The several-ton hunk of marble was in a publicly accessible ... “The Pope thus paid tribute to the holiest church in Christianity,” Berkovich said. The altar, at more than 11-feet long ...
In front of the High Altar is one of the Abbey's treasures. This is a marble pavement dating from 1268 and the method of its decoration is known as Cosmati work, after the Italian family who developed ...
The perimeter of the Byzantine-style interior features dozens of paintings and altars—depicting ... the date of the church's dedication, while two marble mosaics are built into the floor.