The family appeared in the mid-13th century and produced a number of high-ranking generals and officials until the end of the Byzantine Empire.

[7] On December 3, 1400, Nikolaos signed a contract to teach Maria Mussuro's son George painting for three years.

[7] On July 14, 1412, Philanthropinos received an order from wealthy noble Alexander Barbo to make a painting.

On November 2, 1413, he decorated a pair of curtains with gold for the noble Orestio de Molino.

Philanthropinos was accused of trying to increase the influence of the Patriarch of Constantinople in Venetian held Crete.

On January 23, 1419, he testified that his trip was to buy special painting supplies for his art.

Philanthropinos was not the only famous Greek painter affiliated with the extraordinary historic basilica.

In 1594, Thomas Bathas was hired to maintain the Miraculous Icon of the Virgin Mary at St Mark's Basilica.

Italian researcher Father Mario Cattapan has done extensive work relating to Philanthropinos.

When Saint Marc's was first erected there was an outcry to Constantinople for Greek Master painters.

An archive demonstrates that in 1153 Marco Greco Indriomeni was a Greek master of mosaics working in Venice.