History Summarized: Saint Mark's Basilica

🟥🟨 My book THE VENEZIAD is available on Kickstarter for One More Week! www.kickstarte...
SOURCES & Further Reading:
"A History of Venice" by John Julius Norwich
"Francesco's Venice" by Francesco Da Mosto
MUSIC:
"Pippin The Hunchback" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 creativecommon...
"Threshold" from Journey OST by Austin Wintory @AWintory
Our content is intended for teenage audiences and up.
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[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

"The bones ought to be right here, but they aren't." "Lost Saint Mark the Keepers have, how embarrassing, how embarrassing!"

[@OverlySarcasticProductions]

Perhaps the Basilica's archives are incomplete?

[@VeroTesta]

@@OverlySarcasticProductions "Impossibile!" ~Doge Gian Chenobi

[@jojotheswede8444]

I love the OSP fandom, truly wonderfull the mind of Blue is.

[@AnimeSunglasses]

​@@VeroTesta Doge Jocasta Nuova sounds even more Italian

[@Darbicus1]

​@@OverlySarcasticProductions If bones don't appear in our church, then the Saint was never dead!

[@elizaripper]

The fact that this book is seven years in the making shows how dedicated Blue is to getting to talk non-stop about Venice. 😁💙

[@SereglothIV]

Vembis

[@disguysaysda4708]

Vembis

[@hobozero]

Blue is a sereneboo

[@naecodog]

Does someone know if you can only buy the book and additions during the kickstarter, or if you can get them afterwards?

[@disguysaysda4708]

@@naecodog you can get it after the campaign, but it’s 10 more dollars

[@bmoney2011]

commissioning an entire Italian translation of an epic poem you wrote *because the vibes would not be immaculate otherwise* is perhaps the most Venetian thing ever.

[@kbye2321]

Other than commissioning an entire *Venetian* translation, but that would be splitting hairs…

[@timothyk3763]

"Did I commission an entire language for my story that most of you can't read? For vibes? Yeah! I did!" Never change blue, never change

[@s.p.d.magentaranger1822]

That's a flex honestly

[@Canido19]

And will probably be a godsend to future generations after Venice finally sinks in its entirety.

[@trainwreck-is-a-wreck]

this is why he’s the Overly in Overly Sarcastic Productions

[@amanofnoreputation2164]

It probably won't stay a language most of his audience can't read for long given what a useful resource for learning Italian it will be.

[@eduardomelo151]

@@amanofnoreputation2164 It also could make sucess on italy

[@fireyjon]

Blue to Venice: I love your domes. Venice to Blue: thanks I stole them.

[@davidmauriciogutierrezespi5244]

more like "Thanks, I stole them from the bizantines"

[@holstorrsceadus1990]

Zero chance I believe Blue when he says he could stop talking about Venice. Blue, you are lucky you have a beneficial obsession otherwise we would have staged an intervention ages ago.

[@aussiemarty2732]

I believe he can stop whenever he wants, I just don’t believe that’ll ever happen

[@DemLep]

We might need to do an intervention.

[@TalasDD]

i agree. he is absolutly hocked on venice. he even wrote a book to keep talking about it. and he`ll do it again if necessary.

[@1003JustinLaw]

Nah he can stop whenever he wants, just not now. Not because he can't, he just won't. Can't and won't are two VERY different concepts.

[@AlvoriaGPM]

I TOTALLY believe Blue could stop talking about Venice if he really wanted to. He'd just have to stop *breathing* to do it so... ya know... let's hope that doesn't happen any time soon.

[@kemokage]

Also a fun fact of the bronze horses is that when the Venetians stole them, they had to remove the heads for transport. When the horses were reassembled, the heads were placed on the wrong bodies so that they were no longer all turned outward toward the viewer but instead turned towards each other as if they are having a nice little chat with the horse next to them. The original horses are now kept inside a museum to help preserve them with replicas taking their place on the basilica but in true Italian style they have preserved the mistake.

[@slwrabbits]

I believe horses are social animals, so I choose to think that the horses would approve.

