting structure appeared entirely new. The northern transept was lengthened, likely by incorporating the southern lateral nave of the Church of Saint Theodore. Similarly, the southern transept was extended, perhaps by integrating a corner tower of the castrum . Most significantly, the wooden domes were rebuilt in brick. This required strengthening the walls and piers in order to support

7700-399: The façade that survives from the thirteenth century; the others were remade in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. The general appearance of the lost compositions is recorded in Gentile Bellini's Procession in Piazza San Marco (1496), which also documents the earlier gilding on the façade. The upper register is enriched with an elaborate Gothic crowning, executed in

7810-773: The four ancient bronze horses that were placed prominently over the entry. The interior of the domes, the vaults, and the upper walls were slowly covered with gold-ground mosaics depicting saints, prophets, and biblical scenes. Many of these mosaics were later retouched or remade as artistic tastes changed and damaged mosaics had to be replaced, such that the mosaics represent eight hundred years of artistic styles. Some of them derive from traditional Byzantine representations and are masterworks of Medieval art ; others are based on preparatory drawings made by prominent Renaissance artists from Venice and Florence, including Paolo Veronese , Tintoretto , Titian , Paolo Uccello , and Andrea del Castagno . Several medieval chronicles narrate

7920-402: The investiture of Doge Domenico Selvo ( in office 1071–1084 ) could take place in the unfinished church. Work on the interior began under Selvo, who collected fine marbles and stones for the embellishment of the church and personally financed the mosaic decoration, hiring a master mosaicist from Constantinople. The Pala d'Oro (golden altarpiece ), ordered from Constantinople in 1102,

8030-454: The lantern provides a striking visual presence, it was also built with function in mind. In the days before mechanical fans and air conditioning, a series of mechanically operated louvers allowed for window panels to be opened to help cool the sanctuary inside. The interior of Old South is exuberant yet quietly modulates the mix of rich materials: highly carved Italian cherry woodwork, limestone, stenciled plaster, and stained glass. The sanctuary

8140-485: The late 20th century requiring that the bell be rung by an external hammer. A faithful reconstruction of the original 1931 bell wheel, installed in early fall 2006, returned Old South's bell to "full swing." Centered above the Sanctuary on the east side of the church is a copper clad cupola surrounded by twelve ornate gothic arched windows. This feature is reminiscent of the cupolas of the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice. While

8250-536: The late-fourteenth/early-fifteenth centuries. The original lunettes, transformed into ogee arches , are outlined with foliage and topped with statues of four military saints over the lateral lunettes and of Saint Mark flanked by angels over the central lunette, the point of which contains the winged lion of Saint Mark holding a book with the angelic salutation of the praedestinatio : "Peace to you Mark, my Evangelist" ( "Pax tibi Marce evangelista meus" ). The intervening aediculae with pinnacles house figures of

8360-399: The lateral aisles in the other crossarms. They are connected to the chancel through archways which also serve to reinforce the barrel vaults supporting the dome above. The choir chapel on the northern side is dedicated to Saint Peter. Historically, it was the principal area for the clergy. The mosaic decoration in the vaults above the chapels largely narrates the life of Saint Mark, including

8470-450: The lives of Christ and the Virgin. The age and provenance of the columns is disputed, with proposals ranging from sixth-century Byzantium to thirteenth-century Venice. The altarpiece , originally designed as an antependium , is the Pala d'Oro , a masterpiece of Byzantine enamels on gilded silver. The two choir chapels, located on either side of the chancel, occupy the space corresponding to

8580-454: The lunettes. The Gothic crowning continues in the upper register of the southern façade, the lunettes being topped with the allegorical figures of Justice and Fortitude and the aediculae housing statues of Saint Anthony Abbot and Saint Paul the Hermit . The southern façade is the most richly encrusted façade with rare marbles, spoils, and trophies, including the so-called pillars of Acre,

8690-414: The new heavy barrel vaults , which in turn were reinforced by arcades along the sides of the northern, southern, and western crossarms. The vaults of the eastern crossarm were supported by inserting single arches that also served to divide the chancel from the choir chapels in the lateral apses. In front of the western façade, a narthex was built. To accommodate the height of the existing great entry,

8800-462: The original brick façades and interior walls were embellished over time with precious stones and rare marbles, primarily in the thirteenth century. Many of the columns, reliefs, and sculptures were spoils stripped from the churches, palaces, and public monuments of Constantinople as a result of the Venetian participation in the Fourth Crusade . Among the plundered artefacts brought back to Venice were

8910-894: The original palette of ochre, bay leaf green, warm gray, and persimmon with metallic gold. The church's present organ, Opus 308, was built in 1921 by E. M. Skinner & Company of Boston for the Municipal Auditorium Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota, and brought to the church in 1985 when that building was demolished. Originally 82 ranks and 5,728 pipes, it now has 115 ranks and 7,625 pipes ranging from 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) to 32 feet (9.8 m) in length. The church had previously installed another Skinner organ in 1915; its successful inaugural concert series featured organists William C. Hammond , Gaston Dethier , Edwin Arthur Kraft , Charles Heinroth, and T. Tertius Noble . The organ console

