Constantinople was taken by Crusader forces in 1204, and they stripped the city of manyof its finest treasures which now grace the public buildings of Venice although a large consignment of books and manuscripts was transferred to the monastery at Patmos before the city fell.
In 1204 Crusader forces took Constantinople.
In a magical space looking out over the sea, the beautifully sculpted columns of the cloister create a perfect framework of grace and delicacy for a moment's meditation.