[@bjwessels]

Blue: I can stop when I want to. Venician domes exist. Blue: I just don't want to. Us: And this is why we love Blue.

[@erikschultz8989]

Blue: “No power on Earth could ever keep Venice humble but maybe we can at least keep them anxious.” *Sounds of La Marseillaise grow louder in the background*

[@mrbtiger4838]

I recognise a hyper-fixation when I see it, and I am living for Blue getting to chain-post videos on it. Go off, brother.

[@flux.aeterna]

I love seeing someone’s hyperfixation evolve

[@mirjanbouma]

Yes!!

[@SereglothIV]

"Their justification for the crusade was lacking, But boy, oh, boy, those sailors were sacking." Is this that 'Illiad-like style' we can expect in the Veneziad? 😂

[@sunfire2614]

Imagine: Its 5025 AD. There is some sort of entertainment platform that allows creators to post essays and stuff. There are probably a couple of animated characters on screen, voiced over by someone who loves Venice just as much a Blue, sighting his work his own video, and being so freakign grateful that our ancient culture decided to site our sources.

[@walmorcarvalho2512]

This is kinda already happening. There are people in the comments citing that some Universities' classics departments are including this very channel in their syllabus

[@SSGranor]

Okay; but, can we _talk_ about the acoustics? About 25 years ago, I got to participate in a choral performance in San Marco; and, that place sounds like nothing I have ever heard before or since. It's like the sounds just hangs in the air for about 5 seconds with crystal clarity. In most spaces with long reverberation times the sound gets kind of muddy; but, in San Marco it just somehow doesn't.

[@unwritten_zephyr]

I love whenever you talk about a building in Venice, and when you show it I’m like “OH that was fun to climb around in Assassins Creed 2.”

[@Beth.H]

Yes ditto- also I know there names in Italian 😂

[@theanimeunderworld8338]

I will never get tired of Blue's love for Venice nor him decking on Genoa

[@nathanandsugar5252]

He mentioned the mosaics. There is a mosaic in my home states capital (IA) that looks like a painting from far away. You have to visit in person to understand the visual effects clearly.

[@saccharinesilk]

"gold has never looked more gorgeous, more opulent, or more engrossing than it does here in venice" [The Baroque Will Remember This]

[@wingshad0w00982]

“No force on earth can keep Venice humble.” Napoleon: is that a challenge?

[@ISmellSarcasm]

"I promise I can stop talking about Venice whenever I want" he says, when his epic poem about Venice is coming out

[@flambr]

I wasn’t sold on the Veneziad because I’ve been spending the larger part of four years studying Italian, and would prefer to read works about Italy in Italian, only to now realise just quite how much I love this channel!

[@selasiovec8581]

Seriously, I'm surprised Blue doesn't have a pin of himself with his arms up in the air, yelling "Let's Dooooome!" (the number of 'O's can vary)

[@alisaurus4224]

🕌🕌🕌🕌🕌🕌🕌 (Only dome emoji I could find)

[@CailinRuaAnChead]

​@@alisaurus4224 pretty iconic dome though

[@EliteslayerX]

Every time you say "Constantinople," my brain immediately goes "But what about Istanbul?" and vice-versa. Every time, I just can't stop it. I blame They Might Be Giants.

[@cryss.6570]

That song has a permanent space in my head, and I honestly don't mind

[@brigitteanderson480]

Someone not mentioned in the video but also very cool, is how the architecture of St. Mark’s affected choral music in the Renaissance. You can kinda see in the video that there are some balconies in St. Mark’s. There are 4 in total and this is where the choir would sing during mass. These cori spezzati (spaced-out choirs) helped lead the way for polychoral (multi-choir) music in the Renaissance. This style was really led by the St. Mark Music Directors: Adrian Willaert (1490-1592) , Andrea Gabrieli (1510-1586) , and Giovanni Gabrieli (1553-1612). Each of which wrote music specifically for this church. The four sections of the choir had their own part written down on the sheet music, which helped pave the way for the modern voice parts of bass, tenor, alto, and soprano. This style of music became really popular in northern Italy and this multi-part complexity affected the development of the Italian Madrigal. A good example of this polychoral music is Andrea Gabrieli’s “Jubilate Deo.” I had this running through my head while watching the video and watching Blue gush over the architecture of St. Mark’s Basilica. Been really enjoying all the Venice videos, and I’m excited to get my hands on that book!

