The winged Lion of Venice, the Serene Republic’s official coat of arms during the Middle Ages, has been displayed on the street next to the Medieval Castle in Larnaca since October 2011. The fabled Leo, who has been linked to Mark the Evangelist, the municipality of Venice’s patron saint, is still used as a symbol today. The road in front of the Castle was called “Venetia Square” in addition to the installation of the winged lion.
Because the two cities have such strong historical ties, it is impossible to regard the twinning of Larnaca and Venice as coincidental. Due to its geographic location, Larnaca witnessed a unique economic boom during the period of Venetian administration in Cyprus (1489–1571), as the Venetians selected its port as the primary transit commercial port of Cyprus and the exploitation of its salt flats resulted in the marketing of salt.
