The Loggia

At the foot of the bell tower stands the loggia, the building that more than any other condenses the celebratory nature of the new arrangement of the St. Mark’s stalls impressed upon them by Jacopo Sansovino.

Built between 1537 and 1549, twenty years later it was used as a guard post for the arsenal workers, who kept watch during the sessions of the Great Council.

A rich classically inspired façade, divided into three large arches with composite columns, the Loggetta is the Sansovino work that, more than any other, displays that sumptuous and picturesque character, suited to the Venetian environment.

Within the four niches Sansovino placed the bronze statues of Minerva, Apollo, Mercury and Peace .

The marble reliefs, with allegorical figures, are the works of Jacopo’s followers and collaborators: Venice in the form of Justice in the centre, the island of Cyprus on the right, the island of Candia on the left.

In 1663, the lateral arches were transformed into portals, and the large external podium with balustrade was opened in front of the original façade, later closed with the elegant bronze gate by Antonio Gai (1735 – 37) who also created the marble reliefs of the two Putti on the external wings of the façade.

Inside, within the existing niche was located the terracotta group depicting the Virgin with Child and St. John the Baptist , a work by Sansovino, now in the Marciano Museum.

On July 14, 1902, when the bell tower collapsed, the Loggetta was buried under its rubble, shattering it to pieces. During the reconstruction, completed in 1912 along with the bell tower, as much of the ancient architectural and decorative material as possible was recovered, covering the two side facades, which until then had exposed brick facings, in marble.