Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Lion of Saint Mark

Udine is the historical capital of Friuli. Based on an old legend, Attila the leader of the Huns, had his winter quarters here, when besieging nearby Aquileia. In 983 Udine was mentioned, when Empereor Otto II donated a castle to the Patriarchs of Aquileia. When Berthold V. von Andechs (1180-1251), brother of French queen consort Agnes of Merania, Hungarian queen consort Gertrude of Merania and Saint Hedwig of Silesia in 1238 became Patriarch of Aquileia, he moved the capital of the ecclesiastical state from Cividale to Udine. In 1420 Udine was conquered by the Republic of Venice. It remained under Venetian control until 1797, being the second largest city in the state. For a short while it was French. After the Congress of Vienna it became part of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia (- Austria) - and was included in the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1866. Opposite the Loggia del Lionello (see the previous upload) on Udine´s principal square (Piazza della Libertà), is the Loggia di San Giovanni, with it´s clock tower "Torre dell’Orologio". Seen on the tower is the "Lion of Saint Mark" (= "Lion of Venice"). The lion was removed by the French in 1797, but got "re-installed" in 1883.

The construction of the "Duomo" began in 1064 by the architect Busketo, who with this structure set the model for the distinctive Pisan Romanesque style of architecture. When the construction of this cathedral started, Pisa was on a height of political (and financial) power. Pisa was an important commercial centre controlling large parts of the Mediterranean merchant fleet and navy. In 1017 Pisa had militarily supported the Sardinian "Giudicati" (regional kings) to defeat Saracen troops in the north of Sardinia. Between 1030 and 1035, Pisa defeated rival towns in Sicily. In 1051–1052 admiral Jacopo Ciurini conquered Corsica. In 1063 admiral Giovanni Orlando, coming to the aid of the Norman Roger I, took Palermo from the Saracen. The gold treasure taken from the Saracens in Palermo allowed the Pisans to start the building of the cathedral - and all other building of the "Piazza del Duomo". But the victorious Pisans did not only bring gold back, when they looted an area. They dismantled complete buildings and shipped the marble home, to be used here. Over the centuries all walls of the cathedral, that could be reached, got dotted with carved graffiti. The winged "Lion of Saint Mark" may represent the evangelist Saint Mark - or the Republic of Venice - or both.