Since I am trying to develop a tour guide, I need to have a really good understanding of Venice’s history. This section contains general historical facts about Venice and about the specific location I have decided to include on my tour. I will be using some of these historical facts to feed the fictional narrative of the tour.
Index:
- The beginning of Venice
- Commerce and Industry
- War, trade and enemies
- Venice’s marriage to the sea
- Interesting fact about the Venetian language
- Facades and Party tradition
- Carnival
- Convent Theatre
- Works cited
The Beginning of Venice:
The first conquerors of the territory were the Venetes, which originated from the black sea and, which gave their name to the region.Then came the Romans followed by the Byzantines, which heavily influenced the Venetians. After freeing themselves from Constantinople (8th century), they put in place the Republique of the Serenissima. (Bertolazzi, 2006, pp22)
Doge used to be dictator-like but beginning 1032, he became more of a magistrate elected for life. (González De Lara, 2008, pp251)
Venice was the most stable Republic in history as it survived 1100 (Mille cent) years. The economic rise of Venice was based on the expansion of trade along the Mediterrrenean and beyond.Most profitable trade was in oriental luxuries, which came from the Byzantine empire, the Crusader States and Alexandria (they called these territories Romania). (Bertolazzi, 2006, pp13-28)
A commercial round-trip from Venice to the East took 6 to 9 months. (González De Lara, 2008, 252)
Commerce and Industry:
(Zorzi, 1999, pp190)
Industry primarily involved the Manufacturing of salt, glass, wool and the sale of timber
Also iron ore, which came from the mines of Styria and Carinthia. These good were sent to Byzantium and the Moslem Orient in exchange for luxury goods.
One of these goods were spices, which were just as important as salt. Widely used to improve the taste of food but also to create the modern day equivalent of alcoholic beverages.
In the Middle ages and 16th century slaves were bought and sold in Venice. Mainly Russians and Tartars. Sold in mass to the Muslims but Venetians also bought them as domestic workers and farmhands.
War, trade, and enemies:
(UNESCO)
Venice was strategically positioned as it was within reach of the Byzantine Empire and traders from the Near East.
Founded in the 5th century AD it became a maritime power in the 9th century
11th century, military missions were sent out to subdue the pirates that threatened maritime trade from their strongholds alond the Dalmatian coast
The city grew in power and importance after the sack of Constantinople by crusading forces in 1204, a campaign that was orchestrated by the Venetians, now wholly independent from the empire.
During this time they established links that reached as far as the Mongol Empire and Perisa and Armenia, the Caucasus and Asia Minor.
Trade treaty between Venice and the Mongol Empire was established in 1221.
Example of products:
- Salt
- Grain
- Porcelain
- Pearl
From Egypt, Asia Minor and Far East:
- Gems
- Mineral dyes
- Peacock feathers
- Spices
- Textiles (silks, cottons, brocades)
By the end of the 13th century it was one of the most prosperous cities in Europe
Intermittent war with Genoa, another independent city state with trading ambitions, was a feature of much of the 12th and 13th centuries,it was the maritime strength of the Ottoman Turks that would eventually weaken the Venetian hold on the Mediterranean and break their monopoly in the 17th century, ushering in a new era of competition for the control of trade between Europe and the east.
Venice’s marriage to the sea:
(UNESCO)
The close relationship between the city and the sea was vital in this development, as symbolized in the Sposalizio del Mare, or Marriage to the Sea, a ceremony established sometime in the early Middle Ages, whereby the Doge (the city’s ruler) sailed out into the Adriatic, surrounded by a procession of boats, and offered prayers. From the late 12th century, this became more elaborate, and the tradition was established that the Doge should also throw a ring into the water, signifying the marriage of the city to the sea.
Interesting fact about the Venetian language:
(Zorzi, 1999, pp198)
Half of the spoken vocabulary in Greece is pure Venetian. Almost the entire navifational terminology comes from Venetian. (orza, molla, drizza, finestrino)
Stories about Venetian objects and Constantinople: (Venice 697-1797 A City, A Republic, An Empire)
(These anecdotes could help me decide what mysterious object the tourists will be looking for and also embellish the narrative of the tour).
