The Columns
of Doom
“On his return from Greece in 1172, the Doge Michieli III brought with him, among other prizes, three lofty monoliths of red granite. One of these relics fell overboard during the process of disembarkation, and has not hitherto been discovered. …The Government ordered that all malefactors and assassins who had been condemned to capital punishment should be executed thenceforth between the Red Columns.” (William Hazlitt, The Venetian Republic)
“To further enhance the dignity of this hub of power, [Doge Sebastiano] Ziani effected another work of great significance to the Palazzo Ducale. The inlet of water next to the palace was now reclaimed to form a second square, the Piazzetta of San Marco… To add still further prestige to this approach, Ziani erected the two great monolithic columns of granite which still stand today, to form a symbolic gateway to the city. ”
San Todaro (Saint Theodore), left column, stands atop a dragon or crocodile. The lion of St. Mark, right column, is an ancient bronze chimera of uncertain origin to which the wings were added to create the iconic symbol of the Republic of St. Mark.
Vittore Carpaccio – Leone di San Marco (1516)
Why “doom”?
Two views prevail. The first holds that because hangings, beheadings, and burnings happened between the columns, it was bad luck to walk between them. The second view holds that, in his haste to get to the palace for his coronation, Doge Marino Faliero disembarked from his boat and ran between the columns. He was beheaded seven months later for his conspiracy to murder his enemies and seize dictatorial power, events attributed by some to the curse upon passing between the “columns of doom.”