When visiting Venice, you’ll find a lot of winged lions around — on buildings, doors and as statues — especially around Saint Mark’s Square. Often these lions are holding a Bible. This lion is the symbol of the Apostle Mark, patron saint of the city (and whose bones are likely within its Basilica).
Among the oldest winged lion sculptures in Venice is one that is mounted on one of two large granite columns in the Square, near the Grand Canal. It is thought to have been erected in the late 12th century and is shown below:
The relics of Saint Mark arrived in Venice in the early 9th century, and the first representations of the lion as his symbol date to the 12th century. The winged lion is thought to represent political power (the lion) blessed by God (the wings). Below are a few of the winged lions I spotted while strolling around Venice….
The symbol spread throughout the Venetian empire. For example, the photos below were taken in Piran, Slovenia.