[@tymothyhenry]

"Book and sword" describes my ideal wardrobe vibe and life goals.

[@segnitiveresponse3476]

Walking into this building in AC2 was jawdropping. Had to stand there for 10 minutes just looking at the ceiling

[@dmen89]

Also, nevermind the gilding, look at the absolutely insane amount of ground lapis in that dome. That is like the definition of drip.

[@malice4777]

Lapis and Labradorite are my favourite rocks. The amount of lapis lazuli that must've taken is mind boggling.

[@SerperiorWeeb]

Dude I'm at the gym and you don't know how badly I needed a history video to podcast, ty with that upload timing!

[@LordKhuzdul]

"Lion of Mark carried a book and a sword"... seems to me he should have carried a crowbar and a lockpick as well.

[@Shadowreaper5]

So for the Blue bingo card we have: mention of domes, Venice, Blue getting really into talking about architecture, throwing shade at a famous person from the past, and Blue mentions his past vacations. Anyone have a bingo?

[@starchildd]

Truly, truly one of Blue's best videos. I keep coming back to it- the way San Marco is described as a microcosm of both the good and the bad of Venice, a basilica in honour of the city's opportunism as much as anything else, is just SO TRUE and well stated! And that final line? A reminder that the lion of St Mark held a book AND a sword? Ice cold! Pure academic chops and rhetorical talent here. Never ever stop making videos!!

[@paulwagner688]

I was on the fence about getting the book, but "I'm signing every one" sold me.

[@MissingRaptor]

When I first saw the title of this video I thought: man, Blue's really going ham on Venice 😂 Introductory sentence to the video: Blue "I can give up talking about Venice whenever I want to, I just don't want to!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Love the whole unapologetic leaning into the subject that's going on here!

[@isabellachen3950]

Honestly never stop talking about Venice I’m all here for it

[@michaelrussell1672]

When I was a senior in highschoool I was able to sing inside St.Marks as part of a European choral tour. The sound is there is incredible

[@clayrush1413]

I bet that sounded amazing! If you ever get the chance to go to Athens there's this little church ruin in the Ancient Agora called the Church of the Apostles of Solakis. The acoustics in there are amazing!

[@randomnpc13]

I just got back from a family vacation to Italy a few days ago and when we were in St Marks i will admit it was hard to think anything besides "LOOK AT THIS!" The entire trip was incredible and as a yet-to-be-declared history major, thank you for teaching me so much about the history of the world we live in and spurring on my curiosity in this field. You're doing the good work. Keep it up! (Can't wait to read the Veneziad)

[@SleepyPotterFan]

I think the biggest difference between pop and academic historical analysis is the ability to place nice and yikes in context vs outright denying one or the other to make a point, which, in itself, easily illustrates how those moments happened in the first place.

[@Chrisifire]

The basilica is italys equivalent British museum and I love it

[@theanimeunderworld8338]

Blue, my history guy, you're on a big role

[@Tru7hiness]

Launch youtube, see OSP uploaded a video 1m ago, beat the notification, babyyyy

[@Braxmegaman]

That's an _excellent_ opening line. Definitely should use that one at my next intervention.

[@mjlamey1066]

Gott damn boi needs that rehab for Venezia addiction

[@alisaurus4224]

Weren’t you listening? He can stop. Any. Time.

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

@@alisaurus4224 Ah, yes, and we all believe that, do we?

[@alisaurus4224]

@@KaiHung-wv3ul of course! Blue wouldn’t come on the internet and LIE

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

@@alisaurus4224 Of course not, whether he's self aware is another question.

[@Splicer-lb5xb]

1:48 Blue is underestimating his popularity, his hand will be very tired very soon.

