The two Piazzetta Columns guard the grand entrance to Venice, Italy. Image from here.
I stepped off the water taxi and into Piazzetta San Marco in Venice. My eyes immediately locked onto two massive stone pillars. For over 800 years, the columns of San Marco and San Todaro have stood as guardians of Venetian history.
While those around me were snapping selfies of these pillars and the figures that top them, I wondered about the stories these giants held. Octagonal marble bases and metal barriers kept me from touching the pink granite. But in my mind, I reached out to connect with the broader history of the Eastern Mediterranean, early Christian martyrdom, and a gospel writer. For this Bible Land Explorer, these pillars offer a fascinating glimpse into how biblical identity and early church history has shaped this grand maritime city.
The Mystery of the Missing Third Column
Brought to Venice as spoils of war in the 12th century, the columns were never meant to be a pair. Historical accounts suggest they arrived from the Eastern Mediterranean. Old Byzantium (Istanbul) and the Phoenician port of Tyre are listed among the possible sources.
Rumor suggests that three columns were originally shipped across the sea. However, as the fleet approached the Venetian dock, one of the vessels capsized. The third column plunged into the deep mud of the lagoon. It remains lost to this day.
A Tale of Two Protectors: From Martyr to Evangelist
The two remaining pillars were eventually erected in the 1170s by the engineer Nicolò Barattieri. He topped them with figures honoring the city’s protectors and thereby created a visual timeline of Venice's religious transition.
Saint Theodore, known locally as San Todaro, stands atop the capital of one column. He holds spear and shield. One foot rests on the back of a dragon-crocodile.
A winged lion reclines on the top of the other column. This lion is the symbol for Saint Mark the Evangelist. On this hot day a seagull found rest on the head of the lion.
Before Venice claimed Saint Mark, its original patron was Saint Theodore of Amasea. He was a Roman soldier from the East who was executed for his faith during the persecutions of Diocletian (AD 306). Theodore's refusal to renounce Christ made him a widely revered martyr-saint in the early Christian world. He is depicted on top of one column holding a spear and resting his foot on a creature resembling a dragon—or a crocodile—a powerful symbol of Christ's victory over the forces of evil.
In the 9th century, Venetian merchants reportedly acquired the relics of Mark the Evangelist from Alexandria, Egypt. (Watch our vlog about these legends here). Seeking to elevate their status in the Christian world, city leaders adopted the gospel writer as their primary patron, displacing Theodore. The second column is topped by a magnificent winged lion in bronze, the ecclesiastical symbol for Mark the Evangelist.
From Gambling Hub to Scaffold
The pillars communicate a darker, secular story. To hoist the massive stones upright, Barattieri used an ingenious system of wet ropes. As a reward for this engineering feat, the Doge (the chief magistrate of Venice) granted him an exclusive privilege: the right to run gambling tables directly between the columns. This was a legal loophole for profit; games of chance were forbidden in Venice.
Centuries later, the space between the columns took on a grim new role. The Venetian Republic designated this area as the site for public executions. Condemned prisoners were hung or beheaded here, facing the public square.
The Last Thing They Saw
Because of this bloody history, superstition still lurks in the shadows. Locals refuse to walk between the two columns, viewing it as an invitation to bad luck.
This grim past also birthed a famous Venetian idiom. Because condemned criminals stood facing the square with their backs to the water, the St. Mark’s Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio) was the final thing they beheld before death. This inspired the local warning expression, "Te fasso véder mi, che ora che xe"—which translates to, "I'll show you what time it is!”
St. Mark’s Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio) rises on the North end of the Piazzetta San Marco. Curiously, it is a 24-hour clock face with only one hand. Note the symbol of St Mark—the winged lion—on display on the top level.
For travelers tracking the footprints of faith across the Mediterranean, the Piazzetta columns are more than decoration. They show how early Christian history, biblical symbolism, and raw political power were intertwined in the story of Venice.
We plan to be back in Venice next year, May 13-22, 2027. Seats are available. To learn more about our “Taste of Italy” or other tours with Bible Land Explorer, follow the link here.
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