9020-399: The original relief panels of the galleries on the side facing the central section of the church. On the opposite side, new balustrades were erected. The narthex of the Contarini church was originally limited to the western side. As with other Byzantine churches, it extended laterally beyond the façade on both sides and terminated in niches, of which the northern remains. The southern terminus

9130-407: The overall aspect of the decoration from the first half of the twelfth century with the Virgin flanked by angels, a theme common in middle-Byzantine churches. Although St Mark's was modelled after the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, ceremonial needs and limitations posed by the pre-existing walls and foundations made it necessary to adapt the design. The cruciform plan with five domes

9240-523: The period of the Latin Empire (1204–1261), following the Fourth Crusade , the Venetians pillaged the churches, palaces, and public monuments of Constantinople and stripped them of polychrome columns and stones. Once in Venice, some of the columns were sliced for revetmets and patere ; others were paired and spread across the façades or used as altars. Despoliation continued in later centuries, notably during

9350-446: The present church constructed on newly filled land. Old South's commitment to urban ministry and care continued into the 20th century. It has included new members who have been increasingly diverse by race, class, and sexual orientation. The congregation has formally adopted a platform of equality, social justice, and peace. The church building was designed between 1870 and 1872 by the Boston architectural firm of Cummings and Sears in

9460-520: The preservation and support of rural communities as well as price controls on agricultural products, the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination , and the abolition of all national armed forces except for internal police. The Congregational churches adhered to congregational polity where local congregations remained legally autonomous and independent. Congregations managed their own internal affairs through church meetings where all church members were entitled to vote. The church meeting elected

9570-510: The progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood." The Social Gospel flourished among Congregational churches, and the National Council pledged itself to work for a society that guaranteed a decent wage and denied privileges for the wealthy. In 1925, the National Council adopted a Statement of Social Ideals, which outlined a progressive "Christian social order". The five ideals include universal education , support for labor unions ,

9680-421: The southern end of the narthex was removed, and the corresponding arch on the southern façade was opened to establish a second entry. Like the entry on the western façade, the passage was distinguished with precious porphyry columns. On either side, couchant lions and griffins were placed. Presumably, the southern entry was also flanked by the two carved pillars long believed to have been brought to Venice from

9790-631: The stark brick exterior was enlivened only by receding concentric arches in contrasting brick around the windows. The western façade, comparable to middle-Byzantine churches erected in the tenth and eleventh centuries, was characterized by a series of arches set between protruding pillars. The walls were pierced by windows set in larger blind arches , while the intervening pillars were adorned with niches and circular patere made of rare marbles and stones that were surrounded with ornamental frames. Other decorative details, including friezes and corbel tables , reflected Romanesque trends, an indication of

9900-468: The state rooms at the White House , and several Back Bay homes. In some ways Tiffany was an expected choice to redecorate Old South. He followed many of the ideas of John Ruskin; he believed in the dignity and importance of the human hand and eye in the decorative arts. Yet Tiffany arrived at Old South at a time when his gilded age style had begun a decline. A new wave of neoclassicism called Beaux-Arts , and

10010-574: The successor of the Byzantine Empire. Since 1974 the original four horses are preserved inside, having been substituted with copies on the balcony over the central portal. The aediculae on the northern façade contain statues of the four original Latin Doctors of the Church : Jerome , Augustine , Ambrose , and Gregory the Great . Allegorical figures of Prudence , Temperance , Faith , and Charity top

10120-471: The taste and craftsmanship of the Italian workers. With few exceptions, most notably the juncture of the southern and western crossarms, both the exterior and interior of the church were subsequently sheathed with revetments of marble and precious stones and enriched with columns, reliefs, and sculptures. Many of these ornamental elements were spolia taken from ancient or Byzantine buildings. Particularly in

10230-567: The time of the Latin Empire, it was deposited in St Mark's treasury, with no specific importance associated. It began to acquire significance for the Venetians in the fourteenth century when it was framed with Byzantine enamels looted from the Pantokrator in Contantinople. At that time, it may have been first carried in public procession to invoke the Virgin's intercession in ridding the city of

10340-486: The two earlier churches, its model was the sixth-century Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople , although accommodations were made to adapt the design to the limitations of the physical site and to meet the specific needs of Venetian state ceremonies. Middle-Byzantine , Romanesque , and Islamic influences are also evident, and Gothic elements were later incorporated. To convey the republic's wealth and power,

10450-468: The upper arcade of the Doge's Palace in Venice. The stained glass windows are by the English stained glass manufacturers Clayton and Bell and were produced in the style of 15th-century English glass. When Old South's church opened in 1875 it looked very much as it does today, based upon the design of Cummings and Sears. The walls were decorated in polychrome stenciling in shades of complex tertiary colors:

10560-424: The vaulting system of the new narthex had to be interrupted in correspondence to the portal, thus creating the shaft above that was later opened to the interior of the church. The crypt was also enlarged to the east, and the high altar was moved from under the central dome to the chancel, which was raised, supported by a network of columns and vaults in the underlying crypt. By 1071, work had progressed far enough that

