Talking to my mom about the city ​​of Chioggia the legend of the so-called "el gato de Ciosa”, But let's not say it too loudly that the Chioggia are usually offended. In Vigo square, in fact, there is a small column at the top of which a Marcian lion has been placed, but since it is really small compared to those we are used to seeing in Venice, it is called “the cat of Chioggia”. Looking for some information about the origin of this appellation I came across several versions, of course the Chioggiotti say one thing and the Venetians say another.
A lion cat
It is said that the Chioggiotti family commissioned the sculpture of the Lion of March to a sculptor not quite up to the task in order to spend as little as possible. Once the lion was finished, the citizens were not very happy with it - evidently it was not beautiful - and asked the sculptor to improve it. The sculptor chiselled again, and several times, so much so that he came to considerably reduce the size and the appearance of the feline was closer to that of a cat rather than to those of the lion of San Marco.
The rivalry with Venice
The rivalry between Chioggia and Venice has always existed. The Venetians, given their economic power compared to the so-called "little Venice", mocked the Chioggiotti for being the "peasants" on duty, and one of the jokes they used to do was to get to the shore with the fishing boats, leave the bones fish at the foot of the column in Piazza Vigo with the little lion - considered a cat compared to the Venetian one - and running away with the angry Chioggiotti on his heels.
A mockery
The Chioggiotti think differently. Every city under the dominion of the Serenissima had to have the lion of March in plain sight, the Chioggiotti argue that "el gato de Thissa" was built on purpose so small to make fun of the Venetian authority, which imposed its sovereignty and consequently its rules.
A real legend
Another version is the one that tells of a Venetian cat tired of being chased and disturbed by the Marcian lions, so much so that he fled to Chioggia and to escape from their paws and took refuge in the only place where the lions, not even using their wings, they would arrive: the top of the column in Piazza Vigo. The lions, unable to grab him, decided to wait for the cat to come down, at the foot of the Vigo bridge, but they waited so long that they turned into stone and lost their wings.
The historical legend
This latter version is a bit more historical and perhaps even closer to the truth. When the Serenissima fell under Napoleonic rule, the Marcian lions were chiseled in all the territories conquered by Venice, demonstrating their sovereignty. Initially there was a large lion of Marcian - this would explain the size of the pedestal - which was replaced by the French with the tree of liberty, under the Austro-Hungarian empire, however, the current "gato de Ciosa" was placed on top of the column, also if it has not been possible to establish the exact period of its location and the reason why it is so small.
The mysteries of history, do you believe some?