The Jewellery supplier of Suleiman II (was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1687 to 1691) was Francesco Zen, the Bailo of Constantinople (diplomat who oversaw the affairs of the Republic of Venice in Constantinople). Zen persuaded the Sultan to buy a gold ring with a repeating watch, and fabulous jewel-incrusted helmet.
A daring Turkish admiral called Ulugh Ali who was planning his revenge after miraculously surviving the battle of Leponato, ordered a precious jewel case for his woman from the goldsmith Battista Rizzoletti, whose shop was located on the Rialto under the sign of Jesus. However, by the time the jewel arrived in Constantinople in 1598, the admiral had already passed away.
Façades and Party tradition:
(Muir, 1979, pp18)
In Venice, the most important door is the one that opens to the Grand Canal. This displays an obsession with fine appearances and outward show.
The face so important that the facades facing the canal contrast with the side of the buildings (less public parts). Outward beauty sign of inward virtue (Renaissance belief, rhetorical grace and Neoplatonic belief)
*
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp11)
There is a strong party tradition. The 18th century, during Venice’s decline was the time where they partied the most.
Travellers, poetrs, artists, discribbed the customs, the parties, the processions, the fairs.
During its decline, having extravagant parties was a way to trick Venetians into an illusion of glory and later to attract the first tourists. Venice also stood out for its parties, even in the middle ages.
The Carnival:
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp17)
The Carnival is mentioned in documents as far as the 10th century under the reign of doge Vital Florier. It is probably the their contact with the orient that gave the Venetians this taste for fastuous parties.
It lasted 6 months! Started in October, ended on the carême only paused by Christmas.
The official start was the 26 December for Saint-Étienne. Combination of a pagan feast and the religious cult.
(theatre performances, games, street shows, private performances)
In parallel a counter carnival was happening. Religion organised procession and acts of penitence to incite Venetians to repent instead of indulging in debauchery. But was not greatly successful.
The masks were extremely important as during the festivities people from any social class became equals and partied together.
The mask, generalised in the 18th century was mandatory. It allowed anyone to participate to the feasts and enter private parties etc.
Social equality and transgression:
(Vircondelet, 2008, pp18)
The most popular disguise (which allowed for the most anonymity), is the lavara (most popular mask) white and the rest of the face covered by a balck silk vail. Black hat and a tabarro (traditional black cape)
Convent Theatre:
(Scippa Bhasin, 2014, pp19-21)
During a carnival season merchant Giovanni Battista brought his concubine on the island of Maddalena Farner Giudecca to see a comedy performed at the convent of Santa Maria Maddalena.
It was home to repentant prostitutes (founded in 1530). Accepted women who wanting to escape and expiate their lives in the sex trade
Covents in Venice accused of many theatrical infractions:
- Performing in their parlours for outsiders
- Selecting plays that were more secular than religious
- Borrowing draperies and costumes
- Acting secular female characters in jewels and costumes
- Cross-dressing as secular and religious men.
By age 7 young girls were offered up with substantial monastic dowries in hand, so that a sister could be married off (by way of an even larger matrimonial dowry) to a advantageous match.
Very common practice in Venice.
Which is why the nuns were less pious and indulged in public-performance tradition.
Works Cited:
Bertolazzi, A. (2006) “Au-Dessus De Venise” En vol sur la Sérénissime et la Vénitie. Vercelli: Editions White Star.
France 24 (2015) un redoutable Guerrier économique. Jul 6 2015. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH-1RfmAFf8 (Accessed: 15 May 2021)
González De Lara, Y. (2008) ‘The secret of Venetian success: a public-order, reputation-based institution’, European Review of Economic History, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 247-285.
Muir, E. (1979), ‘Images of Power: Art and Pageantry in Renaissance Venice’, The American Historical Review, Vol. 84, No. 1, pp. 16-52.
Perry, M. (1977), ‘Saint Mark’s Trophies: Legend, Superposition, and Archaeology in Renaissance Venice’, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol. 40, pp. 27-49.
UNESCO (no date) Silk Roads Programme, Venice. Available at: https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/content/venice (Accessed: May 10 2021)
Vircondelet, A. (2008) Venise un art de Vivre. Paris: Flammarion.
Zorzi, A. (1999) Venice 697-1797 A City, A Republic, An Empire. New York: The Overlook Press Peter Mayer Publisher, INC.