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The columns of San Marco and San Tòdaro, or columns of Piazza San Marco, in Venice, are two tall carriages in marble and granite, placed at the entrance to the St Mark's area towards the pier and the San Marco basin. They are surmounted by the statues of the patron saints of the city: Mark the Evangelist in the traditional form of a lion and San Tòdaro (Venetian name of the Byzantine Theodore of Amasea), while on the bases they have high reliefs depicting the trades that were carried out in the square.
The two columns, together with the docks of Palazzo Ducale and the
Marciana Library, constitute the monumental access to the square for
those coming from the sea.
According to tradition, the columns
were erected by Nicolò Barattiero under the Doge of Sebastiano Ziani
(1172-1178), when the square was enlarged and monumentalised. The
enormous columns, transported from the East as spoils of war, were
originally to be three, but the third carriage was lost together with
the ship that carried it during the landing. The shipwrecked column had
to sink deeply into the mud of the seabed, so much so that "looking for
it twenty years after the sinking by a specially appointed master, by
feeling the bottom with a long pole, it could not be found in any way".
However, more recent interpretations date the erection of the
columns to the second half of the 13th century. The marbles of the two
columns (Egyptian red marble for the column of S.Todaro and Troadense
marble for the column of S.Marco) were widely used for the erection of
columns in late antiquity, a fact which makes their origin from
Constantinople almost certain . Therefore it is extremely probable that
the arrival of the columns in Venice, as for most of the Byzantine
remains present in the lagoon, can be traced back to the period of the
Latin Empire of Constantinople, between 1204 and 1261.
The bases
are made of Istrian stone, a material that began to be used in Venetian
construction starting from the last quarter of the 13th century, after
the closure of the Greek marble markets following the reconquest of
Constantinople by the Byzantines. In the bases there are high reliefs
depicting trades, evidence of the period prior to the monumentalization
of Piazza San Marco in the 16th century: before the 16th century, the
square was the site of intense economic activity. The reliefs were made
in a "realistic" style, which arrived in Venice in the second quarter of
the thirteenth century and of which various works can be observed in the
decorations of the Basilica: among these in particular the reliefs of
the bases are indebted to the representations of the crafts of the arch
greater, even if their lower quality suggests that they are not the work
of the same master.
Even the style of the capitals of the columns
seems to confirm the dating of the erection of the columns to the 13th
century. They are made of Veronese stone with pink streaks and are in
the Venetian-Byzantine style, as confirmed by their resemblance to
Ruskin's second and third styles. The capitals of the columns are also
very similar to the decorations of the tomb of Denaro Odifredi in
Bologna, built around 1265 by Venetian workers.
The column that
stands on the side of Palazzo Ducale holds the winged lion, symbol of
San Marco, patron saint and symbol of the city and the Venetian state
since 862. It is a very ancient Greek or Syrian bronze sculpture,
probably originally a chimera, to which wings were later added. On the
side of the Library is, however, that of San Teodoro, Byzantine saint
and warrior, first protector of the city, depicted in marble in the act
of slaying a dragon. The bust comes from a classical statue of a Roman
emperor, while the head, the halo, the arms and the legs resting on the
slain dragon are from the Middle Ages. The sculpture is a copy of the
original exhibited at the entrance to Palazzo Ducale. According to a
legend reported by Sansovino in the 16th century, the lion of S. Marco
looks east to symbolize the role of Venice as protector of Christianity
in the East, while the statue of S. Teodoro facing west would symbolize
the defensive attitude of the Serenissima towards the Land. This
explanation of the different orientation of the two statues is evidently
prior to the 16th century (at the time the Serenissima had already
established the Dominion in the Mainland) and therefore would date back
to the era prior to the 14th century, probably to the period prior to
the fall of Acre in 1291 .
Under the columns, in the Middle Ages
and the Renaissance, wooden shops were placed, however already from the
mid-eighteenth century the space between the two stelae was destined for
the place of capital executions, so much so that the superstitious use
still persists among the local population not to cross the clearing
between the columns. A Venetian way of saying also derives from this
use: "Te fasso veder mi, che ora che xe" (I'll show you what time it
is), derived from the fact that those sentenced to death, with their
backs to the basin of San Marco last thing they saw was the clock tower.
The space between the two columns was also the only "free zone", in
which it was legal to gamble, a privilege granted to Nicolò Barattiero
(or Barattieri), or the one who managed to find a way to erect the heavy
structures left stretched out on the ground for a long time: through the
use of large ropes that were fixed to the end of a column and then wet,
which, as they dried, exerted such a traction as to allow them to be
raised a few centimeters and to insert wooden wedges underneath, the
builder from Bergamo, who had already distinguished himself in the
construction of the belfry of the bell tower of San Marco, thus
accomplished the task of lifting the heavy columns without damaging
them. As a reward, he was granted the exclusive right to gamble at the
foot of the two columns, which allowed him to become quite rich.
