Venice Lion with Book

About the Lion with Book

Venice is a historic city in northeastern Italy, known for its iconic lion symbol holding a book - representing the winged lion of St. Mark, the city's patron saint. The city is famous for its beautiful canals, historic architecture, and rich cultural heritage spanning over 1,000 years.

Venice's emblem is the winged lion of Saint Mark, shown resting a paw on an open Gospel book inscribed "Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus." The lion derives from the evangelist's symbol in Christian tradition, and Venice adopted it after merchants reportedly carried Mark's relics from Alexandria to the city in 828, an account whose details are legendary rather than documented. Saint Mark became the republic's patron, and by the late medieval period the lion appeared on banners, coins, government seals and stone reliefs across Venetian territories, including the column in the Piazzetta San Marco. The open book is usually read as signifying peace, while a closed book is associated with wartime. The lion remains on the flag and arms of Venice and the Veneto region today.