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This is the blog of Steve Burkett of Italy, Our Italy

The Gondola

Quando sono solo, sogno Venezia. And when I’m having those dreams of Venice, I will assuredly picture ‘the gondola’. The gondola is the iconic symbol of Venice…and its been that way for over 900 years.

What does a gondola look like? Let’s try this. Close your eyes and image a canoe. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Ok, now…uh oh…your eyes are closed and you can’t read what I’m now writing to you. I’ll just have to wait until you’ve exhausted your dreamlike state.

Wait…

Wait…

[And while I’m waiting, I’m going to remember one of my all time favorite gondola photos that I took in Venice…but actually it is a composite of several photos, and you can see how I did it here.]

Wait…

Wait…

Welcome back, and sorry about that…I should have thought ahead about you having your eyes closed.

Now, completely erase from your mind that canoe image, because the only similarity to a gondola is that they both float (well, Ellen and I had a canoe issue where it didn’t float, but that’s a different story).

Here are some significant differences between a canoe and a gondola:

Squerarioli hand crafting a gondola in their squero (workshop)

A canoe is symmetrically straight, while a gondola is asymmetrically shaped like a banana.
A canoe is around 15-16 feet long and perhaps 35 inches wide, while a gondola is 35-feet-7-inches long and 55 inches wide.
Where a canoe is typically around 75 pounds, a gondola tips in at 1,545 pounds…yikes!
While you and your canoeing partner sit within the canoe and use paddles, the gondolier stands not within, but atop, and at the rear of the gondola, and uses a single oar.
Where standing up in a canoe is a recipe for tipping disaster, standing up in a gondola is not, and is the de facto way to ride in a gondola used as a traghetto, or ferry, to get across the Grand Canal where no bridge is close by.
And, where sitting side-by-side in a canoe (and even getting into that position without tumping over) doesn’t allow one to relax during that endeavor, there is nothing more relaxing than sitting by your loved one in a gondola as you enjoy your romantic gondola ride.

So, let’s learn more about the gondole (plural of ‘gondola’) of Venice.

History

As I mentioned above, the gondola has been associated with Venice for around 900 years.

Illustration of early-day gondola by Jost Amman

Today’s gondola is of shiny black lacquer and each is mostly identical, except for the custom-designed lounging area and some of the gondolier’s personally-applied decoration.

In days gone by, some gondole had canopies covering them, where romantic rendezvouses and political intrigue took place.

As there were no motorized vaporetti nor water taxis to carry one about, there were around 10,000 gondole bumping into each other along the Grand (and lesser) Canal.

Some were so ostentatious and of such a troublesome size that the Venetian government put its foot down and decreed that all should be black and of similar size.

Besides their size and color, there is another historical element on the prow of each gondola. This element is the ferro (or ‘iron’). The design of the ferro takes into account many aspects of the Venetian lagoon. I’ll explain the significance of the ferro shortly.

Now, to construction of the gondola.

Construction

Here is a short quiz for you - how many of the following woods are used in the construction of a gondola?

oak
fir
cherry
larch
walnut
linden
mahogany
elm

Of the 8 woods listed above…wait for it…all 8 are used in the construction of a gondola.

Here are some other facts to consider as, in the future, you close your eyes to picture a gondola, instead of a canoe.

Recently deceased master squerariolo Roberto Tramontin ready to launch a newly completed gondola

How many pieces of wood make up a gondola? 280…each cut to specific, traditional dimensions and assembled in a precise order.

How does the gondola get its banana shape? One side is 10 inches longer than the other.

Why the banana shape? To counteract the weight of the gondolier and the torque created by the gondolier using the single oar on the starboard side of the boat.

How many gondoliers are there? About 450.

Are all gondoliers men? If you had asked just a few years ago, the answer would have been ‘yes’, and that’s the way it was for 900 years. Generally, the father passed the license down to the son. But recently, 23-year-old Giorgia Boacolo made it through the 400 hour training coarse to become the first woman gondolier. You go, girl!

