About This Location
Piazzetta dei Leoncini is a small square attached to the Piazza San Marco complex, set on the north side of the Basilica di San Marco, close to the Patriarchal Palace and the Church of San Basso. It often feels calmer than the main square, even though it is only a few steps away. The piazzetta is named for its two crouching marble lions. They were carved in 1722 by the sculptor Giovanni Bonazza, using red marble from Cottanello. These “little lions” have become a familiar Venice detail - easy to miss in a hurry, but unforgettable once noticed. There is also a powerful modern memory here. In an alcove of the basilica, the sarcophagus of Daniele Manin is placed as a public tribute. Manin led the short-lived Republic of San Marco during the 1848 rebellion against Habsburg rule, and his presence here connects this quiet corner to Venice’s fight for independence.