|
||||
|
||||
|
Mark
traveled extensively with both St. Peter and St. Paul but didn't get along
too well with Paul and a breach between the two soon developed. When Paul refused to take Mark on his second missionary trip, Mark went to Cyprus
with his cousin St. Barnabas to teach the Gospel. Mark's authorship on
The Gospel According to St. Mark was basically from the
viewpoint of St. Peter for whom he acted as an interpreter when Peter went
to Rome. In fact, Peter refers to Mark as "his son"
(Peter
5:13).
Mark's relics were allegedly stolen by two sailors in 828 and taken to Venice The local religious and civic authorities quickly elected St. Mark as Venice's patron saint, and the apostle's traditional symbol--a winged lion--became the logo of the Venetian Republic. The Byzantine Basilica of St. Mark was built t to house the relics. There is a mosaic on this Venetian basilica showing how the sailors covered the body relics with a layer of pork. Since Muslims are not allowed to touch pork, Mark's porkification was done to prevent Muslim intervention in the relics removal.
St.
Mark's feastday is a major holiday in Venice and in other parts of Italy,
especially Sicily where the day is celebrated with biscotti di San Marco,
delicate cookies flavored with Marsala wine, honey, and anise .There are
several great films
that take place in Venice on or near the
Piazza San Marco
that may enhance your enjoyment of these biscotti. such as A Death
in Venice (1871), Don't Look Now (1974), Summertime (1956),
and
The Comfort of Strangers (1991). But as a counterpoint to
the sacred history of St. Mark in Venice, I
recommend
Dangerous Beauty (1998) based on the
book The Honest Courtesan,
by Margaret Rosenth which has subsequently been adapted into a stage
musical. The film is about a young girl who is forced into prostitution and
becomes the highest paid courtesan in 16th century Venice, to be
subsequently accused of witchcraft by the Inquisition. Catherine McCormack's
performance as the courtesan is as delicious as these biscotti. |
|||
Biscotti di
San Marco
|
|||
Ingredients |
|||
3 cups sifted flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup chopped almonds 1/2 cup shortening |
3 eggs (reserve 1 egg white) 1/3 cup honey 3 TB Marsala wine 1 TB anise seed |
||
Instructions |
|||
|
© 2011 Gordon Nary