Republic of Venice

Venetian Republic redirects here. For the proposed dynasty. Such attempts were more than commonplace
state declared in 2014, see Venetian independence among the doges of the rst few centuries of Venetian
referendum, 2014.
history, but all were ultimately unsuccessful. During the
reign of Deusdedit, Venice became the only remaining
Byzantine possession in the north and the changing poliThe Republic of Venice (Italian: Repubblica di Venezia) was a state originating from the city of Venice in tics of the Frankish Empire began to change the factional
Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from divisions within Venetia. One faction was decidedly prothe late 7th century until 1797. Despite its long history Byzantine. They desired to remain well-connected to the
of war and conquest, the Republics modern reputation Empire. Another faction, republican in nature, believed
is chiey based on its status as an economic and trading in continuing along a course towards practical independence. The other main faction was pro-Frankish. Suppower.
ported mostly by clergy (in line with papal sympathies of
the time), they looked towards the new Carolingian king
of the Franks, Pepin the Short, as the best provider of de1 Name
fence against the Lombards. A minor, pro-Lombard, faction was opposed to close ties with any of these furtherIt was formally known as the Most Serene Republic o powers and interested in maintaining peace with the
of Venice (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia, neighbouring (and surrounding, but for the sea) Lombard
Venetian: Serensima Repblica Vneta or Repblica de kingdom.
Venesia) and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in reference to its title as one of the "Most Serene Republics".

2.2 Early Middle Ages

History

The successors of Obelerio inherited a united Venice. By

the Pax Nicephori (803), the two emperors had recognised that Venice belonged to the Byzantine sphere of
inuence. Many centuries later, the Venetians claimed
that the treaty had recognised Venetian de facto independence, but the truth of this claim is doubted by modern scholars. A Byzantine eet sailed to Venice in 807
and deposed the Doge, replacing him with a Byzantine
governor. Nevertheless, during the reign of the Participazio family, Venice grew into its modern form. Though
Heraclean by birth, Agnello, the rst Participazio doge,
was an early immigrant to Rialto and his dogeship was
marked by the expansion of Venice towards the sea via
the construction of bridges, canals, bulwarks, fortications, and stone buildings. The modern Venice, at one
with the sea, was being born. Agnello was succeeded by
his son Giustiniano, who stole the remains of Saint Mark
the Evangelist from Alexandria, took them to Venice, and
made him the Republics patron saint.

Main article: History of the Republic of Venice

The city of Venice originated as a collection of lagoon communities banded together for mutual defence
from the Lombards, Huns, and other invading peoples
as the power of the Western Roman Empire dwindled
in northern Italy. Venetians are the descendants of the
Illyrians.[1][2][3] At some point in the rst decades of the
8th century, the people of the Byzantine province of
Venice elected their rst leader Ursus (or Orso Ipato),
who was conrmed by Constantinople and given the titles of hypatus and dux. He was the rst historical Doge
of Venice. Tradition, however, rst attested in the early
11th century, states that the Venetians rst proclaimed
one Anafestus Paulicius duke in 697, though this story
dates to no earlier than the chronicle of John the Deacon.
Whichever the case, the rst doges had their power base
During the reign of the successor of the Participazio,
in Heraclea.
Pietro Tradonico, Venice began to establish its military
might which would inuence many a later crusade and
dominate the Adriatic for centuries. Tradonico secured
2.1 Rise
the sea by ghting Slavic and Saracen pirates. TradonUrsuss successor, Deusdedit, moved his seat from Hera- icos reign was long and successful (83764), but he was
clea to Malamocco in the 740s. He was the son of Ursus succeeded by the Participazio and it appeared that a dyand represented the attempt of his father to establish a nasty may have nally been established. Around 841, the
1

HISTORY

Sack of Constantinople
Voyage of Marco Polo into the Far East during the
Pax Mongolica
The Piraeus Lion in Venice - a spoil from Constantinople

