Fragments of medieval Gospel of St. Mark-turned-relic reunited after 7 centuries

For the first time in seven centuries, Aquileia, a city in northeastern Italy with a fascinating past, has reunited the three scattered fragments of a sixth-century manuscript that for centuries was venerated as if it were the Gospel written by St. Markʼs own hand.

The author of the Gospel that bears his name was St. Peter’s interpreter and secretary. He followed the apostle to Rome, where he witnessed his preaching in the homes of the first followers of Christ, who dared to defy the Roman Empire’s laws governing worship.

St. Mark carefully recorded every courageous word of that early catechesis, and his notes became a firsthand source for the story of Jesus’ life.

Today, Aquileia, a small town of just over 3,000 inhabitants, treasures St. Mark’s memory as the founder of one of the most flourishing Christian communities of the Middle Ages.

The Basilica of Aquileia, home to the largest and best preserved early Christian mosaic in the Western world. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Tseng Kuang Yi

After the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313, the city, situated at the crossroads of East and West and serving as a bridge between the Mediterranean world and Slavic culture, became a…