How many gondola ‘sheds’ or ‘squeri’ or workshops are there? There are two, though the recent death of Roberto Tramontin has placed the Squero Tramontin e Figli in jeopardy.

How many days does it take to make a single gondola? It takes 45 days with 5 squerarioli (carpenters) working full time.

How much does a gondola cost? On average, a gondola costs $61,000.

The Forcula

Without the forcula, there is no gondola…it’s as simple as that.

Many say that the forcula looks a bit like a hand, as you can see in this photo of a forcula. Maybe it looks a bit like a hand…maybe not a big bit like a hand, but maybe an itty bitty bit like a hand. Actually, I don’t see a hand at all, just kind of a wooden twisty thing.

It is sculpted from a single piece of walnut that has been aged up to 3 years. And when I say sculpted, that’s exactly how it is produced. Each forcula is designed specifically for an individual gondolier, based on their height and rowing style.

The forcula’s gamba (leg) is inserted into a hole in the gondola's deck.

And being a work of sculpted art, the forcula is detached from the gondola each evening…it is a very personal thing.

After retirement, a gondolier’s forcula can be found on their home’s mantel, as a testament to their career.

In this photo showing Debbie and Scott during a pre-dinner romantic gondola ride, you can see how the gondolier applies his oar to the forcula.

There is no connection between the oar and the forcula, as the gondolier must be able to place the oar on various parts of the forcula to achieve forward, backward, side-to-side and turning locomotion.

It’s really amazing to watch these masters shuck and jive through tiny canals, often putting a foot up on a wall to push off to help steer through difficult situations.

The Ferro

Representative parts of the gondola’s ferro

The ferro, or ‘iron’ is located on the prow of the gondola. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, the prow is the front of a boat.

Note the six forward facing prongs. These represent the six sestieri, or districts, of Venice. The rear-facing prong represents the island of Giudecca.

There is often, but not always, 3 little shrimp looking thingies interspersed between the prongs. These represent the main islands associated with Venice, which are Murano, Burano and Torcello.

The top is representative of a Doge’s cap. This is the cap of office that the Doge, or president-like-guy of the Venetian empire, would wear.

The photo also shows some of the other Venetian iconic symbols that have been woven into the ferro’s design.

Decorative Elements

Here you can see a number of embellishments that the gondoliers are allowed to personalize. Many of the accoutrement feature a golden seahorse-styled sculpture.

A Squero - Or Gondola Workshop

These photos are of the Squero di San Trovaso, which we glimpsed during our quiet Venetian walk just recently.

The Gondolier’s Platform

Notice in these two photos how the gondoliers stands near the rear of the gondola, and they are somewhat cantilevered above the water.

Singing Gondoliers

Do you want a singing gondolier? They don’t do that. But, you can arrange ahead of time for a singer to join you on your gondola ride…usually accompanied by an accordionist. Plan to pay a good bit more.

But hey, avoid the cost and do your own singing. Here you can see Ellen, Craig and Leslie singing their hearts out as we glide along the Grand Canal. As we couldn’t think of the words to any particular song that we all knew (one time we had to resort to ‘White Christmas’!), the iPhone comes in handy.

Parting Shots

I’ll leave you with some photos from some of our favorite gondola rides.

That’s it for today folks. I hope that you’ve enjoyed seeing how gondole are made and used…and how they are so much different from canoes.

And, as you take your own romantic gondola ride, look back at your gondolier…it just may be me oaring away behind you, as together, we ply the canals of Venice.

For a small tip, I’ll sing for you…and then for a bit larger tip, I’ll stop singing! See how that works?

Ciao for now.

Steve

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Transformation at the Church of San Vidal

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A couple of weeks ago, we took A Typical Quiet Walk in Venice…you were there, right? We walked a bit, talked a bit, and saw some very pleasant sights along the way…some friendly people…a wedding-dress photo shoot…a sleepy gondolier. Ok, now you remember.