Map of the Venetian Republic, circa 1000

Republic of Venice sent a eet of 60 galleys (each carrying 200 men) to assist the Byzantines in driving the Arabs
from Crotone, but it failed.[4] In 1000, Pietro II Orseolo
sent a eet of 6 ships to defeat the Narentine and Croatian
pirates from Dalmatia.[5]

2.3

High Middle Ages

See also: Stato da Mr

In the High Middle Ages, Venice became extremely
wealthy through its control of trade between Europe and
the Levant, and it began to expand into the Adriatic Sea
and beyond. In 1084, Domenico Selvo personally led a
eet against the Normans, but he was defeated and lost
nine great galleys, the largest and most heavily armed
ships in the Venetian war eet.[6] Venice was involved
in the Crusades almost from the very beginning. Two
hundred Venetian ships assisted in capturing the coastal
cities of Syria after the First Crusade. In 1110, Ordelafo
Faliero personally commanded a Venetian eet of 100
ships to assist Baldwin I of Jerusalem and Sigurd I of Norway in capturing the city of Sidon.[7] In 1123 they were
granted virtual autonomy in the Kingdom of Jerusalem
through the Pactum Warmundi.[8]

The leaders of the Fourth Crusade (1202-04) contracted

with Venice to provide a eet for transportation to the
Levant. When the crusaders were unable to pay for the
ships, Doge Enrico Dandolo oered transport if the crusaders were to capture Zara, which had proven too well
fortied for Venice to retake alone. Upon the capture
of Zara, the crusade was again diverted, this time to
Constantinople to avenge the 1182 massacre. The capture and sacking of Constantinople has been described
as one of the most protable and disgraceful sacks of
a city in history.[9] The Venetians claimed much of the
plunder, including the famous four bronze horses that
were brought back to adorn St. Marks basilica. Furthermore, in the subsequent partition of the Byzantine lands,
Venice gained a great deal of territory in the Aegean
Sea, amounting to three-eighths of the Byzantine Empire.
This included the islands of Crete (Candia) and Euboea
(Negroponte); the present core city of Chania on Crete
is largely of Venetian construction, built atop the ruins
of the ancient city of Cydonia.[10] The Aegean islands
came to form the Venetian Duchy of the Archipelago.
The Byzantine Empire would be re-established in 1261
by Michael VIII Palaiologos but never again recovered
its previous power and was eventually conquered by the
Ottoman Turks.
The Republic of Venice signed a trade treaty with the
Mongol Empire in 1221.[11]

In 1295, Pietro Gradenigo sent a eet of 68 ships to attack

a Genoese eet at Alexandretta, then another eet of 100
ships were sent to attack the Genoese in 1299.[12] From
1350 to 1381, Venice fought an intermittent war with the
Genoese. Initially defeated, they devastated the Genoese
The Venetians also gained extensive trading privileges in eet at the Battle of Chioggia in 1380 and retained their
the Byzantine Empire during the 12th century, and their prominent position in eastern Mediterranean aairs at the
ships often provided the Empire with a navy. In 1182, a expense of Genoas declining empire.
vicious anti-Western riot broke out in Constantinople targeting Latins, and Venetians in particular. Many in the
Empire had become jealous of Venetian power and in- 2.4 15th century
uence, and thus when the pretender Andronikos I Komnenos marched on the city, Venetian property was seized In the early 15th century, the Venetians also began to exand the owners imprisoned or banished, an act which hu- pand in Italy, as well as along the Dalmatian coast from Ismiliated and angered the Republic. In 1183, the city tria to Albania, which was acquired from King Ladislaus
of Zara (Croatian: Zadar) successfully rebelled against of Naples during the civil war in Hungary. Ladislaus was
Venetian rule. The city then put itself under the dual pro- about to lose the conict and had decided to escape to
tection of the Papacy and King Emeric of Hungary. The Naples, but before doing so he agreed to sell his now pracDalmatians separated from Hungary by a treaty in 1199, tically forfeit rights on the Dalmatian cities for a meager
and they paid Hungary with a portion of Macedonia. In sum of 100,000 ducats.
1201, the city of Zadar recognized Emeric as overlord.
Ruggiero Cane Ranieri - Condottiere at the Battle of
Siege of Tyre (1124)
Motta in 1412

