The Lion of Saint Mark, representing
Mark the Evangelist, pictured in the form of a
winged lion
The winged lion is a mythological creature that resembles a lion with bird-like wings.
Mythical adaptations
The winged lion is found in various forms especially in ancient and medieval civilizations.
There were different mythological adaptions f ...
, is an aspect of the
Tetramorph
A tetramorph is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements, or the combination of four disparate elements in one unit. The term is derived from the Greek ''tetra'', meaning four, and ''morph'', shape.
In Christian art, the tetramorph is t ...
. On the pinnacle of
St Mark's Cathedral he is depicted as holding a Bible, and surmounting a golden lion which is the symbol of the city of
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
and formerly of the
Venetian Republic
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...
.
It is also found in the symbol of the
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and all Africa ( grc, Πατριαρχεῖον Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ πάσης Ἀφρικῆς, Patriarcheîon Alexandreías kaì pásēs Aphrikês, The Patriarchate of Alexandria and ...
. It appears in both merchant and military
naval flags Naval flag may refer to:
*Maritime flag
*Naval ensign
*Naval jack
See also
*Lists of naval flags
Naval flags, both Naval jacks and naval ensigns, are a subset of Maritime flags flown by naval forces.
There are several lists of naval flags, organ ...
of the
Italian Republic
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. The Lion of Saint Mark is also the symbol of the award of the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
, the "
Golden Lion", and of the insurance company
Assicurazioni Generali
Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. ( , ; meaning 'general insurances') or simply Generali Group is an Italian insurance company based in Trieste. As of 2019, it is the largest of its kind in Italy and among the top ten largest insurance companies in ...
.
Symbolism
The representation as a lion is derived from Mark's description of John the Baptist as "...The voice of the one who cries in the wilderness: Prepare Ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths", which artists compared to a roaring lion.
["St. Mark the Apostle, the Founder of the Coptic Church", Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States]
/ref> The wings come from Ezekiel 1:10 and the application of the prophet's vision of four winged creatures to the evangelists. These appear again in Revelation 4:7.
A second connection of Mark and lions comes from a tale recounted by Severus Ebn-El-Mokafa: "Once a lion and lioness appeared to John Mark and his father Arostalis while they were traveling in Jordan. The father was very scared and begged his son to escape, while he awaited his fate. John Mark assured his father that Jesus Christ would save them and began to pray. The two beasts fell dead and as a result of this miracle, the father believed in Christ."[
In some depictions the lion rests his front paws on the ground, often in cities with rivers or in ones close to water, indicating the Venetian balanced power on land and sea.
]
Mark and Venice
Venetian tradition states that when Mark was traveling through Europe, he arrived at a lagoon in Venice, whereby an angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
appeared to him and said, "" ("Peace be with thee, O Mark, my evangelist. Here thy body will rest."). This tradition was used as justification by Rustico da Torcello and Bon da Malamocco in 828 for stealing the remains of Mark from his grave in Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
, and moving them to Venice, where they were eventually interred in the Basilica of St. Mark.
A fifteen-foot bronze statue of a lion stands atop a column of Egyptian granite in St. Mark's Square. It was brought to the lagoon during the 12th century, and remained there until Napoleon moved it to Paris. Returned in 1815, it fell and was rebuilt. It was moved from its pedestal only at the end of the 1800s for restoration and during the Second World War for safekeeping. The Lion underwent careful restoration work in the 1990s."St Mark’s Small Square"
Meraviglie di Venezia, Regione del Veneto Restorers believe its body is roughly 2,300 years old.[Wills, Garry]
''The New York Times'', September 30, 2001
There are also lions carved in relief on the façade of the Doge's Palace, and at the Scuola Grande di San Marco
The Scuola Grande di San Marco is a building in Venice, Italy, designed by the well-known Venetian architects Pietro Lombardo, Mauro Codussi, and Bartolomeo Bon. It was originally the home to one of the Scuole Grandi of Venice, or six major con ...
[ The coats of arms of Popes ]Pius X
Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of ...
, John XXIII
Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
, and John Paul I
Pope John Paul I ( la, Ioannes Paulus I}; it, Giovanni Paolo I; born Albino Luciani ; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his death 33 days later. Hi ...
contain the Lion of St. Mark in recognition of their previous positions as Patriarchs of Venice.
