Jacopo Marcello was the commander of the Venetian fleet, killed on March 31, 1488, while leading the troops in the conquering of Gallipoli. A marble oval surrounds the monument and renders it pleasing to the eye. In the centre, in Istrian stone on a ‘pavonazzetto’ background, stands an extremely elaborate foliaged urn supported by three small deformed hunchbacks standing on Lombardesque corbels. Between the corbels there are two eagles framed by foliaged swags. Above the urn stands the Fleet Commander, Jacopo Marcello, with a lance in his right hand and his left hand on his hip. He is wearing plated armour and stands between two pages who are holding Marcello’s shield which can also be seen between the three hunchbacks. The monument was attributed to Pietro Lombardo but recent studies claim it was the work of Giovanni Buora (1450-1513). Up above, the background to the monument is frescoed in Mantegnesque style. The fresco portrays the Triumph of the Hero (15th century). On high there is a banner with the name of Jesus in the middle and the coat of arms of Marcello on either side. On the left are the trophies and coats of arms. This gives a magnificent effect to the wall in that the hero is celebrated rather than mourned. Along the entire wall and beneath the monuments is an elegant wainscoting dating to the 16th century divided into 18 parts by small Doric columns with foliaged frieze and triglyphs.

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