For the first time in seven centuries, the three original fragments of the Gospel of Mark, now held in Cividale del Friuli, Venice and Prague, are being reunited in Aquileia, the place where their story began. The story of the manuscript is reconstructed here from a broader perspective.

From 12 September 2026 to 25 April 2027, Palazzo Meizlik will host “THE GOSPEL OF MARK. Seven Centuries. Three Fragments. One European Story”, an exhibition that recounts a significant chapter in Europe’s religious and political history through the story of a manuscript traditionally believed to be the Evangelist’s autograph. Centred on the surviving folios of the ancient codex, the exhibition traces its reception through the centuries, while exploring in depth the figure of Mark, the Marcan tradition, and the central role played by Aquileia during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Curated by Martina Dlabajová, Cristiano Tiussi and Luca Villa, and promoted and organised by Fondazione Aquileia, the exhibition marks the culmination of an intensive effort of cultural diplomacy undertaken by the Foundation. This initiative has fostered dialogue between Italian and Czech civil, religious and museum institutions through scientific, institutional and diplomatic collaboration. The result is an unprecedented endeavour. The exhibition has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Municipality of Aquileia, the Basilica of Aquileia, and the National Archaeological Museum of Cividale del Friuli, part of the Museo e Parco del Castello di Miramare (Historical Museum and the Miramare Castle Park) – Regional Directorate of National Museums in Friuli Venezia Giulia; the Procuratoria di San Marco in Venice; the Metropolitan Chapter of St Vitus in Prague; the Prague Castle Archives at the Office of the President of the Czech Republic; the Archdiocese of Prague and the Archdiocese of Gorizia, institutions closely linked to the history and fortunes of the Gospel of Mark.

Known as Splendida civitas in Roman times, Aquileia became an important centre for the spread of Christianity in Central Europe and the Balkans following the introduction of religious freedom in 313. The Basilica of Aquileia still bears witness to this today. One of the most renowned and artistically significant monuments of the Christian West and beyond, the Basilica has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998.

The Codex Forojuliensis, or Cividale Gospel Book, now housed at the National Archaeological Museum in Cividale del Friuli, contains the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John; it originally also included the Gospel of Mark. Dating from the 6th century, the codex arrived in Aquileia around the middle of the 9th century, probably during the time of Patriarch Teodemarus (Theutmar, 851–872), who added his signature to it. From that time onwards, it was one of the most important liturgical books of the Church of Aquileia and remains to this day one of the key source for understanding the history and spirituality of the Patriarchate. 

It was probably between the 12th and 13th centuries that the Book of Mark was removed from the Cividale Gospel Book, of which only the opening and closing pages remain in place today, setting out on a history of its own. Regarded as the Evangelist’s autograph, the book reinforced a very ancient tradition: the belief that Saint Mark, a disciple of Peter, was the first Evangelist of the northern Adriatic region.

It was precisely its status as a relic that led to the further fragmentation of the Gospel of Mark. The legendary renown of the Marcan Gospel had by then spread throughout the Latin West.

In 1354, King Charles IV of Bohemia, while passing through Friuli on his journey to Rome to receive the imperial crown, asked his half-brother Nicholas of Luxembourg, then Patriarch of Aquileia, for some pages of the Gospel for Prague Cathedral. This is attested by the accompanying documents on display in the exhibition. The request was both a recognition of the prestige surrounding the manuscript and a tangible sign of its spiritual and political significance – a value that the patriarchal state successfully harnessed, including to assert its claims in disputes with other sees, particularly Grado and Venice.

This was particularly evident in Venice, the other quintessential “Marcan” centre. In the wake of the conquest of the Patriarchate, the Most Serene Republic took possession of what remained of the Gospel of Mark and, on 24 June 1420, had it transferred to St Mark’s Basilica. That symbolic act marked Aquileia’s submission to Venice and paved the way for the establishment of the Venetian metropolitan see, which was created following the abolition of the Patriarchate of Grado in 1451.

The exhibition also highlights another aspect of the manuscript. Between the second half of the 9th century and the early 10th century, before its dispersal, the Gospel Book had come to serve as a Liber Vitae, or Book of Life: its pages bear the names of more than 1,500 people from a vast geographical area, including the most distant regions, from Alemannia to Bavaria, from Carantania to Pannonia, from Moravia to Croatia, and from Bulgaria to Byzantium.

These extraordinary documents, relating to the history of the Church of Aquileia, are key to understanding its sphere of influence in the Alpine-Adriatic region and Eastern Europe.

The Patriarchate of Aquileia was one of the largest and most influential ecclesiastical institutions in medieval Europe. For centuries, it acted as a mediator with the Slavic world and, more generally, with Eastern Europe and the Balkans, until the rise of the Republic of Venice. The city itself has always stood between the West and the East, between Italy, the Balkans and the rest of Europe: a crossroads and a meeting place for cultures and peoples. First as a Roman city, then as a Christian metropolitan see and capital of its Patriarchate, Aquileia has occupied a central position in the course of European history. For all these reasons, the Codex Forojuliensis and the Gospel of Mark constitute one of the most vivid testimonies to the complex events and relationships that have helped to forge a shared tradition and a deep bond among the peoples of Europe. Reuniting in Aquileia, for the first time in nearly seven centuries, the three surviving original fragments of the Gospel of Mark constitutes a truly unique event. It means making visible once again a connection that history has severed but never erased.