2.5

League of Cambrai, the loss of Cyprus, and Battle of Lepanto

Procession in St.Marks Square by Gentile Bellini in Ionian, and the Adriatic Seas. The wars with Venice re1496
sumed in 1463 until a favorable peace treaty was signed
in 1479 just after the troublesome siege of Shkodra. In
Francesco Foscari - Doge from 1423-1457
1480 (now no longer hampered by the Venetian eet), the
Ottomans besieged Rhodes and briey captured Otranto.
of Venice had risen to about
Venice exploited the situation and quickly installed no- By 1490, the population
[16]
180,000
people.
bility to govern the area, for example, Count Filippo
Stipanov in Zadar. This move by the Venetians was a
response to the threatening expansion of Giangaleazzo
Visconti, Duke of Milan. Control over the north-east
main land routes was also a necessity for the safety of
the trades. By 1410, Venice had a navy of 3,300 ships
(manned by 36,000 men) and taken over most of Venetia,
including such important cities as Verona (which swore its
loyalty in the Devotion of Verona to Venice in 1405) and
Padua.[13]

War with the Ottomans resumed from 1499 to 1503. In

1499, Venice allied itself with Louis XII of France against
Milan, gaining Cremona. In the same year, the Ottoman
sultan moved to attack Lepanto by land, and sent a large
eet to support his oensive by sea. Antonio Grimani,
more a businessman and diplomat than a sailor, was defeated in the sea battle of Zonchio in 1499. The Turks
once again sacked Friuli. Preferring peace to total war
both against the Turks and by sea, Venice surrendered
The situation in Dalmatia had been settled in 1408 by a the bases of Lepanto, Durazzo, Modon and Coron.
truce with King Sigismund of Hungary but the dicul- Venices attention was diverted from its usual maritime
ties of Hungary nally granted to the Republic the con- position by the delicate situation in Romagna, then one
solidation of its Adriatic dominions. At the expiration of of the richest lands in Italy, which was nominally part of
the truce, Venice immediately invaded the Patriarchate of the Papal States but eectively divided into a series of
Aquileia, and subjected Tra, Spalato, Durazzo and other small lordships which were dicult for Romes troops to
Dalmatian cities.
control. Eager to take some of Venices lands, all neighSlaves were plentiful in the Italian city-states as late as bouring powers joined in the League of Cambrai in 1508,
the 15th century. Between 1414 and 1423, some 10,000 under the leadership of Pope Julius II. The pope wanted
slaves were sold in Venice, almost all of whom were nu- Romagna; Emperor Maximilian I: Friuli and Veneto;
Spain: the Apulian ports; the king of France: Cremona;
bile young women from the Balkans.[14][15]
the king of Hungary: Dalmatia, and each of the others
In February 1489, the island of Cyprus, previously a some part. The oensive against the huge army enlisted
crusader state (the Kingdom of Cyprus), was annexed to by Venice was launched from France.
Venice.

2.5

League of Cambrai, the loss of Cyprus,

and Battle of Lepanto

The Venetian fort of Palamidi in Nafplion, Greece, one of

many forts that secured Venetian trade routes in the Eastern
Mediterranean.

On 14 May 1509, Venice was crushingly defeated at the

battle of Agnadello, in the Ghiara d'Adda, marking one
of the most delicate points in Venetian history. French
and imperial troops were occupying Veneto, but Venice
managed to extricate itself through diplomatic eorts.
The Apulian ports were ceded in order to come to terms
The Ottoman Empire started sea campaigns as early as with Spain, and pope Julius II soon recognized the dan1423, when it waged a seven-year war with the Vene- ger brought by the eventual destruction of Venice (then
tian Republic over maritime control of the Aegean, the the only Italian power able to face kingdoms like France
Territories of the Republic of Venice: dark red, conquered at the
start of the 15th century; red, at the start of 16th century; pink,
conquered temporarily; yellow, the sea dominated by the Venetian eet during the 15th century; orange, the main routes; and
purple squares are the main emporiums and commercial colonies

HISTORY

or empires like the Ottomans).

