Piazzetta dei Leoncini
Piazzetta dei Leoncini is a small square in Venice, beside the north side of St Mark’s Basilica. You see red marble lions, carved buildings and a view towards Piazza San Marco.
Giovanni Bonazza sculpted the two Cottanello-marble lions in 1722, giving the space its familiar character. The neoclassical Patriarch’s Palace borders one side, built between 1836 and 1850 from designs by Lorenzo Santi. Nearby, the Church of San Basso dates from 1676, while the basilica’s marble north wall displays carved work around the Porta dei Fiori.
An alcove in the basilica holds the sarcophagus of Daniele Manin, president of the short-lived Republic of San Marco during the 1848 rebellion against Habsburg rule. Francesco Guardi later drew views from this corner towards Piazza San Marco, which helps connect the quiet square with Venice’s artistic history. The surrounding area forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing St Mark’s Square.
Look closely at the lions’ red stone, then turn towards the Porta dei Fiori and Manin’s sarcophagus: sculpture, architecture and political memory meet within a few steps.
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