The horses of St. Mark are a sculptural work in bronze alloy realized, according to various chemical-physical analyses, during the Roman period. Originally belonged to the Grand Hippodrome of Constantinople and then subtracted from the Republic of Venice in the 12o4 that had besieged and plundered the city the previous year during the Fourth Crusade.
The horses were placed on the terrace of the façade of the Basilica of San Marco by the Doge of the time, Enrico Dandolo, until the Napoleonic era when they were taken to Paris to represent the pride of the Arc de Triomphe. When Napoleon was defeated, the emperor of Austria returned the horses to the Basilica of San Marco, where they remained until 1980. Then they were placed inside the basilica to preserve them from the weather and time and replaced with copies.
If you want to admire the magnificence of the 4 horses we suggest you enter the Basilica of San Marco where you can see the treasure of San Marco, the mosaics, the sculptures of Sansovino and many other wonders.