The remains of a medieval church were recently discovered during excavations at the famous Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy.
During the restoration project of the paving stones known as masegni, the workers found “brickwork and floor levels”, which are believed to belong to the ancient church of San Gimignano according to a Facebook post shared by Municipality of Venice and the Lagoon’s Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape department. The historical records show that the church was built in medieval times, but its exact location has been lost over the centuries.
Furthermore, human remains were discovered as well, indicating that they were buried in the same tomb. The practice of burying the dead in the same tomb, located inside or near a place of worship, was common in medieval times.
“Thanks to the archival sources that name the church at this point of the square but also thanks to the recent discovery, in addition to the quoted bricklayers, of a burial with lateralised shoulders in which at least four people were buried,” the post states.
The discovery will allow experts to examine what is considered one of the oldest churches in Venice and provide an insight into the evolution of Piazza San Marco into its current state.