Who is portrayed in the monument?

The statue portrays Bartolomeo Colleoni, a former Captain General of the Republic of Venice.

Who sculpted the monument?

Andrea del Verrocchio designed and modeled the equestrian statue, and Alessandro Leopardi completed the bronze casting and designed the pedestal.

Where in Venice is the statue located?

The sculpture stands in Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, in the open space facing the Scuola of San Marco.

Why was the statue placed in Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo instead of Piazza San Marco?

Colleoni left estate funds on condition that his statue stand in Piazza San Marco, but Venetian regulations prohibited statues in that piazza, leading authorities to place it in Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo.

Who competed for the commission to create the statue?

Andrea del Verrocchio from Florence, Alessandro Leopardi from Venice, and Bartolomeo Vellano from Padua competed by displaying models.

What materials did Verrocchio use for his initial model?

Verrocchio built his competition model using wood and black leather.

Venice · Italy

Statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Tenants settling around Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo navigate the wide stone square between the Scuola of San Marco and the open canals before daily foot traffic fills the paving.

Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni (Venice) · CC BY-SA 4.0

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About the place

Verrocchio's bronze monument dominates Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo as a masterwork of military sculpture.

The bronze monument commemorates Bartolomeo Colleoni, a captain general who bequeathed his estate to Venice on condition of an outdoor memorial. Republic magistrates accepted the funds but barred personal tributes from Piazza San Marco, transferring the site to Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo outside the Scuola of San Marco. Andrea del Verrocchio won the public commission after exhibiting a full model crafted from wood and leather.

Read on

Verrocchio established a Venetian workshop and finished the wax figure before dying prior to casting. The state bypassed his pupil Lorenzo di Credi and reassigned completion to local sculptor Alessandro Leopardi, who cast the bronze and designed the stone pedestal. Following Donatello's earlier Gattamelata monument, the dynamic rider stands elevated above the paving, giving residents a stern reference point across the district.

Associations

Andrea del VerrocchioFlorentine artist who won the commission with a wood and leather study.
Alessandro LeopardiVenetian sculptor selected to cast the final bronze and carve the pedestal.
Piazza San MarcoStatues were barred from the plaza, denying Colleoni his intended prime site.
Donatello's GattamelataThe earlier Renaissance bronze in Padua that served as the stylistic benchmark.

Facts

The monument stands outdoors in Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo directly in front of the Scuola of San Marco.
Andrea del Verrocchio entered the design competition using a preliminary model assembled from wood and black leather.
Venetian authorities refused to allow the statue inside Piazza San Marco despite the condition set in Colleoni's will.
Alessandro Leopardi received the commission to cast the bronze sculpture and crafted the pedestal beneath the horse.

Updated September 9, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around51

Verrocchio's bronze monument dominates Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo as a masterwork of military sculpture.

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