The historical marble lion that dignifies Piraeus port is not the original one! Due to this statue, the port of Piraeus was called “Porto Leone” during the medieval period.
The original statue was stolen together with three other smaller statues in 1688.
It is now located in Venice. During this period, the Venetians stole many archaeological objects from Greece.
Currently the lion is situated in the entrance of the Arsenale admiralty in Venice.
It is important to note that there is no sign marking that this statue is the Greek “Lion of Piraeus”.
Author:
Anastasia Brousou | Source: Greek Reporter [February 02, 2011]