Basilica of St. Euphemia
The patriarchal basilica of St. Euphemia, dating from the 6th century, is flanked by the baptistery and the 15th-century bell tower. Under the increasingly strict control of the Dukes of Venice, of which it was the mother church, and repeatedly involved in military confrontations due to its permanent rivalry with the neighbouring Patriarchs of Aquileia, the Basilica of Saint Euphemia began to decline from 1105 onwards, when the new Patriarch, Giovanni Gradenigo, chose to reside in the capital: Venice. However, the basilica retained ownership of the patriarchal pulpit even after the papal recognition of the Venetian residence of the patriarchs in 1177. In 1451, however, with the establishment of the new Patriarchate of Venice, the basilica was incorporated into the new diocese, losing the title of cathedral.
