winged lion
St. Mark's emblem
A winged lion is a mythological creature combining a lion's body with bird or bat wings.
The image appears across ancient cultures—Mesopotamian lamassu, Greek sphinxes, and medieval heraldry.
The winged lion of Saint Mark serves as Venice's symbol, appearing throughout the city's art and architecture.
The winged lion banner flew above the doge's palace.
- griffinLegendary eagle-lion hybrid
- sphinxMysterious, unreadable person
- gargoyleDecorative architectural waterspout
- heraldicOf coats of arms
- coat of armsHereditary symbolic emblem
mythical · mythical beast · beast · Venice · St. Mark's Square · St. Mark · evangelist · guardian · guardian spirit · stone · stone statue · sculpture · cathedral · majestic · golden · roaring · talons · mane
- winged thingsfeathers, Pegasus, dove, eagle, hawk
- Ancient PersiaPersepolis, Cyrus the Great, Xerxes, Behistun inscription, satrap
- bestiary creaturesdragon, mermaid, unicorn, phoenix, centaur
- European Symbolsfleur-de-lis, Celtic cross, double-headed eagle, imperial eagle, EU flag
- Sphinxriddle, Oedipus, Giza, enigma, mythic beast
- St. Mark's Basilicabasilica, bronze horses, campanile, domes, Byzantine art