It is also visible in several places in the Giuliano-Dalmata
Giuliano-Dalmata is the 31st ''quartiere'' of Rome, identified by the initials Q. XXXI. Its name refers to the Julian, Istrian and Dalmatian refugees that settled there in the postwar period.
History
Born in the 1930s as ''Villaggio Operaio ...
area of Rome (including the church of San Marco Evangelista in Agro Laurentino
San Marco Evangelista in Agro Laurentino is a Catholic church in Rome, Italy on the Piazza Giuliani e Dalmati in the Giuliano-Dalmata quarter. The dedication to Saint Mark alludes to the presence in the area of Istrian and Dalmatian refugees (wh ...
), which was settled by refugees from the Julian March
Venezia Giulia, traditionally called Julian March (Serbo-Croatian, Slovene: ''Julijska krajina'') or Julian Venetia ( it, Venezia Giulia; vec, Venesia Julia; fur, Vignesie Julie; german: Julisch Venetien) is an area of southeastern Europe wh ...
(formerly Venetian territory) after the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
.
The name of the Lion of Saint Mark in the Venetian language
Venetian, wider Venetian or Venetan ( or ) is a Romance language spoken natively in the northeast of Italy,Ethnologue mostly in the Veneto region, where most of the five million inhabitants can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and of ...
is .
Depictions
The Venetian lion appears in two distinct forms. One is as a winged animal resting on water, to symbolise dominance over the seas, holding St. Mark's Gospel under a paw. These animals can be seen all around the Mediterranean, usually on top of a classical stone column.[Robinson, Myra, "The Lions of Venice"]
, ''Italy Magazine'', July 14, 2011
The other form is known as the lion "in moleca", in the form of a crab. Here the lion is depicted full-faced with its wings circled around the head and resembling the claws of a crustacean. It is emerging from water, so that the lion "in moleca" is associated with the lagoon and the city, whereas the standing winged lion is thought to be more associated with Venetian territory around the Mediterranean.[
The Latin words engraved on the book are ''Pax Tibi Marce Evangelista Meus'', which means ''Peace unto you, Mark, my Evangelist''.
Other elements often included in depictions of the lion include a halo over his head, a book, or a sword in its paws.
In British heraldry, "Lion of St. Mark" is commonly used to refer to all winged lions. These figures are depicted in arms as both passant and, more commonly, sejant, and also appear as supporters. The heraldist ]Arthur Charles Fox-Davies
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (28 February 1871 – 19 May 1928) was a British expert on heraldry. His ''Complete Guide to Heraldry'', published in 1909, has become a standard work on heraldry in England. A barrister by profession, Fox-Davies worke ...
, however, defined the true Lion of St. Mark as being one used specifically within religious badges to signify the saint, and to have a halo
Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to:
* Halo (optical phenomenon)
* Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head
HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Video games
* ''Halo'' (franch ...
.[ Arthur Fox-Davies, ''A Complete Guide to Heraldry'', T.C. and E.C. Jack, London, 1909, 185-186, https://archive.org/details/completeguidetoh00foxduoft.]
Gallery
File:Flag of the Republic of Venice (Mid-14th century).svg, Flag of the Republic of Venice (mid-14th century)
File:Flag of Republic of Venice (1659-1675).svg, Flag of the Republic of Venice
The Flag of the Republic of Venice, commonly known as the Banner or Standard of Saint Mark (''stendardo di San Marco''), was the symbol of the Republic of Venice, until its dissolution in 1797.
Its main charge was the Lion of Saint Mark, symboli ...
File:Flag of Veneto.svg, Flag of the Veneto
it, Veneto (man) it, Veneta (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 = ...
Region
File:CoA Città di Venezia.png, Arms of Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
File:Naval jack of Italy.svg, Jack of the Italian Navy
File:MBoschini Il regno tutto di Candia.jpg, 1651 map depicting the Lion of St Mark over Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...
File:Venetian medal conquest of Moreas.jpg, Medal for the conquest
Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms.
Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...
of the Morea
The Morea ( el, Μορέας or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used for the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the Ottom ...
by Francesco Morosini
Francesco Morosini (26 February 1619 – 16 January 1694) was the Doge of Venice from 1688 to 1694, at the height of the Great Turkish War. He was one of the many Doges and generals produced by the noble Venetian family of Morosini.Encyclopæd ...
File:Flag of the Republic of San Marco.svg, Flag of the Republic of San Marco (1848)
File:Wappen von Oberickelsheim.png, Arms of Oberickelsheim
File:John paul 1 coa.svg, Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul I
Pope John Paul I ( la, Ioannes Paulus I}; it, Giovanni Paolo I; born Albino Luciani ; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his death 33 days later. Hi ...