The Setting

Our walk started at our Hotel Flora, traveled along Calle Largo XXII Marzo, then through Campo Santo Stefano, over the Accademia Bridge, and into the quiet Dorsoduro sestiere of Venice. You may not have noticed it at the time, but we passed right by the Church of San Vidal just between Campo Santo Stefano and the Accademia Bridge. You can see our route in this photo…and I’ve circle the church in red.

Here is the door that I’ll be transforming for you today. This is from Google ‘Street View’, which covers most all of Venice, by the way.

I don’t like the location of this door, and I’ll tell you why.

There is a tower to the left of the door. That’s a bummer for me, as I wanted the door to sit in the midst of a solid wall…what we have here is kind of an asymmetrical mess.

In this aerial view, you can see the door and its location near the base of the tower.

The Blah Door

From past transformations, you know that I want your photo-memories of Venice (and all of Italy, actually), to be memories without modern yucky things like electrical and water conduits, manhole covers, and fire alarms, like the one in the original snapshot that you see just below.

The Transformation

It’s rather obvious that those electrical appurtenances have to go…we can all agree on that…right? OK, what else?

As I mentioned above, I don’t like the fact that there is no continuous wall to the left of the door…that’s our left, not the door’s left. For the door to be properly framed within the photo, we need more wall to the left of the door. I’ll work on that. And, that brick work to the right of the door will be super difficult to place all around the door, though the texture of the plaster to the upper left and right of the door ought to work ok.

I’ll get to work…

Voila, or should I say ecco, since we are in Italy and not in France!. At any rate, here we have it…a door centered on a wall of continuous texture.

The Final Product

All that’s left is the application of that traditional (at least on my part) Venetian patina. And here we have the finished product.

So, next time that we walk together in a quiet part of Venice, if I don’t see the potential within a door or window, please point such out and say, “Hey Steve, take a picture of that so you can transform it when we get back home”. I’d appreciate your help.

Oh, before we depart San Vidal, let’s talk about who he was. According to my research, he was either an 18th-century hermit from the region of Retz, Brittany, or he was Saint Vidal Luis Gómara, a Dominican priest who was martyred during the Spanish Civil War. Either way, I really like his medallion above the door…the dove-in-flight makes it look like he’s holding a cross, don’t you agree?

Ciao for now,

Steve

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A Promised Transformation

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Last week, we ran across a blah Venetian door whilst we walked through the quiet Dorsoduro district of Venice. Today, I fulfill my promise to transform it before your very eyes! So, let’s get started…

Here is the snapshot that we captured on our walk. I don’t like it. I’m going to do something about that.

As always in my Italy transformations, I want to give you an Italy of centuries ago, before electrical conduits and water pipes and doorbell buzzers and such were placed on the buildings. So, I’ll remove the distracting elements.

Distracting elements removed, but I don’t like the way the iron-embellished window throws off the balance of the photo. And the iron pipe to the right needs to go.

Window removed? Check. Iron pipe removed? Check.

It’s ancient-patina time, so I give the photo a rich mellow color.

Now to remove the house number and brighten up the colors of the door. But, I’m not liking the distracting stonework along the right edge of the photograph.

For my final version, I crop in a good bit to remove the distracting stone work along the right edge. Then, I’m not exactly liking the composition, as the window area on the left seems to compositionally weigh the photo down on that side. I’m going to add the iron water pipe back in to the upper right, where it belongs, as well as remove a bit of the plaster that surrounded the original. And, since I tightened the crop, I need to move the stonework at the top of the photo down a bit, so I’ll take care of that now.

So, here is the final image. A far sight better sight than the original snapshot captured while we were on our walk last week, don’t you think?

