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The north façade, overlooking Piazzetta dei Leoncini, has an intimate
and private character in contrast with the official prestigious role of
the ones facing the square and the sea.
As well as the recent tomb of Daniele Manin, which occupies the great
niche at the head of the transept, and a three-light window opened during
the 14th century in the arch to the right of the Gate of Flowers, the
plastic decoration has been considerably enriched, clearly transforming
the original plan. The foremost addition consists of the beautiful 13th
century slabs with Christ and the Four Evangelists near the Gate of Flowers.
The latter is topped by an elegant Nativity sculpture delimited by two
arch undersides sculpted with angels and prophets and a sort of procession
of half-length figures including Christ, Mary and male and female saints
portrayed individually or in groups of three and flanked by angels and
crosses. The Gothic crowning at the summit continues with floral decoration
and figures of virtues and the church fathers.
Later additions also include the two icons sculpted for the altars of
St. John the Evangelist and St. Leonard, set in their present place only
in the 17th century. The large and evident relief of St. Christopher on
the transept buttress is part of the original plan.
Most of the sculptures are ornamental elements, ambo pluteuses and other
reliefs with animals, pieces set together in a more or less decorative
fashion. In most cases no attempt was even made to give them any specific
meaning, whereas other icons take on a new function as parts of a plan.
These include the Virgin Praying with Angels, the full figure portrayals
of the Evangelists John and Mark on the architrave of the Gate of Flowers
(which in a certain way are an external pendant to the figures of "custodian"
saints on the Gate of the Virgin inside the atrium) and the two Archangels
with sword and lance. All these sculpted figures form a group of icons
for worship and also include the personification of Fortune on the arch
to the east of the Gate of Flowers.
Over and above these icons and ornamental elements placed in a context
other than the one for which they were created, the north façade also
includes two iconographically coherent decorative complexes: the figurative
plan of the Gate of Flowers, and a kind of procession of half-length figures
as described above. All these figures were indubitably sculpted expressly
for their present location.
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