TWS L'OFFICINA DELLE ARTI

The Flag of Veneto
Is the one of the old Republic of Venice, fallen in 1797 with Napoleon's conquest. It represents a winged lion which puts its paw on a book with a latin inscription. The lion is the symbol of the Evangelist Mark, who is said to have stopped, on a Venetian island, during one of his joumeys. There an angel ( who is symbolized by the lion's wings ) appeared to him and greeted him saying : "Peace be with you, Mark, my Evangelist ". He also told him he would rest there after his death. Mark was buried in Alexandria in Egypt, controlled by the Muslim. His remains were stolen by the Venetians, who hid them under a load of pork meat, and then they arrived in Venice in 828. There it was built the wonderful St Mark basilica in order to keep St Mark's remains . Since then the winged lion was the symbol of the free Republic of Venice . In times of peace it was represented with its paw on the book, in times of war with the unsheathed sword . Since 1866 when Veneto was annexed to Italy, the winged lion , with its paw on the book has been the symbol of our region."