Kyrenia without having to re a shot. Famagusta, howThe citizens of the mainland rose to the cry of Marco, ever, resisted and put up a heroic defense that lasted from
Marco, and Andrea Gritti recaptured Padua in July September 1570 until August 1571.
1509, successfully defending it against the besieging im- The fall of Famagusta marked the beginning of the Otperial troops. Spain and the pope broke o their alliance toman period in Cyprus. Two months later, the naval
with France, and Venice regained Brescia and Verona forces of the Holy League, composed mainly of Venetian,
from France also. After seven years of ruinous war, the Spanish, and Papal ships under the command of Don John
Serenissima regained its mainland dominions west to the of Austria, defeated the Turkish eet at Battle of LepAdda river. Although the defeat had turned into a vic- anto. The victory over the Turks, however, came too late
tory, the events of 1509 marked the end of the Venetian to help Cyprus, and the island remained under Ottoman
expansion.
rule for the next three centuries. By 1575, the population
of Venice was about 175,000 people, but partly as a result
of the plague of 157576 dropped to 124,000 people by
1581.[16]

2.6 17th century

Giovan Battista Tiepolo's Neptune oers the wealth of
the sea to Venice, 174850, an allegory of the power of In 1606, a conict between Venice and the Holy See bethe Republic of Venice, as the wealth and power of the gan with the arrest of two clerics accused of petty crimes,
and with a law restricting the Churchs right to enjoy and
Serenissima was based on the control of the sea
acquire landed property. Pope Paul V held that these
provisions were contrary to canon law, and demanded
that they be repealed. When this was refused, he placed
Venice under an interdict. The Republic paid no attention to the interdict or the act of excommunication, and
ordered its priests to carry out their ministry. It was supported in its decisions by the Servite monk Paolo Sarpi, a
sharp polemical writer who was nominated to be the Signorias adviser on theology and canon law in 1606. The
interdict was lifted after a year, when France intervened
and proposed a formula of compromise. Venice was satised with rearming the principle that no citizen was
superior to the normal processes of law.

Sebastiano Venier commander of the Venetian eet at

Lepanto (1571)

The latter half of the 17th century saw also prolonged

wars with the Ottoman Empire: in the Cretan War (1645
1669), after a heroic siege that lasted 24 years, Venice lost
its major overseas possession, the island of Crete, while it
made some advances in Dalmatia. In 1684 however, taking advantage of the Ottoman involvement against Austria in the Great Turkish War, the Republic initiated the
Morean War, which lasted until 1699 and in which it was
able to conquer the Morea peninsula in southern Greece.

In 1489, the rst year of Venetian control of Cyprus,

Turks attacked the Karpasia Peninsula, pillaging and taking captives to be sold into slavery. In 1539 the Turkish
eet attacked and destroyed Limassol. Fearing the everexpanding Ottoman Empire, the Venetians had fortied
Famagusta, Nicosia, and Kyrenia, but most other cities 2.7 Decline
were easy prey. By 1563, the population of Venice had
dropped to about 168,000 people.[16]
These gains did not last, however: in December 1714,
In the summer of 1570, the Turks struck again, but this the Turks began the last TurkishVenetian War, when the
time with a full-scale invasion rather than a raid. About Morea was without any of those supplies which are so
60,000 troops, including cavalry and artillery, under the desirable even in countries where aid is near at hand which
command of Mustafa Pasha landed unopposed near Li- are not liable to attack from the sea.
massol on 2 July 1570, and laid siege to Nicosia. In an The Turks took the islands of Tinos and Aegina, crossed
orgy of victory on the day that the city fell 9 Septem- the isthmus, and took Corinth. Daniele Doln, commanber 1570 20,000 Nicosians were put to death, and every der of the Venetian eet, thought it better to save the
church, public building, and palace was looted.[17] Word eet than risk it for the Morea. When he eventually arof the massacre spread, and a few days later Mustafa took rived on the scene, Nauplia, Modon, Corone and Mal-

