Viking Sea August 1, 2022
Empires of The Mediterranean – Kotor, Montenegro
Winners: Crystal and Josael Gomez!
This cruise the Viking Resident Historian challenge was to find the location of a Venetian winged lion of St. Mark somewhere in the medieval walled city of Kotor Montenegro. Several teams were up to the challenge and submitted pictures. However, Crystal and Josael were the first to send a picture – well done!
As you approach the Sea Gate, Kotor’s main arched entry that was built in 1555, look to your right to see this carved panel of the Winged Lion of Mark on the Valier Bastion. It represents Saint Mark the Evangelist and the open book is St. Mark’s Gospel. This image was the symbol for the Republic of Venice when they ruled over Kotor from 1420 until 1797. The San Marco Lion remains an iconic image in Venice, Italy.
The Venetian lion appears in two distinct forms. One is as a winged animal resting on water, to symbolize dominance over the seas, holding St. Mark’s Gospel under a paw. These animals can be seen all around the Mediterranean, usually on top of a classical stone column.
The Latin words engraved on the book are Pax Tibi Marce Evangelista Meus, which means Peace unto you, Mark, my Evangelist. If the book is open then the city was at peace with Venice. If the book is closed then the city was in rebellion with Venice at the time the sculpture was created. Other elements often included in depictions of the lion include a halo over his head, a book, or a sword in its paws.
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