Coat of Arms of Alvise Soranzo

In the second half of the sixteenth century the coats of arms decorating the Praetorian Palace in Koper attained monumental dimensions despite the fact that the city’s governors or podestà were prohibited from commemorating their stewardship of the city with ostentatious forms of self-celebration. Commissions were directed to the most prestigious artists of the day. The coat of arms of the podestà Alvise Soranzo (1591), made in the Mannerist style by Alessandro Vittoria (1525–1608) and his workshop, is rich in symbolic content. (Edvilijo Gardina)

Mannerist Venetian sculpture
Provenance: Palazzo Pretorio, Koper
h1998 x w1240 mm
iIstrian stone