St George and The Dragon Flanked by The Dandolo Arms

myminifactory

St George and the Dragon frequently adorned houses in Venice belonging to members or the Scuola degli Schiavoni (Guild of Slavs), showcasing its patron saint's significance for Dalmatia and serving Slav merchants from Italy, through Venice. These intricate reliefs originally lined the exterior wall of a house near the Ponte dei Baretteri in Venice, captivating John Ruskin with their remarkable artistic skill. In his book St Mark's Rest (1877-84), he marveled at the precision, stating: "Look at the strap of the stirrup! At the delicatest line of the spur - can you think they are stone? Don't they resemble leather and steel?" Other examples of such reliefs exist in Venice, suggesting that they were installed on houses owned by prominent members of the Scuola degli Schiavoni. This guild, run by Dalmatians (Slavs) for visiting seamen from their homeland, boasted powerful members like the Dandolo family, whose arms appear on two shields and reflect their wealth and influence as a leading Venetian noble family.