2.9

Legacy

vasia had fallen. Levkas in the Ionian islands, and the

bases of Spinalonga and Suda on Crete which still remained in Venetian hands, were abandoned. The Turks
nally landed on Corf, but its defenders managed to
throw them back.
Regatta on the Grand Canal - Canaletto (1740)
The Republic of Venice in the 18th century
An island in the Lagoon - Canaletto (1743)
In the meantime, the Turks had suered a grave defeat
by the Austrians in the Battle of Petrovaradin on 5 August 1716. Venetian naval eorts in the Aegean and the
Dardanelles in 1717 and 1718, however, met with little
success. With the Treaty of Passarowitz (21 July 1718),
Austria made large territorial gains, but Venice lost the
Morea, for which its small gains in Albania and Dalmatia were little compensation. This was the last war
with the Ottoman Empire. By the year 1792, the once
great Venetian merchant eet had declined to a mere 309
merchantmen.[18]
The decline of Venice as a seaborne empire should not obscure the fact that the Republic remained in undisturbed
possession of its vast and rich continental domain north of
the Po valley extending west almost to the walls of Milan.
Treviso, Vicenza, Padova, Verona, Brescia, Bergamo, not
to mention Venice itself, beneted handsomely from the
Pax Venetiae (Venetian peace) throughout the allegedly
decadent 18th century.

2.8

Fall

By 1796, the Republic of Venice could no longer defend

itself since its war eet numbered only four galleys and
seven galliots.[19] In spring 1796, Piedmont fell and the
Austrians were beaten from Montenotte to Lodi. The
army under Bonaparte crossed the frontiers of neutral
Venice in pursuit of the enemy. By the end of the year the
French troops were occupying the Venetian state up to the
Adige. Vicenza, Cadore and Friuli were held by the Austrians. With the campaigns of the next year, Napoleon
aimed for the Austrian possessions across the Alps. In the
preliminaries to the Peace of Leoben, the terms of which
remained secret, the Austrians were to take the Venetian
possessions in the Balkans as the price of peace (18 April
1797), while France required the Lombard part of the
State.
After Napoleons ultimatum, Doge Ludovico Manin surrendered unconditionally on 12 May, and abdicated himself, while the Major Council declared the end of the Republic. According to Bonapartes orders, the public powers passed to a Provisional Municipality under the French
Military Governor. On 17 October, France and Austria
signed the Treaty of Campo Formio, according the sharing of all the territory of the ancient republic, with a new

Drawing of the Doges Palace, late 14th century

border just west of the Adige River. Italian democrats,

especially young poet Ugo Foscolo, viewed the treaty as
a betrayal. The metropolitan part of the disbanded republic became an Austrian territory, under the name of
Venetian Province (Provincia Veneta in Italian, Venedig
Provinz in German).

2.9 Legacy
Even though the economic vitality of the Venetian Republic had started to decline since the 16th century due to
the movement of international trade towards the Atlantic,
its political regime still appeared in the 18th century as a
model for the philosophers of the enlightenment.
Relief of the Venetian Lion in Pore
Relief of the Venetian Lion in Kotor
Relief of the Venetian Lion on Crete
Relief of the Venetian Lion on Corfu
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was hired in July 1743 as Secretary by comte de Montaigu, who had been named Ambassador of the French in Venice. This short experience nevertheless awakened the interest of Rousseau to the policy,
which led him to design a large book of political philosophy project. [20] After the discourse on the origin and
basis of inequality among men (1755), he published the
social contract (1762).

4 GOVERNMENT

Present-day use of the Winged

Lion

The governmental structure of Venice

the republic as shown in the expression: si morto il

Doge, no la Signoria (The Doge is dead, but the Signoria is not).

