Piraeus Lion

Common card · No. 406996

The Piraeus Lion (Italian: Leone del Pireo; Norwegian: Pireusløven) is one of four lion statues on display at the Venetian Arsenal, Italy, where it was displayed as a symbol of Venice's patron saint, Saint Mark. The statue is made of white marble and stands some 3 m (9 ft.) high. It is particularly noteworthy for two lengthy runic inscriptions on its shoulders and flanks; these were likely carved by Scandinavians sometime in the 11th century AD.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0