Legends and stories of Venice!

Il Gobbo di Rialto - AKA Hunchback of the Rialto

The Hunchback of Rialto in Venice is located in the Campo S. Giacometto near the Riato Market. It was sculpted in 1541 by Pietro da Salo Grazioli and was restored in 1836. 

Campo San Giacometto (one of the oldest churches of Venice):

 

The Hunchback - picture following - and from this perspective I would be standing beside it -  was used as a podium for official proclamations: the statutes of Venice or the names of offenders would be proclaimed by an official standing by or on the block.

At the same time the same statutes were read out at Pietra del Bando on the corner of the basilica of San Marco, on the south side facing the lagoon (more on this later this blog).

Il Gobbo was also used as the finishing point for a punishment for minor misdemeanours; the guilty party would be stripped naked and made to run the gauntlet of citizens lining the streets from Piazza San Marco to the Rialto, saving themselves further humiliation (and pain because people could hit or throw things at you!) by kissing the statue. 

 If you're very fast I imagine you could make it there in 15 minutes. I imagine being naked, humiliated and hit would add speed to your heels!

Il Gobbo is also one of Italy's 'talking statues' – i.e. A place where the common people made complaints and protests against the powerful. A public bulletin board for political satire, so to speak. In the past attached to it were pieces of paper with protests, comments and ironical or sarcastic jokes. 

 

Pietra del Bando (Corner of San Marco Basilica, south facade) 

The Pietra del Bando is another "Proclamation Stone". 

I can't believe I didn't get a decent picture of this column, but I didn't.  Pictures I have of this corner of the Bascilica always had people walking right in front of it.   (I think this is because of some subliminal need in me to have a reason to return to Venice.) 

However, it is a truncated reddish/purple marble column/pedestal (shows dark grey in this picture) where proclamations were read out (as before at the same time they were read out at the Hunchback). This is not a good picture of it but hopefully you can see it.

It is also the stone on which, according to ancient chronicles, the Serenissima ordered that the heads of traitors to the Republic be displayed for three days and nights. This is why I was told by Marco, that way above the column at the top along where the balustrade is, is a red disembodied head in purple stone – to remind people of this history! 

 Pink Columns

Among the rows of white columns of the Doge's Palace there are two that are pink. (Can you see them?)  According to legend, they mark the spot where the doge used to stand during ceremonies, and from where death sentences were read out to the crowd below. The pink colour symbolizes blood. 

 Piazzetta di San Marco

Piazzetta di San Marco is the adjoining area connecting the south side of San Marco Bascilica to the lagoon. This used to be the main entrance to Venice, which of course makes sense since Venice was a port city and this is where everyone would have their first views of Venice. At the lagoon end of the piazzetta are the two columns of the patron saints of Venice – San Marco (of course) and San Theordore.

Executions took place between the two columns of San Theordore (white with crocodile) and San Marco (dark winged lion). They say that even today superstitious Venetians won't walk between them.

Four Tetrarchs

You already saw one of my 'arty Marco assisted' shots' of these. Here is the 'tourist shot'. 

 These are very interesting.... so many stories.

Some historians say they represent the four joint rulers of the Roman Empire appointed by Diocletian, a time in Roman history when the Roman Empire tried to share power among four military leaders by having two senior emperors and two junior emperors. (Didn't last long I think – Roman emperors weren't known for cooperation.) 

Now it is thought probable that they actually represent the sons of the Emperor Constantine who were praised for their loving co-operation on his death in 337. This is the current thought since it is proven they originally came from Turkey - the missing foot of one of the figures was discovered in the 1960s in Istanbul (AKA Constantinople). 

Do you see the white, replacement foot for one of the tetrarchs?  

Marco told me that Venice asked for the missing foot from Turkey but Turkey refused. I giggle... A bit of 'cheek' on the part of Venice, perhaps, since they had been taken from Constantine in the first place by the Venetians in booty when the city was sacked in 1204.

However, once they got to Venice and were incorporated into the architecture of San Marco Basilica, their meaning changed... In other words, there is a legend around these figures as well...

This legend is that the sculpture was created by Saint Marco himself who turned four robbers into stone who were caught trying to steal his treasure from the church.