10670-431: The western façade, the lower register is dominated by five deeply recessed portals that alternate with large piers. The lower register was later completely covered with two tiers of precious columns, largely spoils from the Fourth Crusade. Consistent with Byzantine traditions, the sculptural elements are largely decorative: only in the arches that frame the doorways is there a functional use of sculpture that articulates

10780-600: The what became the United States." Until 2013, when one copy was sold at auction to David Rubenstein, Old South Church owned two of the eleven first-edition copies. Old South Church's copy of the Bay Psalm Book is currently housed in the Rare Books Department of the Boston Public Library . To date twenty ministers have served Old South's congregation as Senior Minister; they are: National Council of

10890-409: The writing of his Gospel which is then presented to Saint Peter. Particular relevance is also given to the departure of Saint Mark for Egypt and his miracles there, which creates continuity with the opening scene on the façade, depicting the removal of the body from Alexandria. Although largely redone in the nineteenth century, the apse above the doorway that leads into the narthex probably maintains

11000-434: Was consequently closed, blocked by the altar and a window above, and although the griffins remain, much of the decoration was transferred or destroyed. The pillars were moved slightly eastward. The decoration of the southern entry hall to the church was redone in the thirteenth century in conjunction with work in the adjoining narthex; of the original appearance of the entry hall, nothing is known. The present mosaic cycle in

11110-682: Was first referred to as the Madonna Nicopeia ( Nikopoios , Bringer of Victory) in 1645. The altar in the southern crossarm was initially dedicated to Saint Leonard , the sixth-century Frankish saint who became widely popular at the time of the Crusades as his intercession was sought to liberate prisoners from the Muslims. He is shown in the dome above, together with other saints particularly venerated in Venice: Blaise, Nicholas, and Clement I. The altar

11220-404: Was installed on the high altar in 1105. For the consecration under Doge Vitale Falier Dodoni ( in office 1084–1095 ), various dates are recorded, most likely reflecting a series of consecrations of different sections. The consecration on 8 October 1094 is considered to be the dedication of the church. On that day, the relics of Saint Mark were also placed into the new crypt. As built,

11330-399: Was long believed to have been a rectangular structure with a single apse, soundings and excavations have demonstrated that St Mark's was from the beginning a cruciform church with at least a central dome , likely in wood. It has not been unequivocally established if each of the four crossarms of the church had a similar dome or were instead covered with gabled wooden roofs . The prototype

11440-458: Was maintained. However the Holy Apostles was a true centrally planned church: the central dome, larger than the others, was alone pierced with windows, and the altar was located underneath. There was no distinction between the four crossarms: no apse existed and double-tiered arcades surrounded the interior on all sides. In contrast, the longitudinal axis was emphasized to create a space appropriate for processions associated with state ceremonies. Both

11550-399: Was obscured by a coat of light gray paint, and the purple Tiffany glass installed over the stained glass was removed. The oculus of the cupola was closed up. In some ways the removal of decoration recalled the congregation's Puritan roots. Old South Church's building was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1970. In 1984 a research-driven restoration was begun. The period of

11660-593: Was rededicated in 1617 to the True Cross , and since 1810, it has been the Altar of the Blessed Sacrament . The long-neglected relics of Saint Isidore of Chios , brought to Venice in 1125 by Doge Domenico Michiel ( in office 1117–1130 ) on return from his military expedition in the Aegean , were rediscovered in the mid-fourteenth century, and upon the initiative of Doge Andrea Dandolo ( in office 1343–1354 ),

11770-656: Was responsible for establishing and maintaining Sunday schools in addition to recruiting college students to staff them. The American Missionary Association , which also predated the National Council, was primarily focused on education and evangelism among African Americans, Appalachian residents, Native Americans, and Mexican, Puerto Rican, Chinese and Japanese communities. St Mark%27s Basilica The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark ( Italian : Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco ), commonly known as St Mark's Basilica ( Italian : Basilica di San Marco ; Venetian : Baxéłega de San Marco ),

11880-591: Was separated by a wall in the early twelfth century, thus creating an entry hall that opened on the southern façade toward the Doge's Palace and the waterfront. In the early thirteenth century, the narthex was extended along the northern and southern sides to completely surround the western crossarm. Also, in the first half of the thirteenth century, the original low-lying brick domes, typical of Byzantine churches, were surmounted with higher, outer shells supporting bulbous lanterns with crosses. These wooden frames covered in lead provided more protection from weathering to

11990-443: Was the Church of the Holy Apostles (demolished 1461) in Constantinople . This radical break with the local architectural tradition of a rectangular plan in favour of a centrally planned Byzantine model reflected the growing commercial presence of Venetian merchants in the imperial capital as well as Venice's political ties with Byzantium. More importantly, it underscored that St Mark's was intended not as an ecclesiastical seat but as

12100-412: Was utilized by the Doge, civic leaders, and foreign ambassadors. Prior to the sixteenth century, the Doge's throne was located near the choir chapel of Saint Clement I , whose doorway opened to the courtyard of the Doge's Palace. The chapel was reserved for the Doge's private use. From the window above, which communicates with his private apartments, it was also possible for the Doge to assist at mass in

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