That’s it for today’s transformation from blah to ahhh. Hope you enjoyed the results, and the walk last week. Until next time, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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A Typical Quiet Walk in Venice

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“Join me now for a quiet walk in Venice’s Dorsoduro sestiere, with pleasant sights along he way”

It’s time to slow our lives down a bit and have a simple, quiet day in out-of-the-way locations of Venice. Tag along as I take a walk through quiet Dorsoduro, ending the day with a pleasant meal…and more.

For sure, there is a lot of hustle-and-bustle in Venice, especially in the districts of San Marco and San Polo, but you and I will be spending the day exploring Dorsoduro.

We plan to visit the Gallerie dell'Accademia (Venice’s art gallery), and have lunch somewhere along the way…though we know not where, as we start. There’s a mask shop I’ve heard about and into which I’d like to take a peek. And, if I have time, there’s Campo Santa Margherita, which is a great place to sit under a tree and do a bit of people watching. Not sure where we’ll go after that, but who cares, right?

So, let’s get going!

We Begin Our Walk

We need to get to Dorsoduro from the Hotel Flora, where we are staying in the sestiere of San Marco. We get to Dorsoduro by passing through Campo Santo Stefano, and then crossing over the Academia bridge. It’s taken us awhile to get away from the area of our hotel, as so many of our favorite shops are situated along Calle Larga XXII Marzo. Like La Ricerca, which we never pass up without going in to browse, purchase, and visit. His mother a master bookbinder 40 years ago, he keeps the tradition alive using a small group of gifted leather and bookbinding craftsmen to supply his small shop. Six years older in the right photo, but still the same great smile!

We pull ourselves away from the craft shops along the way until finally, we are in the quiet Dorsoduro.

As we cross the Accademia bridge, we note the ‘lover’s lock’ that Ellen and I placed there on a previous trip!

Actually, we don’t do that sort of thing. We put it in the same class as graffiti. For this photo, I borrowed the photo from Helen’s and Georg’s lock.

For your information, the Accademia bridge has been completely redesigned and reconstructed to prevent such appliques. Sorry Helen & Georg, no more displays of your true love.

Gallerie dell'Accademia

As the Gallerie dell'Accademia is right before us as we descend from the bridge, we may as well go in to see the magnificent art pieces that hang there.

A discussion of the Accademia will be held for another day, but I’ll just point out one art work that we’ll see on our visit today. It’s Giovanni Bellini’s “Madonna and Child between Saints Catherine and Magdalene”, shown here in a surreptitiously captured photo from a previous visit. There is such beautiful brushwork in this 23”x42” work of art.

We’ve spent a good bit of time in the Accademia, and we feel the pangs of hunger. It’s time to wander toward that lunch that I’d promised you.

We’ve heard good things about Ai Gondolieri, but that is not in the general direction that we had planned to wander…we want to get to the large Campo Santa Margherita to see what we can see. So, we’ll head west.

An Unusual Wine Shop

I’ll snap some photos of the sights whilst we stroll the calle of Venice. Like this wine shop where you bring in your own bottle and self-serve fill it with wine, right from the demijohn. I checked my pockets and didn’t have any bottles on me, so I’ll have to rely on whatever restaurant I find for us along the way.

Bridges Make For Hard Work In Venice

There are 409 bridges in Venice, and one rarely finds one that doesn’t have steps. And as there are no land-based vehicles in Venice, deliveries are made with hand trucks…like this one. This adds to the cost of goods. And it creates delivery men with great leg strength.

See the little wheels just to the front of his rubber tires? That’s the secret to working one’s way up and over the steps.

Stay Tuned for Next Week’s Article

Then here’s a rather non-descript door that I might be able to transform later for you. Maybe even next week. So, be sure to come back to see what I do with this blah snapshot.

A Quick Pharmacy Stop

Here we find a pharmacist, taking a telefonino break.

OK ladies, and you gentlemen interested in maintaining a youthful look, you might want to pick up some of that DÒLIVA advertised in the window of the farmacia. It suggests that you should ‘love your skin’, and promises it will contribute to the care of all 360° of your face. It’s amazing what olives can do for one’s complexion.

