The Lions of Venice

The Lion of Saint Mark on the Torre dell’Orologio in San Macro Piazza.

The image of the lion is everywhere in Venice; buildings, archways, St. Mark's standard, fluted columns, paintings, tapestries, frescoes, and sculptures. Lions, and their representation of power and strength, was so important to the Venetians that the nobility used to keep them captive in their gardens. Captive lions were forbidden after the official state lion that lived in a golden cage in the Piazza San Marco died, probably poisoned from licking the gilded bars of his cage.  

The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark
St. Mark and a Venetian Lion

St. Mark’s symbol, the winged lion, became Venice’s symbol at the same time that Mark became its patron saint in 828 A.D.  Circa 828 A.D., two Venetian merchant ship captains made a deal with local Christian authorities in Alexandria to take the supposed body of Saint Mark to safety; grave robbers by another name. They removed the corpse from its tomb, laid it in a wagon covered with pork to deter inspection of the contents thereby successfully smuggling it aboard their ship, bound for Venice. On October 8th, 1094, the body was laid to rest in the crypt under the Basilica di San Marco. Of course to further muddy the waters or in this case the pork barrel, it has been recently postulated that the mummified remains buried beneath the altar of St Mark's Basilica are in fact those of Alexander the Great.   

The Venetian lion normally has wings, often holds a book below its paw, and sometimes is completed by a halo around its head. These three elements (wings, book, halo) reveal it as a symbol of Saint Mark the Evangelist, patron saint of the city.  The Venetian lions can identify if Venice was at war or peace when the lion was placed in a location. If the book in his paw is open, Venice was at peace. When the book is closed or if it has a sword in its paws, Venice was at war.  In addition to a multitude of Venetian Lions in Venice, they are also numerous lions brought as war trophies from far off conquests or simply ornamental ones.

Modern version of the standard of St. Mark

The Arsenal of Venice (~1104) was a complex of shipyards, armories, and weapons shops built to serve the needs of the Venetian Navy.  It is acknowledged as one of the world’s first assembly production lines. Today it is a great place to view a variety of Lion sculptures, both Venetian as well as some looted lions. The Piraeus Lion is one of four lion statues on display at the Venetian Arsenal. The lion was originally sculpted in about 360 BC and became a famous landmark in Piraeus, Athens, before it was looted by Venetian naval commander Francesco Morosini in 1687.   The second lion standing at the right side of the entrance to the Arsenal is a Naxion Lion looted from Delos.  The body dates to the 6th century BC while the the head is said to have been added in the late 17th century. The Naxian Lion body was brought to Venice by Francesco Morosini (circa 1716).

Lions of the Arsenal

Venetian Lion with closed book above the main gate at the Arsenal

Piraeus Lion (circa 260 BC) from Piraeus Port approximately 12 km (7 miles) from Athens.

Naxian Lion (body portion) from Delos (circa 600 BC)
Head said to be added late 17th century (looks like may have been from a fountain)

For context, the original Remaining Naxian Lions in Archaeological Museum of Delos
Bodies are the same but definitely not the original head 

One of 2 (out of 8) unidentified Allegorical Statues at Arsenal Gate
Lion with captured lamb hiding behind the lady.

Other Lions

Doge Francesco Foscari kneeling before the Lion of St. Mark
 on the Porta della Carta (ceremonial doorway into the Doge's palace)

Venetian Lion on Monument to Victor Emmanuel II

Second Venetian Lion on Monument to Victor Emmanuel II

Bronze of a Venetian lion resting upon the base of the statue of Daniele Manin in Campo Manin.
Cast in 1875 by Luigi Borro.

Another Venetian Lion on the Doge's Palace

One of two Lion reliefs on Scuola Grande di San Marco 

Another beautiful bronze lion in Venice.  
(Not sure where but near San Macro Piazza)

Standard of St. Mark with Venetian lion finial. 
(The standard of St. Mark has six sestiere on the fly)

Other Venice Blogs

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-floating-city-city-of-canals-or.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/05/boats-of-venice.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/05/venices-reference-points-churches-and.html

Venetian Lions Information

https://www.wheninvenice.com/the-venetian-lion-explained/

https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/lions-venice

https://www.glassofvenice.com/blog/venice-and-the-lion-of-st-mark-history-mystery-and-glory/

The Floating City, The City Of Canals or Maybe The City of Bridges!

Dawn over Grand Canal, Venice from the Accademia Bridge (~0600)

Venice is a city that was built on a wing and a prayer, yet has survived for over 1500 years.  The floating city consists of over 100 small islands connected by canals and bridges; whose buildings were built upon wooden platforms supported by wooden stakes driven into the ground. The secret to the longevity of Venice’s wooden foundation is the fact that they are submerged underwater and through a process known as mineralization has become hard as rock. Therefore the Venetians were able to build solid structures on them and is the reason Venice still stands today.  

Venice it's undoubtedly a city like no other with most of its buildings dating to the 13th and 18th centuries. Everything looks so picturesque, the old buildings with the red tile roofs, the turquoise water, the gondolas and the beautiful shops. It is a photographer’s dream, hence is why we chose a photographer to be our tour guide. Photo walks are perfect if you want to discover hidden and non-touristy parts of a place.  Venice was perfect for a photo walk as it’s full of unique facades, hidden alleys, a surprise round every corner and of course, the famous Venice canals. 

Grand Canal

The Grand Canal is the Venice's main artery, a 3 km, s-shaped curve of water jam packed with private boats, vaporetto and barges. Actually the Grand Canal is believed to be a branch of the ancient Brenta River that opens into the lagoon. The canals coupled with its  400+ bridges are the blood line of Venice and everyone needs to travel on them. They are the transit system of Venice used by water buses, taxis, police, postal service and delivery companies, to name a few.   

