The beauties of Venice, circa 1900 on a magic lantern slide, photographs created in 1888 by Joseph John William Small Piazza leading to the lagune with two famous granite columns brought by Doge Micheli from Syria in 1120, and erected here in 1180 One of these is surmounted by the winged lion of St Mark, the emblem of the tutelary saint of Venice; the other bears the figure of St Theodore, the patron saint before St Mark supplanted him, on a crocodile On the right is the Old Library and Mint; on the left is a portion of the Doges palace This portion of the Lagune, adjoining the Piazzetta, is the headquarters of the gondoliers; Venice, Italy.