Piazzetta, San Marco, Palazzo Ducale (Dogenpaleis) en Loggetta, Venetië c. 1880 - 1895

This photograph captures the Piazzetta San Marco, with the Doge's Palace and Loggetta, in Venice. Dominating the space are the two great columns. One is surmounted by the Lion of Saint Mark, a symbol of Venetian power and the city’s patron saint. The other carries a statue of Saint Theodore, an earlier patron saint, standing atop a crocodile. These columns evoke the ancient Roman tradition of erecting columns to commemorate military victories or honor emperors. Trajan's Column, for instance, served as a visual record of Roman triumph. Here, in Venice, the columns mark not just power but the cultural and spiritual identity of the city. Consider how the lion, a symbol of strength and royalty since antiquity, appears in different guises across cultures. From the biblical stories to medieval heraldry, the lion embodies courage and dominion. Its adoption by Venice connects the city to a long lineage of symbolic power, a lineage that continues to resonate in our collective memory. The lion stirs something primal within us. The Doge's Palace and Loggetta remind us of the cyclical nature of symbols, which resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, mirroring our ever-changing human experience.