Italy 2012 / 20120528e_StMarksPalaD'OroFull Ruth Milner, rmilner plus web at bookofmarvels dot net 3/18/2013

Pala d'Oro, St. Mark's, Venice The full Pala d'Oro is about 7 feet high and 11.5 feet wide - an incredible piece of workmanship that was originally commissioned in Constantinople around 1000 AD, and was further elaborated on over the next 350 years. I found this description of it online:    "Materials and techniques: Ebony; gold – repoussé, cast and appliqué, chased, stamped, matted, filigrees, granulation, beading; precious and semiprecious stones (300 sapphires, 300 emeralds, 15 rubies, 400 garnets, 90 amethysts, 1,300 pearls, 75 ruby spinels, 4 topazes and 2 cameos, according to an inventory prior to 1796), cabochons or table, some of them facetted, claw-mounted; cloisonné enamels"