Loggetta del Sansovino

The loggetta, which sits at the base of the bell tower in the Piazza, was designed in the classical style by Jacopo Sansovino and built as a meeting-place for the city's nobility in 1537. The three arches are a clear reference to the triumphal arches of ancient Rome. The arches are surmounted by marble reliefs personifying Crete, Venice and Cyprus, the work of Sansovino's assistants. The four bronze statues in the niches represent the classical gods and goddesses, Minerva, Apollo, Mercury and Pax. 

The terrace was added in 1663 and, at the same time, doors were placed between the archways. The beautiful bronze gates, the work of Antonio Gai, were added in 1737.