Loggetta del Sansovino

Engraving of the Loggetta. Source: Giacomo Franco, Habiti d'huomeni et donne venetiane, 1610, Venetia

Saint Mark's Square

  a. Saint Mark's Basilica

  b. Ducal Palace

  c. Bell tower and Loggetta

  d. Marciana Library

  e. Mint

  f. Procuratie Nuove

  g. Napoleonic wing

  h. Procuratie Vecchie

  i. Clock tower

The building of the loggetta was a part of the renovatio urbis,[4] the ambitious programme of architectural renewal, begun under Doge Andrea Gritti, that was aimed at reaffirming Venice's international prestige after the earlier defeat at Agnadello during the War of the League of Cambrai and the subsequent Peace of Bologna which sanctioned Habsburg hegemony on the Italian peninsula at the end of the War of the League of Cognac. It amounted to the transformation of Saint Mark's Square from an antiquated medieval town centre with food vendors, money changers, and even latrines into an imposing public forum in emulation of ancient Rome. Specifically, the loggetta was modelled along the lines of ancient triumphal arches and was intended as a monumental backdrop to provide a sense of grandeur to public ceremonies. Many of the key architectural elements, including the paired columns and niches with statues, had in fact already been employed by Sansovino for the temporary wooden arches that he designed and erected in Florence in 1514 for the ceremonial entry of Pope Leo X into the city the following year.[5][3][6]

Although the small brick structure was quickly erected between 1538 and 1540, in part with building materials recuperated from the old Church of San Francesco della Vigna, concerns about the magnitude of the overall architectural programme (which included the library) and the associated expenses for the coffers of the procurators of Saint Mark de supra led to a brief suspension of work and the decision to simplify the design by leaving the brick of the side walls exposed. The sides were however partially obscured when the lean-to structures around the perimeter of the bell tower were subsequently extended along the sides of the loggetta in order to provide an additional source of rental income to the procurators.[7] Work resumed, and by January 1541 the basic structure was complete when the leaden roof was applied.[8]

The principal model for the loggetta was likely the Arch of Constantine in Rome with three prominent arches alternating with projecting columns that are displayed as trophies on high pedestals. The design of the niches with statues placed between paired columns may also derive from Donato Bramante's design for the marble screen within the Church of the Sacra Casa in Loreto.[9] But the specific choice of composite capitals, combined with a convex pulvinated frieze, was probably inspired from the tomb of Pope Adrian VI in Santa Maria dell'Anima.[10]

Given its small size, the loggetta cost the relatively considerable sum of 4,258 ducats and 14 grossi due to the lavish stone facing.[11] The rich polychromatic effect, obtained by employing a number of rare stones and costly marbles, is reminiscent of the interior of the Pantheon, of Raphael’s Chigi Chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo (begun c. 1512), and of Baldassare Peruzzi's tomb of Pope Adrian VI in Santa Maria dell'Anima (1523-1530), all constructions with which Sansovino was likely familiar from his second period in Rome (1516-1527).[10]

Detail of the polychromatic façade showing oriental breccias, marbles from Verona and Carrara, limestone from Istria, and lapis lacedaemonius from Greece.

Locally available red Verona marble is used for much of the structure: the cornices, crowning balustrade, the panelling inside the niches, and the frames of the upper reliefs. The balustrade also contains opalescent lumachelle from the valley of San Vitale near Verona, noted for its fossilized mollusk shells. White Istrian stone, easily carved, is used for the relief sculptures. The authentic antique columns (only three of which survived the collapse of the bell tower in 1902) are made out of breccias from Asia and Africa and are positioned so that the colour and texture of the angular fragments of pre-existing rocks in the stone become progressively more pronounced moving towards the central columns. The lesenes behind the columns, the convex pulvinated frieze of the main entablature, and the capitals are in white Carrara marble veined with grey. Precious dark green lapis lacedaemonius (verde antico), found exclusively in the Peloponnese, is employed for the accents around the niches.[12][10]

Statues

The combination of polychromatic marbles with bronze is also reminiscent of Raphael's Chigi Chapel.[5] But in the loggetta, the bronze is more prominent as it is the material employed for the four large statues. These were designed by Sansovino on the basis of an allegorical programme conceived by the Procurator Antonio Capello with the intention of glorifying the Republic and exalting its intrinsic virtues in a public space.[5][13] The architect's son, Francesco Sansovino, elaborates the significance of the statues in both L'Arte oratoria secondo i modi della lingua volgare (1546)[14] and Venetia, città nobilissima et singolare (1581),[15] specifying in the latter publication that he obtained the explanation directly from his father.

