THE PIAZZETTA The two columns--An ingenious engineer--S.

Mark's lion--S.
Theodore of Heraclea--The Old Library--Jacopo Sansovino--The Venetian Brunelleschi--Vasari's life--A Venetian library--Early printed books--The Grimani breviary--A pageant of the Seasons--The Loggetta--Coryat again--The view from the Molo--The gondolier--Alessandro and Ferdinando--The danger of the traghetto--Indomitable talkers--The fair and the fare--A proud father--The rampino.
The Piazzetta is more remarkable in its architectural riches than the Piazza.

S.Mark's main facade is of course beyond words wonderful; but after this the Piazza has only the Merceria clock and the Old and the New Procuratie, whereas the Piazzetta has S.Mark's small facade, the Porta della Carta and lovely west facade of the Doges' Palace, the columns bearing S.Mark's lion and S.Theodore, Sansovino's Old Library and Loggetta; while the Campanile is common to both.

The Piazzetta has a cafe too, although it is not on an equality either with Florian's or the Quadri, and on three nights a week a band plays.
The famous Piazzetta columns, with S.Theodore and his crocodile (or dragon) on one and the lion of S.Mark on the other, which have become as much a symbol of Venice as the facade of S.Mark's itself, were brought from Syria after the conquest of Tyre.

Three were brought in all, but one fell into the water and was never recovered.