Around 1900 people of Vienna were very fancy about Venice. So there was an idea to build an Italian quarter along the Praterstraße. A small reminder of this gone idea is the Dogenhof (Praterstraße 70). Its architecture was influenced by a palazzo in Venice.
Venice in Vienna
Where did this Venice mania come from? In 1895, a theme park opened in Vienna. On the grounds of today’s Wurstelprater, Viennese people could cruise in gondolas through an artificial Venice. This park has disappeared without a trace. Only the Dogenhof reminds us of this episode in Vienna’s history.
In general, the Lion of Saint Mark displayed on a gate reminds us of Venice’s rule in the gated town. This isn’t the case with this lion you see in Vienna. In 1898 this Lion of Saint Mark was only a design element to make the copy of a Venetian palazzo more stylish.