Fragments of medieval Gospel of Saint Mark-turned-relic reunited after seven centuries

The city of Aquileia in northeastern Italy has reunited three scattered fragments of a sixth-century manuscript for the first time in seven centuries. For hundreds of years, these pieces were venerated as the original Gospel written by Saint Mark.

The manuscript fragments belong to a period when Aquileia served as a major center for spreading Christianity into the Balkans and Central Europe. Local tradition and frescoes in the city's basilica suggest Saint Mark founded the first Christian community in Aquileia. Following the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313, the city became an apostolic see where the bishop held the rank of patriarch.