User:Kth12/Lion of Venice

= Final version: = - all of the sources listed in this sandbox are new additions by me (except for the Wills and Griffith articles)

- everything in bold are my edits, a few parts are just rewritten from the original because I realized some of the original text was plagiarized

- i removed the Medieval and Scientific Analysis sections

Lead
The Lion of Venice is an ancient bronze sculpture of a winged lion in the Piazza San Marco of Venice, Italy. It became a symbol of both the city and one of its patron saints, St Mark, after its arrival to Venice in the 12th century. The Lion sculpture has a complex and obscure history, and has taken on several different physical forms and symbolic meanings.

The sculpture surmounts one of two large granite columns in the Square. '''The columns were created by engineer Nicolò Barattieri in 1127 CE. The other column has a stone statue of St. Theodore of Amasea, the patron saint of Venice prior to St. Mark, with a spear in hand and triumphantly posed on top of a crocodile. The statue of St. Theodore is a replica, with the original kept in the Doge's Palace due to damages to the stone, but the bronze Lion is not.'''

Description[edit]
The Lion weighs approximately 3,000 kilograms. '''It leans forward with an open mouth, stretching its front legs. Its tail extends into the air beyond the width of the column the statue stands on, and the two wings on the Lion's back are upright and detachable. Its tarnished bronze body is not smooth or seamless, a visual indicator of the number of times that the statue has been restored and added onto throughout history. The book resting under its front paws was a later addition, along with wings and a longer tail.'''

The Lion's image became a symbol of the Republic of Venice because of its association with St. Mark. He is one of the Four Evangelists in Christian ideology who each were associated with a different animal, St. Mark's being the lion. '''He is also integral to Venice's foundation myth, which holds great significance because unlike much of Italy, Venice's creation did not have Ancient Roman roots. The legend dictates that St. Mark received a prophecy that he would be buried in the land that is now Venice. His relics arrived to Venice in 829 CE, and were later moved to the Doge's Palace in the 12th century. A second component of the myth surrounds Venice's fragility because of the constant threats of erosion and flooding within a city so dependent on water. The Lion reflects this in its own history, as it has been visibly damaged and rebuilt many times over.'''

Origin[edit]
The Lion is a composite of different pieces of bronze created at very different times, building upon ancient "core" components. It has undergone extensive restoration and repair work at various times. '''The context of its creation and journey to Venice is largely undocumented, but scholars estimate that it was built in 300 BCE to honor the Anatolian god Sandon, and was originally a griffin. After the region, which is now modern-day Turkey, converted to Christianity, the wings and horns of the statue were removed. It was acquired by Venice in the 12th century, where it was once again given a set of wings.'''

Expatriation and repatriation[edit]
The Lion was taken to France after Napoleon's conquest of the Venetian Republic, during his 1797 campaign in Italy. It was damaged in the course of removal and transport; lacking wings, paws, tail, and Gospel-book. After being restored by French sculptors, possibly Edme Gaulle or Jean Guillaume Moitte, the Lion was mounted on a plinth in the new Fontaine des Invalides. The fountain, completed in 1804, was located at the Place des Invalides, Paris.

After Napoleon's downfall the Lion was returned to Venice, now a part of the Austrian Empire. On 2 October 1815, during the process of removal, it was again badly damaged. A rope broke, the statue fell, and smashed apart; whether by accident, or in an act of sabotage by one of the French workers is unclear. As a result, the bronze figure was broken into approximately 20 pieces. Having lost its main ornament, the Fontaine des Invalides was eventually redesigned, and finally demolished in 1840.

Repatriated to Venice, the fragments of the Lion were stored at the Arsenal before it was repaired by Bartolomeo Ferrari and returned to its column, officially, on 13 April 1816. This restoration included an alteration to the Lion's tail, now extended, which had previously been tucked between its hind legs. The book beneath its paws was again recast; the French replacement having been lost, stolen, or abandoned.

'This became the Lion'' 's final form, and it remained on the column save for two notable occurrences where it was removed. The first was during World War II, where it was removed in order to prevent any damage. The second was in 1985, when the column's capital needed repairing. This second removal gave conversationists the opportunity to make sure that it could withstand the elements and remain on the column without extensive damage. '''

Iconography and Popular Culture[edit]
The Lion 's image can be seen in many Venetian artworks, most famously Vittore Carpaccio's 1516 painting The Lion of St. Mark, located in the Doge's Palace.

A winged lion appears on the Flag of Veneto and the Flag of the Republic of Venice holding the Bible.

'''The Golden Lion is the highest honor awarded at the annual Venice Film Festival. Dating back to 1949, it is a trophy of a gold winged lion.'''

American comedian Conan O'Brien referenced the Lion of Venice in his travel special "Conan Without Borders: Italy." The statue is recreated with a leg broken off and replaced with a Barbie doll's arm, alongside a title card reading "Terribly Restored Statue Productions.

'''The statue itself is featured on Google's Arts & Culture page with an article titled "Can You Find The Lion of Venice?". It gives a brief overview of Venice's history and uses Google Earth to show where in Venice the Lion is located. '''"