VENICE’S HORSES
In the place where the German Fountain stands today were four statues of horses cast in bronze, each on its own column. They were brought to Istanbul by Theodosius II in the 5th century, and were originally gilded. In 1204 the Latin crusaders who occupied Istanbul carried these statues to Venice, where they were placed on the façade of St Mark's Church. To prevent damage from erosion, the original horses have now been placed inside the church, and reproductions put in their place on the façade. An Ottoman miniature by an anonymous artist depicting these horses is in a 16th century manuscript entitled ‘Wonders of Art and Nature’ at the British Library in London. The miniature was evidently painted from descriptions rather than life, since there are three instead of four horses, and four instead of three serpent's heads on the Serpent Column.