Origins and Arrival in Venice
The columns originated in the
eastern Mediterranean, likely as spoils of war acquired during Venice's
expansive maritime campaigns in the 12th century. Historical accounts
vary on their exact provenance and arrival date, reflecting the blend of
legend and fact common in Venetian historiography. One prevalent
narrative attributes their transport to Doge Domenico Michiel in 1125 or
1127, following his military expedition to Caesarea (in modern-day
Israel) or Tyre (in modern-day Lebanon) during the Venetian Crusade
against the Fatimid Caliphate. According to this version, the columns
were part of the booty from these conquests, symbolizing Venice's
growing dominance in the Levant.
Alternative sources suggest a
Byzantine origin, possibly from Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul),
aligning with Venice's deep ties to the Eastern Roman Empire.
Archaeological analysis of the materials—red Egyptian granite for the
Column of San Todaro and troadense granite (from the Troad region in
Turkey) for the Column of San Marco—points to Late Antique Roman
construction in the eastern empire, supporting a Constantinopolitan
source. This theory posits that the columns were looted during the
Fourth Crusade (1202–1204), when Venice sacked Constantinople, and
erected later in the 13th century, around 1268. However, most historians
favor the earlier 12th-century timeline, as Venetian chronicler
Francesco Sansovino documented their arrival from Constantinople around
1150.
A persistent legend claims there were originally three columns,
transported on separate ships. During unloading near the Molo (the quay
in front of the Doge's Palace), one vessel capsized, and the third
column sank into the muddy lagoon bed. Despite attempts, it was deemed
too heavy to recover and remains lost underwater to this day, fueling
modern quests by divers and historians to locate it. The surviving pair
lay abandoned on the shore for decades—possibly 50 to 100 years—due to
their immense weight (each estimated at over 100 tons) and the
engineering challenges of erecting them.
Erection and the Role of
Nicolò Barattieri
The columns' erection marks a triumph of medieval
engineering and Venetian ingenuity. In 1172, during the reign of Doge
Sebastiano Ziani (1172–1178), Lombard engineer Nicolò Barattieri (also
referred to as Nicolò Lombardo or Nicolò dei Barattieri) proposed a
solution. He devised a method using wet ropes: thick cords were wrapped
around the columns and soaked in water, causing them to expand and
gradually lift the pillars upright as they dried and contracted under
tension. This feat, completed between 1172 and 1177, transformed the
Piazzetta into a grander space, part of Ziani's broader urban renewal
that included expanding the square and reclaiming land from the lagoon.
As a reward, the Venetian Republic granted Barattieri exclusive rights
to operate gambling tables between the columns—a privilege in a city
where gambling was otherwise strictly regulated. This "free zone" for
games of chance persisted until the 18th century, when the site shifted
to a darker purpose.
The Statues Atop the Columns
The columns'
crowning statues add layers of symbolism and antiquity. The Lion of San
Marco, a bronze sculpture dating to the Hellenistic period (possibly
4th–3rd century BCE), is believed to originate from the eastern
Mediterranean, perhaps Persia, Anatolia, or even China (as a
chimera-like figure). It was modified in Venice with added wings to
represent St. Mark's evangelistic symbol from the Book of Revelation.
Acquired as war booty, likely from Constantinople, it embodies Venice's
transition from Byzantine vassal to independent power.
The statue of
San Todaro, a Byzantine work from the 9th–10th century, depicts St.
Theodore Tiron (a warrior saint from Amasea in Turkey) slaying a dragon,
symbolizing triumph over evil. Theodore was Venice's first patron before
St. Mark's relics arrived in 828 CE, smuggled from Alexandria in a
barrel of pork to evade Muslim guards. The statue, composed of marble
fragments (head from a Roman emperor, body from a Byzantine saint),
stands on a crocodile-like creature, blending pagan and Christian
motifs.
Historical Uses, Events, and Transformations
From
their installation, the columns marked the ceremonial entrance to
Venice's civic center, where doges were proclaimed and foreign
dignitaries arrived. By the 18th century, the space between them became
the site of public executions, with condemned prisoners facing the
square's clock tower for their final view. Traitors, murderers, and
political offenders were hanged or beheaded here, including notable
figures like the conspirators in the 1355 plot against Doge Marino
Falier. This grim history led to the columns being dubbed the "Columns
of Doom."
The columns survived Venice's fall to Napoleon in 1797 and
subsequent Austrian rule, with restorations in the 19th and 20th
centuries addressing weathering and structural issues. During World War
II, they were protected from bombings, underscoring their cultural
importance.
Legends, Superstitions, and Cultural Legacy
Superstition surrounds the columns: Venetians traditionally avoid
walking between them, believing it brings bad luck due to the
executions. The lost third column inspires tales of hidden treasure or
curses, with modern expeditions using sonar to search the lagoon bed.
Today, the columns remain integral to Piazza San Marco, a UNESCO World
Heritage site, symbolizing Venice's layered history of conquest, faith,
and resilience. They continue to draw millions, standing as silent
witnesses to over 800 years of the city's evolution from a maritime
republic to a global cultural icon.