Floors of San Marco

 The Basilica of San Marco is one of the most visually arresting churches I have ever seen.  Seemingly every inch of the walls and ceiling are covered with mosaic, painting, or other ornamentation.  There is gold everywhere and the interior is bathed in its warm glow.  And yet my eyes were drawn to the floor.  For the entire visit, my gaze was cast down and my camera trained at my feet.  Here are some of the extraordinary tiling patterns I saw there.

And here is a somewhat broader view to give a sense of the dazzling variety.

Finally, I noticed some architectural drawings of parts of the floor in the attached museum.  They have, of course, been the object of close study for centuries.