Looking at the ducal palace, from the side of the Basilica of San Marco, it can be seen that two of the columns of the loggia, on the first floor, are pink, unlike the others that are white.

The two columns represent the place where the doge attended the demonstrations and ceremonies in the square in addition to capital executions.

The space instead between the two large columns that overlook the canal with the top, one the lion of San Marco, and the other the statue of San Teodoro, was used for capital executions.

A rope was pulled between the two columns, from which the condemned were hanged.  Then if the crime committed was particularly criminal, the convict was first tortured and his hand was cut off or his eyes were cut off, and he was killed with the mace, “beaten”. Then it was attached to 4 horses that pulled from opposite sides and the 4 body parts  exposed to the four sides of the city as a warning to citizens .

From here the Venetians never cross the space between the two columns, but they revolve around it, just out of respect to the people previously executed in that place, while for many others it is a matter of simple superstition.

Crossing them would bring bad luck.