Lion of Saint Mark
During the intermittent administration of Dubrovnik by Byzantine Empire, which lasted until 1205, the use of heraldic symbols such as coat of arms was not in practice. The city used Byzantine imperial flags until 1171. When Dubrovnik passed to the Republic of Venice the official symbol became the Lion of Saint Mark. With the end of the Venetian rule all the symbols of the previous government were removed, with only one stone tablet remaining showing the "Venetian lion".