The Basilica of Santi Maria e Donato sits in Campo S. Donato on the island of Murano. Its unique marvellous apse with columns and arches seems to be reflected in the waters of the canal nearby. It was founded in the 7th Century when people fleeing foreign invasions of the mainland started to settle in the lagoon area.

The church as we see it today was originally built in the 12th Century and is an important example of the multiple forms of the so-called Venetian-Byzantine style, with columns and a Gothic keel-shaped roof. The church has a hexagonal plan and two storeys, the upper floor being a gallery. The interior is enriched with a few original elements: a beautiful mosaic with a gold background from the 13th Century depicting the Madonna and a fine mosaic floor (1140) containing fragments of glass from the glass furnaces on the island and featuring geometric figures and allegorical designs.
There is also a painting on wood by Paolo Veneziano portraying San Donà in trono col podestà Memmo e sua moglie.

400 - 1000 - Is. MURANO - rev. 0.1.8