Piazza San Marco a Venezia

The unique approach of the Republic of Venice to Gothic, is known as "flamboyant Gothic" gotico fiorito. It is the architectural style of Mauro Codussi, designer of the 15th century clock tower, and influenced the sponsored major building campaign in the 16th century, of the complex surrounding the Piazza San Marco.

The Winged Lion, evangelistic symbol of Saint Mark.

The bronze statue in the Piazzetta San Marco, of oriental origin it was recorded, in 1293, as being of "of shining gold". Holding a Bible under its paw, and fitted with wings, it served as a highly visible and powerful symbol of the Republic. It was taken away to Paris by occupying troops in 1797, but was returned to Venice in 1815.
There is a golden statue of the winged lion on the Torre dell'Orologio, the clock tower.
A winged lion can be seen on the facade of the Basilica of San Marco.

Venice Timeline

697 - First Doge elected
c. 1063 - Construction of the Basilica begun. San Marco is believed to have been copied after the now destroyed 6th century Church of the Apostles in Constantinople.
1177 - Meeting of Pope Alexander III and the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.
1204 - Four bronze horses looted by the Venetian Republic in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade and the fall of Constantinople.
1496 to 1499 - Construction of Saint Mark's Clocktower.
20 December 1577 - A fire in the southern part of the Doge's palace destroyed the medieval interior design.
12th May 1797 - Napoleon ended the Republic: Io non voglio piu Inquisitori, no voglio piu Senato; saro un Attila per lo stato Veneto - "I want no more Inquisitors, no more Senate: I will be an Attila for the Venetian State." A democratic government was formed provisionally, on the model of France. Venice consented to surrender to the victor territories on the mainland of Italy; five ships of war; 3,000,000 francs in gold, and as many more in naval stores; twenty of their best pictures, and 500 manuscripts. Napoleon, spent less than two weeks in Venice, but instituted: the destruction of the western end of Saint Mark's piazza, to build a palace for his stepson, Eugène de Beauharnais, whom he installed as viceroy, which entailed the demolition of the church of San Geminiano. He destroyed and looted a great deal more, including treasures from Saint Mark's Basilica, and the four bronze horses over the main portal.
21 October and 22 October 1861 - Referendum on Accession to the Kingdom of Italy.
14 July 1902 - The Campanile in Saint Mark’s Square, collapsed, also demolishing the loggetta. Funds for its restoration were quickly raised by public subscription and the present campanile, identical to its predecessor, was completed in time for the opening ceremony on 25 April 1912: the “Feast of Saint Marks”.

Literary Venice

Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh (1945).
Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino (1972).
Temporary Kings - Anthony Powell (1973 ).
Against the Day - Thomas Pynchon (2006).

Painting Venice

Procession of the True Cross in Piazza San Marco (1496) by Gentile Bellini, shows an event that took place in 1444.
Beginning in the late 16th century, it became fashionable for young aristocrats to visit Paris, Venice, Florence, and Rome, as the culmination of their classical education. Canaletto (1697-1768), Panini and others created commissioned images for travellers to remind themselves, and perhaps more importantly, others, of the adventures they were able to take. Paintings by Canaletto:
1. "The Piazza San Marco with the Basilica" (1730) on display in the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge.
2. "Piazza San Marco" in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
3. "Two Views of Piazza San Marco" in the National Gallery, London.
Having visited Venice on three occasions, the English Romantic landscape painter J. M. W.Turner (1775-1851), was enchanted by its singular atmosphere; so much so that he moved the action in the famous play by William Shakespeare from Verona to Venice overlooking the Basilica for his oil painting "Juliet and her Nurse" (1836).
Walter Sickert (1860-1942) left King's College School, Wimbledon to learn about painting under the tutelage of James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903). The English Impressionist painter made repeated visits to Venice, starting in 1895. His "The Campanile Venice" includes an Impressionistic representation of the façade of the Basilica in Saint Mark's Square.