File:Coat of Arms of the Republic of Venice.svg, Coat of Arms of the Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
and present Coat of Arms of Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
File:Lion of Saint Mark.svg, Lion of St. Mark seen on the Venetian Coat of Arms
File:Wappen Marxzell.svg, Arms of Marxzell
Marxzell is a municipality in the district of Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.
Geography
Marxzell is located on the Alb (Albtal) and on the heights of the North Black Forest (German ''Nordschwarzwald'').
Marxzell is an amalgamation ...
File:Blason de la ville de Saint-Marc-Jaumegarde (13).svg, Arms of Saint-Marc-Jaumegarde
Saint-Marc-Jaumegarde (; Provençal: ''Sant Marc de Jaumegarda'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.
Location
It is located 6 kilometres away from Aix-en-Provence and Vauvenargues, Bouches-du-Rhône, and 3 ...
File:Flag of the Septinsular Republic.svg, Flag of the Septinsular Republic
The Septinsular Republic ( el, Ἑπτάνησος Πολιτεία, Heptanēsos Politeia; it, Repubblica Settinsulare) was an oligarchic republic that existed from 1800 to 1807 under nominal Russian and Ottoman sovereignty in the Ionian Islan ...
File:Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands.svg, Flag of the United States of the Ionian Islands
The United States of the Ionian Islands ( el, Ἡνωμένον Κράτος τῶν Ἰονίων Νήσων, Inoménon-Krátos ton Ioníon Níson, United State of the Ionian Islands; it, Stati Uniti delle Isole Ionie) was a Greek state and a ...
File:Lion of St Mark, Famagusta.jpg, Lion of St. Mark in Othello Castle in Famagusta, Cyprus
File:San_Marco_cathedral_in_Venice.JPG, Detail of the rooftop of St Mark's Cathedral in Venice.
File:Chioggia_Porta_Santa_Maria_R06.jpg, Lion of Saint Mark on the ''Porta di Santa Maria'' in Chioggia
Chioggia (; vec, Cióxa , locally ; la, Clodia) is a coastal town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Venice in the Veneto region of northern Italy.
Geography
The town is situated on a small island at the southern entrance to the L ...
File:Lion of St Mark outside Bishop's Palace -- Galveston, Texas.jpg, Lion of St Mark outside Bishop's Palace -- Galveston
Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Ga ...
, Texas
File:אריה מכונף על חלק העליון של הבניין גנרלי.JPG, Lion of St. Mark with plaque atop the Generali Building in Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
File:Ansaldo SVA5 11721 (6401327535).jpg, Lion of St. Mark from the Ansaldo SVA
The Ansaldo SVA (named for Savoia-Verduzio- Ansaldo) was a family of Italian reconnaissance biplane aircraft of World War I and the decade after. Originally conceived as a fighter, the SVA was found inadequate for that role. Nevertheless, its ...
aircraft of the 87ma squadriglia ''La Serenissima'', made famous for the Flight over Vienna
The Flight over Vienna was an air raid during World War I undertaken by Italian poet and nationalist Gabriele D'Annunzio on . With 11 Ansaldo SVA aircraft from his team, the 87ma ''squadriglia'' (squadron) called ''La Serenissima'' (Venice) ...
.
File:U.S. Army Africa Shoulder Sleeve Insignia.svg, United States Army Africa
United States Army Africa (USARAF), also known as the ''Southern European Task Force'' (SETAF), was the United States Army service component command of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM).
USARAF's headquarters were located on ...
Insignia in Caserma Ederle
Caserma Ederle (Camp Ederle) is a military complex in Vicenza, Italy, where the United States Army has troops stationed. It is under Italian military control and can be managed anytime by the Italian authorities. The Vicenza Military Communit ...
File:332shoulderinsignia.jpg, Sleeve insignia of the US 332nd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 332nd Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, active during World War I. It was initially part of the 83rd Division, but was detached to serve on the Italian front during the war, taking part in the Battle of V ...
, which served alongside Italian troops in WW1
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
References
External links
"Of Lions and Books (and Swords)"
an in-depth article about iconography of Lion of St Mark, explaining different meanings of open and closed books.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lion of St Mark
Culture in Venice
History of Venice
Lions in heraldry
Mythological lions
Animals in the Bible