Dome of the Pentecost

Time Period: 11^th and 12^th Centuries

Artist: Unknown

Location: Venice, Italy

Medium: Mosaic

Dimensions: Unknown

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”  ~ Acts 2: 1-4

Situated on the ceiling of the San Marco Chapel in Venice, Italy the Dome of the Pentecost is an amazing sight. It depicts the tongues of fire coming from Jesus Christ to the twelve disciples. However, what perhaps makes this even more amazing is the fact that it is coated in gold, which accounts for the shine. Each design is made up of thousands of tiny blocks of many different colors. They are designed very intricately so that each color works together to form an image. It is a grueling task for any mosaic, but for this one and those around it must have been especially difficult because they are on the ceiling about forty yards above the floor.

The images which are created in this mosaic are that of Jesus in the very center, the king and savior of all. Proceeding forth from Jesus are twelve silver lines portraying the Holy Spirit descending from heaven to enter the minds of the apostles. Just above the heads of each apostle there is a red line which portrays the tongues of fire which were seen above their heads on the day of Pentecost. There is also a dove in the center which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The placement of this mosaic is also very interesting to me. It is on the ceiling just as you walk through the door and serves as a reminder of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the church and in its members. Therefore, as the people walked into the service they were washed, metaphorically, with the Holy Spirit as they enter into the service. It is a great reminder of the Spirit’s influence in the church and in our individual lives.

Also, the fact that the mosaic is on the ceiling, as opposed to on the wall or somewhere else, is very important. It gives a wonderful feeling of the relationship between heaven and earth; Jesus is in heaven with the rest of the saints above the congregation which is on earth and because the shape of the mosaic is a dome then the lines portraying the Holy Spirit are coming down the side of the dome which gives it the effect of coming down from Heaven to meet the people. In a way it makes the story come alive for the person every time they come into the chapel; helping to keep the message of Pentecost alive as long as San Marco is around.