[@Lionstar16]

Never stop talking about what makes you happy Blue - it's an example to follow :)

[@jamesh2321]

I am lucky enough to have visited the Basilica di San Marco while in the navy, and the memories of the sheer OPULENCE (much of it stolen) sticks with me to this day. Such a beautiful and also sobering edifice, a testament to both man's best and worst traits all in one gorgeous package.

[@azale_2241]

My parents went on a trip to Venice a few months ago and the pictures they got of this Basilica were STUNNING. Definitely adding it to my bucket list, especially with all the new history I've learned about it :3

[@loorthedarkelf8353]

As someone who voraciously seeks out myth and history content because I'm Building A Fantasy Empire But The Geopolotics And Faith Are Gonna Make Sense, Damnit who invented a language nearly 20 years ago and has since worked backwards to the mother tongue and o.g writing system before deciding how dialect drift would occur You do you, buddy. Mad respect

[@deiansalazar140]

That's a mood

[@DarkshadowXD63]

If Blue ever decides to retire from KZbin I see him being a tour guide of Venice 😂

[@forgedfight5158]

Oh boy this Venice spree ain't gonna stop anytime soon

[@Ploxtifs_OldAndDeadAccountXD]

I like how I woke up to this

[@spazztheone1204]

What a coincidence!! I just got to Venice today and had the chance to see St Mark’s basilica.

[@Brackenlink]

All the Venice videos came out right after I visited for the first time! This was timed so perfectly for me!

[@nicolebragg1171]

I'm so glad you lined up your video releases as a promo for your book, i almost forgot to get on that Kickstarter. I can't wait to enshrine it as the prettiest book on my shelf.

[@xolwora2762]

Signing every book. Dude just pronounced his wrists death warrent casually.

[@Tumblruserpizza.impersonator]

I am LOVING the Venice videos.

[@animex75]

I love the painted page edges, we need that to come back in all our books.

[@isomeme]

This video brought fond memories of my visit to the basilica ten years ago. It is the second most awe-inspiring church I have ever experienced, outdone only by Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. And I'm not convinced the latter is located entirely on our plane of existence.

[@JavierMD42]

Just unlocked the Basilica in my (second) AC2 playthrough

[@nikhtose]

Your dialectical perspective on St. Mark's is appreciated. All great art is a consequence of many forces, both positive and negative. The church is one of the greatest examples of Byzantine ecclesiastical art, though so much was the fruit of huge crimes against that culture.

[@zenfrodo]

Blue, one thing you didn't mention. The Basilica endured massive flood damage in 2019 (ocean water + 800 year old art = Not. Good.), and as of 2023, is scheduled to undergo a huge (3million+ euros) restoration, in an attempt to save all that gorgeous art.

[@writecraft7049]

Good. I'm gonna read and write like that one day.

[@ebonyvoigt7257]

I'm so excited to get my copy of the Veneziad, it's going to be SO GOOD!

[@Lyiad]

I personally will never get tired of Venice content! Thanks Blue!

[@FatherDraven]

This book by it's very existence is screaming at me to get back to work on my opera.

[@marksimmons5872]

I think the thing that stuck out to me most about St. Mark’s is that it’s *shiny* in there. It feels as though you could light the whole place with one candle.

[@soniakernel754]

Not me laughing at Blue saying "I can stop talking about Venice whenever I want." Sure Blue, sure.

[@MildredCady]

My husband is currently in Luca, Italy, the home of Puccini, and I’ll be joining him in a week and a half. It’s not Venice, but it’s close to Florence and Pisa, which is another powerhouse in Italy. So I’m watching the related videos again to get the feel of it.

[@rvdb9573]

Just like the illiad this book describes an era long past which is just so on point

[@afridajahan2004]

I'm so glad that I found this channel ❤

[@camclarke7006]

I was in Vembis a month ago, and it’s truly a beautiful church! Went to Mass there 😊

[@zevfeitelson]

I will be 100% honest I have not watched many of the myth videos I've watched one or two tonight I think but I'm only just now really getting into you you've just been in my periphery for a while and I'm in a very big history mood today as opposed to a mythology one

[@connormarchand6302]

The greatest story about Venice told by an American congrats on the book 📕

[@dragonnesswyverna2410]

Red should treat it like a classic epic and animate it for the channel 😂

[@wrestlersmith97]

Blue 10 years from now "listen, i TOTALLY would have stopped talking about venice by now but you guys still have questions about my book" (one comment thrown on screen as we prepare for a 10 minute disection of something he put in the book as an easter egg)

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

This is one of those instances where religion and politics can work very beautifully together.