Venice is beautiful but it can be crowded with a lot of tourists especially when the cruise ship excursions are underway.  Also, it can be confusing with its narrow streets and alleys so map apps quite often help get you lost. Getting lost in Venice is probably the best thing one can do and it’s a city that is best explored at a leisurely pace, along with a good pair of walking shoes.  Having read that Venice smells I had prepared myself for just that occurrence. I can happily state that for my visit in August, there was little to no odoriferous smells at all.  

Now to be honest Venice wasn't top on my list of places to visit but when planning our 25th anniversary celebration,Venice sorta fell into the start and end of 2 fantastic weeks.  Our Venetian escape started with a water taxi ride to our hotel that is housed in a restored flour mill on the Island of Giudecca (the Hilton Molino Stucky). I think I emulated a bobble head on the ride over trying to catch glimpses of everything we passed on the taxi route. 

Ultimately the floating city, city of canals, city of bridges or whatever you chose to call it, did not disappoint to impress.  This quote describes Venice to a "t": ‘Venice is a city that has the sea for its floors, the sky for its roof and the flow of water for its walls.’ – Unknown.

Piazza San Marco

Piazza San Marco, the fabled centre of Venice and during certain times of the year and certain hours of the day; the world's epicentre of tourist madness.  My advise is to visit the piazza whenever nobody else would;  off-season and/or very early in the morning.  We visited it early in the morning on our photo walk tour (~0630) and later in the morning (~0930ish) before the really large crowds arrived. Amazing what a difference several hours can make. 

Piazza San Marco at dawn (~0630).  
Peaceful and quiet.

Piazza San Marco around 0900.  The madness begins.

Running along the north side of the Piazza San Macro is a long arcade of buildings built in the early 16th century (1514-1538) called the Procuratie Vecchie.  These were the homes and offices of high state officials during the Republic of Venice. Today, the first floor arcades house shops, cafes, restaurants and modern stores including the famous Caffè Quadri. Upper floors house offices.

Corridor of Procuratie Vecchie in Piazza San Marco
before shops open and the crowds arrive.

Personally I believe the best views of Piazza San Marco are from San Giorgio Maggiore Island and the Campanile di San Giorgio. Actually it's one of the better views you'll get of Venice and for 6 euro per person you can take a lift up to the top of the tower with no lines and few visitors. 

View of St. Mark's Campanile and Doges Palace (Venetian Gothic style 1340 with modifications and restorations over the centuries.  
Photo taken from San Giorgio Maggiore Island

Mosaics on the western façade of St. Mark's Basilica (c. 1660)
The arrival of the body of Saint Mark in Venice

The Horses of St. Marks have been around for centuries, although their origins are much debated. The four horses were sent to Venice from Constantinople; following the sacking of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204 by Doge Enrico Dandolo, leader of the Venetian Crusaders.  They were again looted by Napoleon when in 1797. The horses, with a chariot formed a victory quadriga, that was placed on top of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.  Their stay in Paris was short-lived as they were returned to the Austrian Empire after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. The Austrians who had annexed Venice in turn returned the horses to Venice in 1815. They were temporarily removed for safe keeping during world war I and II to Palazzo Venezia, Rome and Praglia Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Teolo; respectively.  

Replicas of two of the four Horses of Saint Mark-Lysippos
Originals are housed in St Mark's Museum inside the basilica 

Torre dell’Orologio in Piazzo San Macro

Bell atop Torre dell’Orologio (1497)

Torre dell’Orologio, also known as St. Mark’s Clock Tower or the Moor’s Clocktower, faces into Piazza San Marco was commissioned by doge Agostino Barbargio in 1493 and completed in 1499. The clock tower is topped by two bronze figures that have developed a dark patina over time and strike the bell hourly. The bell is original and is signed by Simeone Campanato, who cast it at the Arsenal in 1497. 

Venice as justice relief on Loggetta del Sansovino (1538-46; rebuilt 1902-12)

The Loggetta, designed by Jacopo Sansovino, is located at the base of the campanile in  Piazza San Marco.  In 1902 the Loggetta was destroyed by the collapse of the campanile and where possible the original materials were utilized in the reconstruction. Though badly damaged, the reliefs in the attic are original. The central relief depicts Venice as Justice with the sword and scales. She sits upon a throne supported by lions and is flanked by river gods with water flowing from urns. 

Bridge of Sighs

La Ponte dei Sospiri as it is called in Italian was crafted in 1600 by Antonio Contin. The structure is an enclosed limestone bridge in the baroque style and remains the only covered bridge in Venice. Located next to the Doge’s Palace, it spans the Rio Di Palazzo (Palace River). Its original purpose was to connect the Old Prison and the Doge Palace interrogation rooms, with the New Prison directly across the river. Legend has it that the bridge was given its name because it offered condemned prisoners their last view of beautiful Venice before being executed.  Reality it was coined from the poetic musings of Lord Byron in the 19th century. 

One of the most commonly seen views of the Bridge of Sighs
from The Ponte della Paglia.

My favourite view of the Bridge of Sighs from the The Ponte della Paglia.

Bridge of Sighs from the quiet side or the Ponte della Canonica.
(In reality we probably got lost going somewhere)

Trying to cover Venice in one blog post is impossible and not practical. So besides a quick introduction this post focused on Piazza San Macro and the nearby Bridge of Sighs, essentially the heart of Venice.

Other Blogs in the Venice Series.  

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-lions-of-venice.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/05/boats-of-venice.html

https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.com/2022/05/venices-reference-points-churches-and.html

More Information about Venice.

https://www.glassofvenice.com/blog/category/venice/