An engraving above a tiny shrine outside a small courtyard near the Campo Sant' Aponal tells the story of Pope Alexander III's escape from Frederick Barbarossa and how he stayed in the church for the first night in Venice upon his arrival. Several other churches in Venice claim this honor and no-one can be sure exactly which was the first real refuge for the pope.
The Venetians took on the role of international arbitrators and negotiated a peace between the Holy Father and the bellicose emperor. According to legend, Frederick had to abase himself before the Pope in the atrium of the [G 03 / Basilica]. The spot is marked today by a stone. This act of diplomacy did not exactly catapult Venice onto the international stage, but it did give the city a certain status in European politics, in line with its growing commercial power.
