The Pala d'Oro The rear panels

As mentioned earlier, the pala d'Oro was only visible on feast days. At other times, it was covered with a painted panel. The panel shown below is now on the back of the pala; originally it would have covered it with the pala facing forward. It shows Christ and the apostles and was painted by an unknown fifteenth-century Venetian master.

This panel was a replacement for the rather more interesting one below, by Paolo Veneziano. It was commissioned by Doge Andrea Dandolo and completed in 1345. It can be seen in the San Marco museum.   The top row shows the crucified Christ surrounded by St George, St Mark, the Virgin Mary, St John the Evangelist, St Peter and St Nicholas. The bottom row shows scenes from the story of St Mark: Mark being ordained Bishop by St Peter, Mark meeting Ananius  then ordaining him, The martyrdom of Mark, the translation of his relics to Venice, the installation in San Marco, and the miraculous rediscovery of the relics.

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