Floating Market

What’s this? A floating market..selling fresh produce from the mainland. And, not all is what we see in our own markets.

Ahoy, Matey!

As we take a sharp left to avoid falling into the Rio de San Trovaso canal and losing that bag of Doliva that you’re carrying, we see a father taking his two children on a water-bourn adventure. Are pirates in their future?

I doubt that we will see them in that little boat later on the busy Grand Canal.

Where The Gondole Go For Repair

Now we are along the canal known as Rio de San Trovaso. With a bit of guide-book research, we find that Rio de San Trovaso is the canal from which the gondole of Venice are maintained and repaired. Here is a photo of Campo San Trovaso, where the gondole are dragged up onto dry land (at least it’s dry at this moment, and a bit more on that later).

Seeing this rare site gives me the idea to write a blog article about the ubiquitous gondole soon…stay tuned for that.

And Now, Lunch…Finally!

Along this canal, we find a likely candidate for lunch. Taverna San Trovaso seems to be just what we are looking for…quiet and out of the way.

Here is the entrance to Taverna San Trovaso. Definitely unassuming…but the warm wood promises a warm-inside experience.

Here’s a photo from their website that well shows the inside first floor…which is less formal than the upstairs dinner spot.

Here’s what I’ve ordered for lunch.

First was crudo, stracchino. This translates to raw meat (raw, but well aged and cured prosciutto…you can read more about that in my previous article on Italian meats) and cheese. In this case, the cheese is stracchino (strak-KI-no). It’s a type of Italian cow's-milk cheese that’s eaten very young. It has a soft, creamy texture and normally a mild and delicate flavor. Here is my plate.

You can see that I’ve got a basket of bread and packaged grisini to go along with my crudo. And, I’m sure that you didn’t miss the small carafe of vino rosso. And those who know me well searched and found a can of Coca-Cola Light along the right edge of the photo.

As I’m into just a lite lunch today because I’m saving up my calories for a nice dinner at Antico Martini later tonight, I’ll just have a simple salad…this one with mozzarella, tomato and arugula, topped with a few savory olives. In Italy, mozzarella is made from the milk of water buffalo, and is referred to as ‘bufala’.

That about sums up my typical lunch for today. On other days, I might have worked in fresh seafood, because it is definitely fresh here in Venice.

And speaking of summing up, what has all this come to in Euros? Let’s check out the tab.

That’s a grand total of 30 Euro. I know you are about to say ‘Ouch!’, but remember that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, brought in and consumed in Venice is brought in by boat. Your wallet? Don’t leave home without it.

And, did you notice the wine and the Coca-Cola for the same price? On a budget, might as well drink the wine.

That last charge of 2 Euro is the ‘cover charge’. This is your ‘sitting down to eat’ charge. Many times, if you eat at the bar (and don’t mess up a table cloth and use the normal wait staff), you will not have a coperto charge.

You are asking, ‘Was your server a woman?’. Yes!

This has been a rare experience in our trips to Italy. So, I’ve decided that documentation is in order!

High Water Mark

We are fortunate that it is not the season of aqua alta, or high water. That season is generally around November, when tides and winds blowing to the northwest up the Adriatic pile a good bit of unwanted water into the Venetian lagoon. Take another look at the entrance to Taverna San Trovaso above, and then look at the photo below (which I snapped from a photo on the wall of the restaurant).

There’s danger in aqua alta! There are many calle that end at a small canal, with no wall or railing to keep you from falling into the canal. When the water is at a normal level, you can see that the calle ends, and you can avoid an unplanned dip. But when the water is high, and has flooded the calle upon which you walk, beware, as there may be a canal, and not an intersection with another calle. Locals know their way around, we don’t.

Let’s continue on our stroll high-and-dry through the calle of the Dorsoduro district.

A Friendly Maker of Venetian Masks

Here’s a friendly craftsman. This gentleman is the maker of the famous Venetian masks that are seen during Venice’s Carnevale (the equivalent of the New Orleans’s Mardi Gras).

