The Museum in the 19th century

On May 12, 1797 comes to its end the millennial history of the Venetian Republic. St. Mark's basilica ends its role as Doge's chapel and becomes the new cathedral of Venice.
From now on St. Mark's Fabbriceria (works department) will take care of the repairs of the monument, in need of several reinforcement works of the architectonic structure and decorative elements. The Fabbriceria supervisors and the most conscious clergy develop a new attitude towards the precious rests of the ancient Treasure, temporarily still kept in the Mint rooms. The intention is to fit them back in the historic room located between the church and the Doge's Palace, which is therefore restored into a brighter, dryer area, better suited for fixing up such precious items.
San Marco church's new supervisors are determined to revive the surviving evidences of the Basilica's millennial history in order to offer the possibility to admire the ancient and precious objects belonging to the Treasure rescued from dispersal.

Fifty years later Pietro Saccardo, fabbriciere since 1861 and St. Mark's proto since 1887, will conceive the project of a museum for the basilica where to collect and exhibit the works of art that were part of the precious furnishings of the ducal church.

Saccardo's efforts will bruptly stopped by the collapse of the campanile in 1902. In the new century the basilica has to face serious conservative problems, while the events that lead to the first world war are imminent.

The Museum of St. Mark, devised by Pietro Saccardo, will open only in 1927 by the proto Luigi Marangoni.