On a plinth of four concentric steps stands the white marble column surmounted by a sphere; at the base a crouching stone lion bears on its breast a collar engraved with the inscription Custos Iusticiae, guardian of justice. The lion is from the Roman period (1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.), but the origin of the group is uncertain: perhaps, commissioned by Spanish viceroy Peter of Toledo, it dates from the mid-16th century, or, a reminder of the Venetians who were liberated from the Saracens, it dates from around 1000