[@CodenameJD]

I can't believe I had never known/understood that old churches were intentionally designed and built in the shape of a cross.

[@santiagoacosta3372]

Blue has been cooking good stuff recently

[@Ploxtifs_OldAndDeadAccountXD]

Venice stole bones for a lion fursona, nice.

[@Redflagnabbimahazardsign]

Fursuits are expensive 😂

[@funghi2606]

1:35 alcuni di noi lo sanno leggere 😉, continua così 💙💙💙💙

[@darthJ9]

Im sold. Love yall to Venice and back

[@youvebeengreeked]

*Can’t wait for the OSP History of Venice super-cut* 🗡️ 🦁 📖

[@bthsr7113]

I'd say you get 2 or 3 more Venice videos in a row before we start pressuring you back out of your comfort zone to do a video about a cold war topic.

[@amanofnoreputation2164]

"What the fuck are these horses? They have nothign to do with anythign I ever said or did." "We stole them for you, so they're yours and you like them." "Understandable."

[@Rose_Castle]

Me: went to Venice in 2012 Also me: I can stop talking about Venice any time I want to!

[@marc_250]

blue needs to talk about venice so he don't gets the withdrawals

[@stevejakab274]

"Bardrick, you look amazed." "I am. I thought they only came in sets of 5."

[@kellytroy7602]

So these mad men (allegedly) stole a saint's body to be their patron saint, and then managed to (allegedly) lose said body of said patron saint? You know, I believe it. That tracks.

[@ClaireNighten]

First! Also I love how Blue is using his book as an excuse to just go on about Venice for months

[@A_Spoony_Bard]

The book announcement removed Blue’s Venice limiters, I love it

[@BJGvideos]

He is at restraint level zero

[@crose9613]

The kickstarter is so close to being in full color as well! Just shy of under $60,000 to raise! If it is super duper close on the final day I'll chuck in a few extra dollars see if we can't get it over the line

[@Steelwolf171]

This gets a like just for coining the term "Veniciaboo". Great video!

[@JonCrs10]

Can't wait for the niche KZbin community of "medieval epic poetry enthusiasts" reviews your Veneziad

[@JonathanMeyer-o4m]

a few years ago Blue said he would stop talking about Venice until he knew enough to write a book on it never did i anticipate him ACTUALLY doing that

[@BJGvideos]

Wasn't that just a few months ago?

[@denisovan_the_menisovan]

Ah, yes, more *V E M B I S*

[@Crootcovitz]

Imagine how much of a pain it has to be to clean all of it.

[@kilo3989]

5:50 I'm a Roman Catholic "where the Altar is just kinda there," and one of my most powerful religious memories was going into a Ukrainian Catholic church for the Divine Liturgy in Ukrainian. The order of worship was different, but because everything was chanted and the missals had the text in Ukrainian and English, it was relatively easy to follow the commas and periods and keep up. Highly recommend it!

[@kilo3989]

"The Lion of Mark carried a book *and* a sword." Yep. A lot of history and religion is "celebrating the 'Nice' and criticizing the 'Yikes.'" May we all live in peace and respect one day, even when we disagree. 💜

[@kennyhagan5781]

Gold also looks amazing on King Tut's mask.

[@Trump2024asw]

Nice choice on the books vibs. 😊

[@smivan.]

Overly Venetian Productions (and i'm all for it)

[@timjim-ks8gi]

Blue's love for Venice is so strong that I'm starting to become a venecaboo

[@rge9992]

this really belongs in the tower of pisa video, but I'lll say it here: I love pictures of the actual church, because you can see the tower leaning over like I do when someone else in the restaurant gets their food and I want to see the plate

[@fence03]

Blue’s convinced me, Venice is the best state of its time