• 
  Minerva
• 
  Apollo
• 
  Mercury
• 
  Pax

Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, represents the singular and unequalled wisdom embodied in the Venetian Senate and in those ancestors who established the Republic. She wears a helmet and holds a shield with the gorgoneion.

Apollo, as the god of the one sun (Sole), allegorizes the uniqueness of the Republic and of its government. In addition, as the god of music, he alludes to the perfect constitutional harmony between the various councils and magistrates which ensures the stability and longevity of the state. On the loggetta, he is portrayed with a quiver and arrows as symbols of the piercing solar rays. The lyre is now missing from his left hand.

Mercury, the god of eloquence, underscores that Venice's wise and prudent decisions are eloquently expressed by the nobles. The god is shown with the severed head of Argus at his feet. The caduceus is missing from his right hand.

Pax represents the peace, beloved by the Republic, which ensures its greatness. The statue of the goddess shows her extinguishing her torch on the armour that lays cast-off at her feet.[5][13][16]

Reliefs

The three reliefs in the attic are the work of Sansovino's collaborators Danese Cattaneo and Tiziano Aspetti.[17] They allegorize Venice and its principal subject territories of Crete and Cyprus.[5][17][18]

• 
  Jupiter as
  an allegory of Crete
• 
  Venice as
  Justice
• 
  Venus as
  an allegory of Cyprus

The central relief shows Venice as Justice with the sword and scales. She sits upon a throne supported by lions in allusion to her Solomonic wisdom. On either side the figure is flanked by river gods with water flowing from urns in reference to the subject territories on the Italian mainland. The territory of Crete, under Venetian rule from 1205 to 1669, is presented as Jupiter who was raised on Mount Aigaion on Crete and fathered Minos, the first king of the island. Cyprus, annexed to Venice in 1489 and ceded to the Ottoman Turks in 1573, is shown as Venus who was born from the waters near the island.

1653-1663

In conjunction with reparations made necessary after lightning struck the bell tower, Baldassare Longhena, the consultant architect and buildings manager for the procurators of Saint Mark de supra from 1640 to 1682, replaced the five steps in front of the loggetta and the external benches with a wide terrace and balustrade. The two lateral windows were reduced to half lunettes with iron grillwork in the upper portion, and doors were added.[19]

The bronze gate, made by
Antonio Gai between 1733 and 1734

1733-1750

Antonio Gai realized the elaborate bronze gate (1733-1734) with the allegorical figures of Vigilance (on the left with the lighted lamp and the crane holding a pebble with its foot) and Liberty (on the right with the pileus on a staff). The gate is surmounted by Armed Peace (to the left with a helmet and an olive branch) and Public Happiness (to the right with the caduceus and a cornucopia).

Giorgio Massari widened the attic between 1749 and 1750. The marble reliefs of the two putti on the external wings of the elevation were carved by Antonio Gai.[20]

1876-1885

The original medieval loggetta had been covered on both sides with lean-to wooden stalls for shops which continued along the perimeter of the bell tower. Important sources of rental income for the procurators of Saint Mark de supra, they were rebuilt in 1550 alongside Sansovino's structure and existed until 1873 when they were finally demolished.[21] This completely exposed the lateral brick walls which had only partial three-light windows in the upper parts in order to accommodate for the lean-to structure below. It was consequently decided to extend the window frames downward using as a model the window, derived from Bramante's Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan and the nymphaeum at Genazzano near Rome, that Sansovino himself had employed for the high altar of San Martino in Venice.