The Crypt of San Marco in Venice
The crypt of San Marco in Venice forms the architectural and sacral centre of the church: the tomb of the patron saint who gave the church its name is venerated there, and the altar of the church above ground is located exactly above the tomb. An architectural archaeological investigation of the crypt is to find answers to questions that are still unanswered about this key monument of Christian archaeology:
Did the crypt already belong to the first St Mark's Church of the 9th century (so-called Partecipazio Church), or was it only built at the same time as today's St Mark's Cathedral in the 11th century (so-called Contarini Church)?
Where exactly were the tomb or relics of St. Mark located? Although the two-storey columned architecture in the centre of the crypt seems to have been designed for a burial chamber, the exact location and staging is still unclear.
The architectural archaeological investigation of the crypt is supported by a 3D visualisation (in cooperation with the Bonn Center for Digital Humanities (BCDH); funded by "Virtual Collaboration (ViCo) - gemeinsam für die Zukunft lernen" of the University of Bonn). Thanks to digital 3D visualisation, current research questions can be integrated into teaching and discussed with the addition of new perspectives:
Essential aspects of Christian archaeology, such as the significance of saints and their tombs or relics, are vividly conveyed to students. Students can access a key monument of Christian archaeology virtually, even without having to incur the very high travel costs typical of Venice. The students not only consume the 3D models, but also learn to produce them themselves and thus to understand them better.
Duration: Since 2020
Funding: "Virtual Collaboration(ViCo) - gemeinsam für die Zukunft lernen" der Universität Bonn
Cooperation: Bonn Center for Digital Humanities (BCDH)