Column of San Marco - Venice, Italy - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

Surprisingly, not a whole lot is known about the two columns that stand on the quay at the end of Little St. Mark’s Square in Venice other than that they’ve been there since the middle of the twelfth century and, after arriving from the “east,” lay on their sides for quite some time before someone figured out how to stand them upright. The two columns are named after two saints: St. Theodore of Amasea, former patron saint of Venice, and St. Mark, also a Venetian patron saint. The bronze lion sculpture atop the Column of San Marco is said to represent the evangelist.

The winged lion motif has long been a symbol of Venice even appearing on their flag. It is also seen in the logo of the Venice Biennale which is commemorated on the stamp. The Biennale is a major cultural exhibition held every year in Venice. The theme of the exhibition alternates between art and architecture, hence its name. First held in 1895, the Biennale has grown over the years and now attracts upwards of half a million visitors. The stamp, one of four issued in 1949, commemorated the Biennale’s 50th anniversary. If the math doesn’t quite work out, it’s because the Biennale was suspended for several years due to World War II, so those years don’t count.

Stamp Issuing Country: Italy Date of Issue: 12-Apr-1949 Denomination: 50 l Color: dark blue Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/02/2024 MAMOUE visited it