The Winged Lion of Venice (top left) on the Naval Jack of Italy

Also created were the sapientes, two (later six) bodies that
combined with other groups to form a collegio, which
formed an executive branch. In 1229, the Consiglio dei
Pregadi, a senate, was formed, being 60 members elected
by the Major Council.[22] These developments left the
Doge with little personal power and saw actual authority
in the hands of the Major Council.

The winged Lion of St. Mark, which had appeared on the

Republics ag and coat of arms, is still featured in the
red-yellow ag of the city of Venice (which has six tails,
one for each sestier of the city), in the coat of arms of the
city and in the yellow-red-blue ag of Veneto (which has
seven tails representing the seven provinces of the region).
The winged lion also appears in the naval ensign of the
Italian Republic, alongside the coat of arms of three
other medieval Italian maritime republics (Genoa, Pisa
and Amal), as well as the Golden Lion, awarded at
the Venice Film Festival, and in the insignia of the
Assicurazioni Generali insurance company.
The hearing given by the Doge in the Sala del Collegio in Doges
Palace by Francesco Guardi, 177580.

Government

Whilst Venice claimed to be a Republic, in reality it

followed a mixed government model, combining monarchy in the Doge, aristocracy in the senate, and a democracy of Rialto families in the Major Council.[23] Machiavelli also refers to Venice as a republic, considering it
excellent among modern republics (unlike his native
Florence).[24][25]

In the early years of the republic, the Doge ruled Venice in

an autocratic fashion, but later his powers were limited by
the promissione, a pledge he had to take when elected. As
a result, powers were shared with the Maggior Consiglio
or Great Council, composed of 480 members taken from
patrician families, so that He could do nothing without
the Major Council and the Major Council could do noth- In 1310, a Council of Ten was established, becoming the
central political body whose members operated in secret.
ing without him.[21]
In the 12th century, the aristocratic families of Rialto Around 1600, its dominance over the Major Council was
further diminished the Doges powers by establishing the considered a threat and eorts were made in the Council
Minor Council (1175), composed of six advisers of the and elsewhere to reduce its powers, with limited success.
Doge, and the Quarantia (1179) as a supreme tribunal. In
1223, these institutions were combined into the Signoria,
which consisted of the Doge, the Minor Council and the
three leaders of the Quarantia. The Signoria was the central body of government, representing the continuity of

In 1454, the Supreme Tribunal of the three state inquisitors was established to guard the security of the republic. By means of espionage, counterespionage, internal
surveillance and a network of informers, they ensured that
Venice did not come under the rule of a single signore,

6.2

Bibliography

as many other Italian cities did at the time. One of the

inquisitors popularly known as Il Rosso (the red one)
because of his scarlet robe was chosen from the Doges
councillors, two popularly known as I negri (the black
ones) because of their black robes were chosen from
the Council of Ten. The Supreme Tribunal gradually assumed some of the powers of the Council of Ten.[22]

[19] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 615.

[20] Raymond Trousson, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Tallandier,
p. 452
[21] Marin Sanudo.
[22] Catholic Encyclopedia, "Venice", p. 602.

In 1556, the provveditori ai beni inculti were also created [23] The Political Ideas of St. Thomas Aquinas, Dino
Bigongiari ed., Hafner Publishing Company, NY, 1953.
for the improvement of agriculture by increasing the area
p. xxx in footnote.
under cultivation and encouraging private investment in
agricultural improvement. The consistent rise in the price [24] Niccol Machiavelli, The Prince, trans. & ed. by Robert
of grain during the 16th century encouraged the transfer
M. Adams, W.W. Norton & Co., NY, 1992. Machiavelli
of capital from trade to the land.
Balanced Government

