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Venice, City of Saint Mark Trivia Quiz

Venice is my choice as the most beautiful and most interesting city in the world. This is my quiz about the city with special attention to her patron saint, St. Mark.

A multiple-choice quiz by griffinj. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
griffinj

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
156,324

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1054

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The ruler of Venice was called the Doge (pronouced doej). What other city/state in Italy was led by a Doge? Hint

Genoa

Urbino

Milan

Pisa

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Question 2 of 10

2. Venice was the site of a great city under the Roman empire.

True

False

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Question 3 of 10

3. Why did the first Venetians choose to build their city on so many small islands? Hint

As fishermen, they wanted to be closer to the sea.

Saint Mark directed them there in a miraculous vision.

The were great merchants, and the lagoon made an ideal harbor.

To protect themselves from invading armies.

4. The Basilica of San Marco is one of the great sights of Venice, the oldest parts date from the 800's. But it has only been a cathedral (the home church of a bishop or higher prelate) since 1807. What was it before that? Hint

A very grand church of a very rich parish.

A votive (thanks offering) church to St. Mark for rescuing Venice from the Black Plague.

The church of an ancient monastery.

The chapel of the Doge's Palace

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which church was the cathedral of the diocese of Venice before San Marco? Hint

SS. Maria e Donato

San Pietro in Castello

S. Cassiano

S. Maria della Salute

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Question 6 of 10

6. Saint Mark will always be associated with Venice, his symbol is seen everywhere in the city. What is it? Hint

An angel.

A winged lion, usually holding a book.

A great horse.

A wreath of roses.

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Question 7 of 10

7. Before St. Mark was the patron saint of Venice, another saint had that job, who? Hint

Saint Christopher

Saint Paul

Saint Theodore

Saint Dorothy

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Question 8 of 10

8. The (supposed) body of Saint Mark came to Venice when it was smuggled away from the Saracens of what city? Hint

Alexandria

Jerusalem

Antioch

Tyre

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Question 9 of 10

9. On the front of San Marco's Basilica stand four magnificent bronze horses. These are now copies of the originals, which have been brought indoors to protect them. How did Venice acquire these masterpieces of ancient art? Hint

They were stolen from the Byzantine capital of Constantinople

They were dug up in Athens when Greece was a Venetian colony.

They were a gift from the Pope

They were a bribe from the Holy Roman Emperor.

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Question 10 of 10

10. What is the title of the chief prelate (clergyman) of Venice? Hint

Patriarch

Bishop

Archbishop

Cardinal

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 14 2024 : Linda_Arizona: 6/10
Nov 10 2024 : Fiona112233: 7/10

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The ruler of Venice was called the Doge (pronouced doej). What other city/state in Italy was led by a Doge?

Answer: Genoa

The word 'doge' is from the Latin word 'dux', the same root as the English word 'duke'.

2. Venice was the site of a great city under the Roman empire.

Answer: False

Under the Romans there was no major urban center on the lagoon. The legendary date for the founding of the city is 521, but the first verifiable references to the city date from the seventh century, long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

3. Why did the first Venetians choose to build their city on so many small islands?

Answer: To protect themselves from invading armies.

There were small settlements on the Venetian lagoon from earliest times. But the great influx of population came during the various invasions of the fifth and sixth centuries, especially that of the Lombards in 569. The many small islands were an easily defensible refuge from both land and sea.

Answer: The chapel of the Doge's Palace

As grand as it is, until less than two hundred years ago San Marco was officialy the private chapel of the Palace of the Doges. It can be compared to the Chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle.

5. Which church was the cathedral of the diocese of Venice before San Marco?

Answer: San Pietro in Castello

San Pietro in Castello was the cathedral of Venice from the tenth century until Venice was conquered by Napoleon. It is a very handsome church, but it is located in what were then the suburbs of Venice, and is nowhere as grand as the Doge's San Marco's. A none-to-subtle indication of where the power lay in Venice.

6. Saint Mark will always be associated with Venice, his symbol is seen everywhere in the city. What is it?

Answer: A winged lion, usually holding a book.

Each of the four Evangelists; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, has his own symbol. They are an angel, a winged lion, a winged ox and an eagle, respectively. Usually they are seen as a set of four. But in Venice Mark's lion stands by himself virtually everywhere.

7. Before St. Mark was the patron saint of Venice, another saint had that job, who?

Answer: Saint Theodore

There are two great columns in the Piazzeta San Marco, in front of the Basilica and the Palace of the Doges. One has the lion of Saint Mark, the other carries St. Theodore and his symbol, a 'dragon' that looks like a crocodile with the head of a dog. Well, how do you know that's not what a dragon looks like?

8. The (supposed) body of Saint Mark came to Venice when it was smuggled away from the Saracens of what city?

Answer: Alexandria

Venetian merchants smuggled the body of St. Mark out of the Saracenic (Muslim) city of Alexandria by putting it in a great cask labeled 'pork'. As contact with pork is forbidden by Muslim law, the Egyptian customs officers did not check inside.

Answer: They were stolen from the Byzantine capital of Constantinople

The four great horses of San Marco were part of the stupendous loot from the Venetian sacking of Constantinople in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade

10. What is the title of the chief prelate (clergyman) of Venice?

Answer: Patriarch

Venice and Lisbon are the only European cities to have a Partriarch.

Source: Author griffinj

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
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