Here he’s sitting outside his shop on this sunny day, forming what will become a festive mask.

Shhhh!

It must be a slow day for the gondola trade. Just so you know, I didn’t disturb him as I tiptoed by.

However, it’s not a completely unproductive day for gondoliers, as we can see as this happy couple seem to be enjoying their afternoon ride.

It’s Time for Reflection

Now, we pause to reflect on our day thus far…

Venetians, Doing What Venetians Do

And then there are the Venetians, going about their daily Venetian routines.

Joining In On A Fashion Shoot

Ahh, here’s a fashion shoot. I think I’ll join in. She looks beautiful, doesn’t she.

Hmmm. I seem to remember joining in on a photo shoot yesterday with this same model…that shoot was at the Rialto bridge. Yes, I think it’s the same beautiful model…though with a different wedding dress.

Is Anyone Home?

And here are the door bells for the Polizzi, Gervasoni, and Agnoli families. I wonder what the architect was thinking about when he created this design? Hmmm, I wonder.

An Afternoon Gathering of Friends

In a quiet place, we see two friends having a nice afternoon chat, both with a cappuccino, if I remember correctly.

Souvenir Shopping

And now a shop window, where one can purchase a souvenir hat to commemorate one’s visit to Venice.

Interested in Alfresco Dining?

And here, a typical al fresco dining situation in Venice…outside, but still classy.

We Need To Get A Move On!

Uh oh, that table setting reminds me that I need to get back to the Hotel Flora to freshen up and get ready for that dinner at Antico Martini. I’d hoped to get to Campo Santa Margherita to get supplies for a picnic tomorrow on the super-quiet and out-of-the way island of Torcello. I’ll have to pick up picnic items early tomorrow at the Rialto Market.

Antico Martini is a restaurant that has been in continuous operation since the 1700s and has seen a lot of Venetian history. And, I must say that I also made Antico Martini history, as years ago, I was the first person to ever make a reservation there using the internet! This distinction garnered fresh flowers on the table, as well as prosecco on the house! Thank you, Emilio.

So, it’s back to the hotel. Walking briskly along the Grand Canal, it starts to sprinkle just a bit. And here, I learn what the Venetians do as they drive their boats in the rain. Just what the rest of use do as we raise our umbrellas as we walk.

Stepping Out For Dinner And More

I’ve gathered the group at the Hotel Flora and we are heading out to dinner.

And, here we are at our favorite Venetian restaurant, Antico Martini…always a pleasant and relaxing meal after a long day in Venice.

Are we in the right place? I believe we are.

Scott and I peruse the wine list at Antico Martini, which has many tasty offerings.

Do you recognize the winged lion of San Marco on the wine-menu cover?

It’s time for a toast to friends not present…which unfortunately, includes you..this time.

Our dinner fare is not as simple as that at Taverna San Trovaso, but I was able to have another bufala salad…this one a caprese.

Our After-Dinner Destination

After dinner, one does not go to the movies in Venice…one goes to Piazza San Marco…and should one choose, dancing.

Only when we hear the campanile’s Marangona bell toll midnight do we leave…and then reluctantly. And then, It’s back to the hotel for a restful night’s sleep in this quiet, idyllic hotel.

I’m glad you got to spend the day walking the quiet calle of Dorsoduro with me. But now, at the end of the day, it’s time to spend a bit of time with my bride.

I hope that you enjoyed our stroll through the calle of Venice’s quiet Dorsoduro sestiere. And, Dorsoduro is just one of six sestieri that make up the amazing floating city of Venice. Maybe tomorrow we’ll run into each other in Cannaregio’s Ghetto. Or, maybe we can relive Venice’s sailing days at Castello’s Arsenale. Wherever you may roam in Venice, I know that you, too, will create many memories along the way.

