St Mark's English Church, Florence facts for kids

St Mark's English Church, exterior

St Mark's English Church is a special church for English-speaking people in Florence, Italy. It is part of the Anglican Church, which is a Christian church. This church is a place for worship and also a center for music and cultural events. It helps connect the English-speaking community in Florence.

The church is led by Father Chris Williams. He became the Chaplain after working at St Mary's Church Liss for 13 years. St Mark's offers many activities. These include a book club, an armchair drama club, and meditation. They also host talks from authors and other groups in Florence. For over ten years, their own opera company has performed operas at St Mark's.

The Story of St Mark's Church

How St Mark's Began

St Mark's Church was started by a priest named Reverend Charles Tooth in 1877. He wanted a place for Anglo-Catholic members of the Anglican Church in Florence to worship. Anglo-Catholics are a group within the Anglican Church who follow some traditions similar to the Catholic Church. Reverend Tooth first held services in a house.

The church grew quickly. In 1880, Reverend Tooth bought a beautiful old building from the 1400s. This building, called a palazzo, became the new home for the church. An artist named John Roddam Spencer Stanhope helped decorate the walls and ceilings. The first church service there was on May 1, 1881. The church officially received its license to operate in 1884. Later, in 1906, they bought another building to make the church even bigger.

Challenges and Changes

In 1966, Florence experienced a big flood from the Arno River. The church was damaged by this flood. Some beautiful stencil artwork from the 1800s on the lower walls was lost. However, some parts of the artwork survived behind a display cabinet.

St Mark's was the second Anglican church built in Florence. The British community has lived in Florence for a long time. The first Anglican church, Holy Trinity, opened in the 1840s. It was rebuilt in the 1890s. Today, that church is a Waldensian Church.

Church Design and Art

Interior: nave and altar

Outside the Church

Above the main door, there is a white marble statue. It is called The Apotheosis of Saint Mark. This statue was created between 2007 and 2008 by an American sculptor named Jason Arkles. It was the first work by an American sculptor to have a permanent public spot in Florence. The priest at the time, Father Lawrence MacLean, asked for this statue to be made. They even found and used the same type of marble that Michelangelo used for his famous David statue.

Inside the Church

Reverend Tooth changed the building to create the church inside. He turned the ground floor into a church with a long main area called a nave. It also has side areas, a cross-shaped section, and a special area near the altar. The church is about 90 feet long and can seat 400 people.

The inside of the church is decorated in the Pre-Raphaelite style. This art style from the 1800s focused on detailed and colorful designs, often inspired by nature. The upper parts of the church have beautiful floral designs. An art historian named Berenice Schreiner said these designs look very natural and real.