Artist: Artist Unknown
Year: 1989
Materials: Limestone
Dimensions: 5′ x 6.5′ x 2.5′

About Winged Lion of St. Mark

For nearly 1,000 years the winged lion has symbolized the patron saint of Venice. It is believed that the original was looted from Syria in 900/1000 A.D. prior to its permanent location atop the lofty granite column central to St. Mark’s Square in Venice 1172.

This winged lion holds a scroll and also symbolizes the Venetian Republic’s power on land and sea. St. Mark is the patron saint of Venice and his emblem is the winged lion, equipped with a sword and a scroll, which reads “Pax Tibi Marce Evangelist Meus (May Peace be with you, Mark, my evangelist).”

This reproduction is inspired by the original, which sits on top of the clock tower in the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. The winged lion remains an icon for Venice and is seen in decorative elements throughout the region.