Ciao for now,

Steve

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The Winged Lion of San Marco

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In Italian, it’s ‘San Marco’, and in English, it’s Saint Mark. As today’s article deals with the lion that is associated with the Republic of Venice, I will use the more appropriate Italian ‘San Marco’.

A beautiful example of a painting featuring the winged lion of San Marco

Venice is just full of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other artworks depicting a winged lion with it’s paw propping up a book. So, what’s that about? It’s the long-used symbol for Venice, whether referring to the Republic of Venice of old, or the City of Venice today. Oh, and not just in Venice, but in the Italian region of Veneto. And well, even in the US…hmm, that’s interesting…why’s that? And what does a winged lion have to do with our Biblical Gianni-Marco (John Mark) of Apostle fame?

[I’ll sprinkle in a few photos I’ve taken in Venice over the years, each featuring the winged lion of San Marco…just click on them for a larger view]

San Marco and the Venetian Republic

The ubiquitous wall plaque depicting the winged lion of San Marco

Let’s start with San Marco’s relationship to Venice and the Venetian empire. It’s roots are a bit tenuous, as it is a Venetian ‘tradition’, and may be nothing more than that…but on the other hand….

The story is that when San Marco traveled to Europe (which is well documented Biblically), he went through the lagoon which was to become the Venetian lagoon a few centuries later. While there in the lagoon, an angel appeared to him and said, "Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus. Hic requiescet corpus tuum." So, there you have it.

Now, why does the lion have wings? OK. Sorry, that wasn’t nice of me just to leave you hanging…I’ll now get right back to the lagoon thingie to finish up that explanation.

The translation of that Latin phrase above boils down to, "Peace be with thee, O Mark, my evangelist. Here thy body will rest." So, according to this tradition, San Marco was destined to rest in what was to become, the Venetian lagoon. Which is where it does rest today. So, how did his body get to Venice?

Statue found in Campo Manin…Judy’s favorite

San Marco’s remains came back to the lagoon through a bit of skullduggery. In 828, Rustico da Torcello and Bon da Malamocco, who were merchants of Venice (not to be confused with THE merchant of Venice), traveled to Alexandria, Egypt to steal San Marco’s body. San Marco was there because he had established the Church of Alexandria around the year 48AD.

Painting by Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry — Painting by *Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry*

A few years later, San Marco was martyred by angry Alexandrians who objected to his leading the locals away from the worship of their traditional gods. San Marco was dragged through the streets of Alexandria with a rope around his neck until dead.

Here we see a 14th-century painting depicting this event.

So, our two merchants developed a plan to purloin the body of San Marco. After excavating his body, they packed it in a barrel and covered it with pork. The pork was to keep curious Muslim officials from examining the contents of the barrel. After our merchants arrived back in Venice, San Marco’s bones eventually made their way to a crypt in the Basilica San Marco, where his remains rest to this day.

The actions of these two merchants brought both religious and political clout to the Venetian republic

Here is a painting of our two merchants, along with their two Greek-monk co-conspirators.

“St Mark's Body Brought to Venice” by Tintoretto

In the Tintoretto painting, Marco’s body is in pretty decent shape for having been exhumed after 800 years, don’t you think?

So, that’s why San Marco is so important to the former Republic of Venice and the modern-day City of Venice. Now, what about that lion?

The front of the beautifully decorated Basilica San Marco, on Piazza San Marco — The front of the beautifully adorned Basilica San Marco, on Piazza San Marco

The Lion, and How He Gets His Wings

The origin of the relationship of the lion and San Marco is a bit loose, so bear with me.

According to Steve Burkett, in his blog article titled, “Transforming the Cathedral of San Andreas” [2015], he says, “…you will note [in a mosaic fronting the church] three animals and one man, all winged and haloed. These are the traditional symbols of the Apostles. To Christ’s extreme right is Mark, who is always shown as a lion (and as he is the Patron Saint of Venice, it is called ‘The Lion City’)…”. We are lucky that these words have lasted for…well, not centuries…but about 5 years, at least. The point is that it has long been a tradition to associate San Marco with a winged lion.

