Venice, Italy: San Marco: Piazzetta di San Marco
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Authors
Sheppard, Beth M.
Issue Date
May 22, 2017
Type
Image
Language
Keywords
Italy , Venice , Venezia , San Marco , Small Square of St. Mark's , Piazzetta di San Marco , Granite Columns , Winged Lions in Art , Evangelists in Art , Patron Saints in Art , St. Mark in Art , Lion of Venice , St. Theodore in Art , Crocodiles in Art , Grand Canal
Alternative Title
Abstract
Description
The photo shows the Small Square of St. Mark's (in Italian: Piazzetta di San Marco) with its two granite columns located in the San Marco district on the island of Venice, Italy. Venice (Venezia) is a city in northeastern Italy that is built on a group of 126 islands separated by open water and canals, linked through 472 bridges. The historical island city is home to only 51K people, but a very popular tourist destination with about 60K tourists per day. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is renowned for its beauty, architecture, and artwork. The landmark of St. Mark's Square is the basilica dedicated to Saint Mark the Evangelist and contains his relics. The church is sited on the eastern end of the Piazza of San Marco, the former center of the Republic of Venice, and is attached to the Doge's Palace. The Piazzetta di San Marco is a small square that connects the south side of the Piazza di San Marco (Square of St. Mark's) to the waterway of the lagoon. This small square lies between the Doge's Palace on the east and the Biblioteca Marciana on the west. The Piazzetta contains two large granite columns carrying symbols of Venice's patron saints. The eastern column is topped with a winged lion, which represents the Lion of Venice, symbol of St. Mark. The western column is topped with a statue of St. Theodore, who was the patron of the city prior to St. Mark. He holds a spear and is standing on a crocodile, which represents the dragon which the saint was said to have slain. This statue is a copy; the original is in the Doge's Palace. The photograph was taken on the balcony of St. Mark's Basilica, looking toward the widest part of the Grand Canal's end point as it empties into the sea.
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License
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0