Colonna di San Marco

In 1508, to mark the Venetian presence, the Column with the Lion of Saint Mark was erected in the southern part of the square. In 1797, French soldiers destroyed the lion at its summit and it was only replaced in 1881 when the monument to Vittorio Emanuele II was inaugurated. According to sources, the new lion was created by the Padua sculptor Natale Sanavio.