Tennis pro Roger Federer is the face of Piazza San Marco in Venice

When Swiss tennis pro Roger Federer signed an endorsement deal with Rolex in 2006, who would have expected that it would change the face of the fabled Piazza San Marco in Venice?

But this summer, while he’s slugging it out at Wimbledon, Federer’s face is obscuring most of the façade of the Sansovino Library, a Renaissance landmark described by the architect Palladio as the “richest and most decorated building” ever created. Never mind the Lion of St. Mark or St. Theodore and his crocodile on top of their antique columns nearby. Roger has dreamy brown eyes and a very cool watch.

What’s next? Beckham on the basilica, modeling Armani underwear?

— Susan Spano, Los Angeles Times staff writer

[Photo: Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times]

Permalink | E-mail | Print | Add to My Trips

This entry was posted on Monday, June 30, 2008 at 1:58 pm by Susan Spano and is filed under Celebrity, Europe, Italy, News, Tips & Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.