Alongside the two fragments of the Gospel of Mark and the Cividale Gospel Book, the exhibition at Palazzo Meizlik features works of exceptional significance: eight panels from the “Cattedra eburnea” (Ivory Chair) of St Mark’s in Grado, a 7th-century masterpiece on loan from the Sforza Castle in Milan and presented via a virtual reconstruction; the lintel of the pergola built by Patriarch John II (between 806 and 810) for the Chapel of St Mark in Saint Euphemia, bearing the earliest known Western inscription with Saint Mark’s name, excluding Rome; the reliquary shrine of the Canziani martyrs; the original Prague documents from 1354 bearing the seals of Patriarch Nicholas and the signature of Charles IV; the altarpieces by Giovanni Antonio Guardi and Augusto Tominz. An interactive installation allows visitors to “virtually turn the pages” through the manuscripts, while an immersive room reconstructs the millennia-long evolution of the basilica complex at Aquileia.

The parchment folios of the Gospel of Mark and the Cividale Gospel Book are extremely fragile materials that can be irreversibly damaged by prolonged exposure to light, particularly ultraviolet radiation. For conservation reasons and in accordance with the conditions set by the lending institutions, the originals from Prague and Cividale will be displayed for the first six weeks of the exhibition, after which they will be replaced by high-resolution digital reproductions; the Venetian reliquary, however, will remain on display for the entire duration of the exhibition.

In recognition of its significance, the exhibition “THE GOSPEL OF MARK. Seven Centuries. Three Fragments. One European Story” has been awarded the Medal of the President of the Italian Republic and received the patronage of the President of the Czech Republic; it was organised with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and PromoTurismo FVG. The project is accompanied by a catalogue in four languages (Italian, Czech, German and English) published by Gaspari Editore and is complemented by a series of itineraries linking the sites associated with the story of Saint Mark, from the frescoed crypt of the Basilica of Aquileia to Grado and San Canzian d’Isonzo.

The initiative, promoted by Fondazione Aquileia, aims to reconstruct – after seven centuries and for the duration of an exhibition – one of the founding chapters of European history.

Roberto Corciulo, President of Fondazione Aquileia: “An exhibition such as this does not arise from a single flash of inspiration, but from the ability to bring together, over the course of many years, institutions separated by history, language and jurisdiction: international agreements forged over time, loans negotiated with organisations operating under different legal systems, and a scientific committee tasked with fostering dialogue between disparate fields of expertise. This is the mission that Fondazione Aquileia has chosen to undertake: not merely to preserve its heritage, but to bring it into dialogue. Over the centuries, Aquileia was one of the places where the very idea of a Europe founded on relationships between different peoples and territories – rather than on borders – took shape. The decision of Presidents Sergio Mattarella and Petr Pavel to endorse this project is no mere formal gesture: it signifies that the two states recognise in it a value that transcends national borders.”

Emanuele Zorino, Mayor of Aquileia: “Aquileia is a city of the soul and of memory: a port and gateway to the Adriatic that, for centuries, has interwoven together the threads of art, faith and ideas across the Mediterranean, Europe and the East. Today, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it reaffirms its role as a meeting place: after almost a millennium, this exhibition brings together the three surviving fragments of the Gospel of Mark, reconstructing a history that spans Friuli, Venice, Prague and the Slavic world. It is not merely a gathering of pages, but the return of a message: Aquileia once again becomes a living bridge where the past engages with the present. An idea deeply rooted in, yet long latent within, our identity. We thank Fondazione Aquileia for bringing it to life.”

Martina Dlabajová, curator of the exhibition: “The three fragments of the Gospel of Mark have been separated over the course of history, yet they have never ceased to belong to the same story. Reuniting them today in Aquileia, after seven centuries, is a historic moment and, for me, a source of immense pride. We are not merely observers of the past; we become the present link in a long chain of transmission. In this, I also find the very essence of Europe: distinct identities that, when brought into dialogue one another, acquire a new and deeper meaning.”

Cristiano Tiussi, Director of Fondazione Aquileia, curator: “We are not merely exhibiting a famous relic: we are telling the story of how a book shaped identities and legitimised power, from Aquileia to Venice to Prague. The research included in the catalogue – from the manuscript’s origins in Ravenna to the probable identification of San Canzian d’Isonzo as its early medieval location – re-establishes the manuscript’s full historical significance, beyond the myth of the autograph.”

Luca Villa, curator of the exhibition: “The Liber Vitae, inscribed in the margins of the Gospel Book, is a unique work: more than 1,500 names capturing a picture of a Carolingian Europe in flux, from Frankish rulers to Slavic princes. The exhibition also brings to life the setting of this history, from San Canzian d’Isonzo to the lagoon, through itineraries that extend beyond the exhibition galleries.”

Fondazione Aquileia
Fondazione Aquileia is the organisation responsible for coordinating the promotion and enhancement of the city’s archaeological heritage, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, the Municipality of Aquileia and the Archdiocese of Gorizia. Since 2008, it has been managing the main archaeological areas of the UNESCO site, promoting research, conservation, restoration and public access, while protection activities remain under the purview of the Superintendency. The agreement between the State and the Region, renewed in January 2026 and valid until 2051, confirms the continuity of this shared management model, which has been further strengthened by the entry into force of the Foundation’s new Statute in April 2026.