One of the two stone lions that stand guard next to Venice’s famed St Mark’s Basilica has been splashed with red paint. One of the two stone lions that stand guard next to Venice’s famed St Mark’s Basilica has been splashed with red paint. The two lions, made by Giovanni Bonazza in 1722, are a tourist attraction – beloved especially by children visiting the adjacent basilica. Italy’s ANSA news agency quoted local police as saying video cameras captured vandals painting the statue at 3:58am local time and officers were searching for suspects. St Mark’s Basilica and the elegant, colonnaded piazza that spreads out beyond are among Italy’s leading tourist attractions.

Source: Irish Independent September 29, 2018 15:33 UTC