Residents raised the alarm Saturday after noticing the paint on the eyes and mane of the red marble "leoncino" statue, located on a small piazza next to the basilica.
The two lions, made by Giovanni Bonazza in 1722, are a tourist attraction, beloved especially by children visiting the adjacent basilica.
Italy's ANSA news agency quoted local police as saying video cameras captured vandals painting the statue at 3:58 a.m. and officers were searching for suspects.
St. Mark's Basilica and the elegant, colonnaded piazza that spreads out beyond it are among Italy's leading tourist attractions.
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