Stemma of San Marco

The winged lion holding a bible depicted in this high relief is the symbol for the city of Venice. Venice was founded in 542. The patron saint is St Mark (San Marco) and the arms show his symbol. The Stemma of Venice is available to download from Scan the World, also housed at The Museu Civici agli Eremitani. Saint Mark, represented as a lion, is deried from Mark's description of John the Baptist as The voice of the one who cries in the wilderness: Prepare Ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths, which artists compared to a roaring lion. The inscription on the bible reads Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus, meaning Peace to you Mark, my Evangelist.