At the base of a Piazza San Marco flag pole

Here is another recent source that (in a rather poor translation) suggests that, “The lion, that is well-known as symbol of power, pride, magnificence, nobility and courage, was associated to Mark because it emphasizes the Resurrection power, the majesty and the regality of Christ and the characteristics of his Gospel…and in order to describe Giovanni Battista [John the Baptizer] who announces to the men the arrival of Jesus, began his book with the citation ‘the voice of one that shouts in the desert’ that makes people imagine to the roar of a lion.” This, according to the company "‘Arte 2000’, which is a handcrafted Italian workshop that works with marble. ‘Nough said, right?

So, now we have two somewhat questionable authorities explaining why the winged lion is associated with San Marco. Want something more credible? OK, read on.

As seen from your romantic gondola ride, the winged lion on the pedestal, and on the top of the campanile. Previous Venetian patron saint, Theodore, on the other pedestal.

The next source is the Holy Bible, in the book of Ezekiel. He says that he had a vision from God and in Ezekiel 1:10-11, he states, “The form of their faces was that of a man, …a lion on the right side…an ox on the left side, and…an eagle. Such were their faces. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching the wings of the creature on either side…”.

This is reportedly the inspiration for the winged lion that became associated with San Marco, and became of interest to the Venetian empire after his relic remains were brought there. The three other creatures (the man, ox and eagle) became associated with the other three apostle gospel writers (Matthew, Luke, and John, respectively).

Well preserved winged lion located within The Frari

So, now we have San Marco associated with Venice because his relic bones came to rest there, and we have a lion associated with San Marco, and we have wings on that lion. The picture of the winged lion of San Marco is now complete. But, what about that book upon which the lion’s paw has rested for centuries?

This book has the inscription “Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus”, or ‘Peace be with thee, O Mark, my evangelist’. The first three words are on the left page, and the last two words are on the right page. You will often see it abbreviated a good bit to fit the size of the page.

The Winged Lion of San Marco & Venice in Art

So, I now give you several artistic interpretations of the Winged Lion of San Marco, handed down through antiquity. The first is the coat of arms of the Republic of Venice. The others are art works showing San Marco, each with his accompanying lion…some fierce, and some whimsical. The first is the coat of arms of the Republic of Venice. The second painting is a bit strange, don’t you think? I mean, Marco with a quill pen (is he checking to see if there is ink in there?), bound books, Renaissance-styled clothes…almost as strange as the goofy looking lion by his side. Click on the coat of arms to see larger versions.

Judging by these paintings, it’s pretty obvious that no one knew exactly what San Marco looked like!

In Connection with the USA

Earlier, way up above, I mentioned a winged-lion-of-San-Marco connection to the USA. Here is that explanation…actually, a couple of them.

Sleeve insignia of the US 332nd Infantry Regiment from WWI

First, here is a World War I connection. This uniform from WWI shows the sleeve insignia of the US 332nd Infantry Regiment (United States), which served alongside Italian troops…remember in WWI, we were on the same side.

US Army Africa insignia of Caserma Ederle

Second is a connection to our current military. It’s the United States ‘Army Africa’ insignia for our base in Caserma Ederle, which is in Vicenza, Italy. We have troops stationed at Caserma Ederle (Camp Ederle), should they be needed by Italian authorities.

The Flag of the Venetian Republic

I’ll leave you with the absolutely beautiful 17th century flag of the Venetian Republic. If their national anthem was related to this flag, as ours in the US is, it must have been a very complicated anthem.

Now you have an idea why San Marco is associated with the Venetian Republic. And, you have some idea why a lion is related to Venice and its history. And you have some idea why there are wings on the feline animal of interest. And finally, you know how to read a bit of Latin. Yes, you now know it all. Go tell your friends…impress them with your knowledge.

And, I hope to gaze at the winged lions of San Marco along with you on some trip to Venice. Until then…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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