Both merchants managed to take the relics to Venice thanks to an ingenious idea: they hid them in a barrel of pork fat that was not checked by customs guards due to the rejection that Muslims have of pork, since they consider it an “impure” animal.
Currently, the remains of the apostle are kept in the so-called Pala d’ Oro (golden altarpiece) inside the basilica, also composed of thousands of precious stones.
However, not all of the relics that were taken from Alexandria are found in the Venetian basilica, since in 1968, Pope Paul VI decided to return part of them to the Copts.
The Patriarchate of Alexandria transferred the remains of the apostle to the Coptic Cathedral of Saint Mark, where they were placed on a specially constructed altar decorated with Coptic icons. Since then, the evangelist’s relics have been venerated on two continents.