About This Location
The Colonna di San Marco stands in the Piazzetta, the open space linking Piazza San Marco to the lagoon. Together with the nearby column of San Teodoro, it has long marked Venice’s ceremonial “front door” from the water. The winged lion on top is the symbol of Saint Mark and of Venice itself. These two columns were likely raised in the late 1100s, traditionally connected with the engineer Nicolò Barattieri. Over time, the space between them gained a dark reputation because public executions were carried out here. That history is one reason a local superstition still warns against walking between the columns. Right beside them is the Doge’s Palace, the former seat of the Venetian Republic’s government and the Doge’s residence. What is seen today is the result of major rebuilding from the 1300s onward, creating the palace’s famous Venetian Gothic look - light arcades below and a richly patterned upper wall. Behind the beauty was real power: councils met here, courts operated here, and prisoners were held here, with later links to the prisons across the canal by the Bridge of Sighs. A final thought before the tour ends: this spot captures Venice in a single view - the civic symbol on the column, the palace where decisions were made, and the lagoon that brought the city its wealth and its risks. Thank you for taking this walk. If the tour was helpful, a quick rating or review in the app makes it easier for others to find and enjoy it too.