See also

References

6.1

Notes

[1] https://books.google.al/books?id=BV23TisoLgwC&pg=
PA123&lpg=PA123
[2] http://books.google.com/books?id=IJ2s9sQ9bGkC&
pg=PA81
[3] https://books.google.al/books?id=kfv6HKXErqAC&
pg=PA882
[4] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 32.
[5] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 53.
[6] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 72.
[7] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 83.
[8] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 77.
[9] Phillips, The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople, Introduction, xiii.
[10] C.Michael Hogan, Cydonia, Modern Antiquarian, January 23, 2008
[11] The enemy within: a history of espionage, General Military, p.49, Terry Crowdy, Osprey Publishing, 2006. ISBN
978-1-84176-933-2
[12] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 176-180.
[13] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 269.
[14] How To Reboot Reality Chapter 2, Labor
[15] Welcome to Encyclopdia Britannicas Guide to History
[16] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 494.
[17] Turnbull, Stephen (2003). The Ottoman Empire 1326
1699. Routledge. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-415-96913-0.
[18] J. J. Norwich, A History of Venice, p. 591.

[25] Niccol Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy, trans. by Harvey

C. Manseld and Nathan Tarcov, University of Chicago
Press, Chicago, 1996.

6.2 Bibliography
6.2.1 Primary source
Contarini, Gasparo (1599). The Commonwealth
and Government of Venice. Lewes Lewkenor, translator. London: Imprinted by I. Windet for E. Mattes. The most important contemporary account of
Venices governance during the time of its blossoming; numerous reprint editions; online facsimile.
6.2.2 Secondary sources
Benvenuti, Gino (1989). Le repubbliche marinare.
Rome: Newton Compton.
Brown, Patricia Fortini (2004). Private Lives in Renaissance Venice: art, architecture, and the family.
Chambers, D. S. (1970). The Imperial Age of
Venice, 13801580. London: Thames & Hudson.
The best brief introduction in English, still completely reliable.
Drechsler, Wolfgang (2002). Venice Misappropriated. Trames 6(2):192201. A scathing review of
Martin & Romano 2000; also a good summary on
the most recent economic and political thought on
Venice.
Garrett, Martin (2006). Venice: a Cultural History.
Revised edition of Venice: a Cultural and Literary
Companion (2001).
Grubb, James S. (1986). When Myths Lose Power:
Four Decades of Venetian Historiography. Journal of Modern History 58, pp. 4394. The classic
muckraking essay on the myths of Venice.
Howard, Deborah, and Sarah Quill (2004). The Architectural History of Venice.

7
Hale, John Rigby (1974).
ISBN 0-571-10429-0.

Renaissance Venice.

Lane, Frederic Chapin (1973). Venice: Maritime

Republic. ISBN 0-8018-1445-6. A standard scholarly history with an emphasis on economic, political
and diplomatic history.
Laven, Mary (2002). Virgins of Venice: Enclosed
Lives and Broken Vows in the Renaissance Convent. The most important study of the life of Renaissance nuns, with much on aristocratic family
networks and the life of women more generally.
Mallett, M. E. and Hale, J. R. (1984). The Military
Organisation of a Renaissance State, Venice c. 1400
to 1617. ISBN 0-521-03247-4.
Martin, John Jeries and Dennis Romano (eds.)
(2002). Venice Reconsidered: The History and Civilization of an Italian City-State, 12971797. Johns
Hopkins UP. The most recent collection on essays,
many by prominent scholars, on Venice.
Muir, Edward (1981). Civic Ritual in Renaissance
Venice. Princeton UP. The classic of Venetian cultural studies, highly sophisticated.
Norwich, John Julius (1982). A History of Venice.
New York City: Alfred A. Knopf.
Rosand, David (2001). Myths of Venice: The Figuration of a State. How writers (especially English)
have understood Venice and its art.
Tafuri, Manfredo (1995). Venice and the Renaissance. On Venetian architecture.
Tafel, Gottlieb Lukas Friedrich, and Georg Martin
Thomas (1856). Urkunden zur lteren Handels- und
Staatsgeschichte der Republik Venedig.
Tomaz, Luigi (2007). Il conne d'Italia in Istria e
Dalmazia. Foreword by Arnaldo Mauri. Conselve:
Think ADV.
Tomaz, Luigi. In Adriatico nel secondo millennio.
Foreword by Arnaldo Mauri.
Tomaz, Luigi (2001). In Adriatico nell'antichit e
nell'alto medioevo. Foreword by Arnaldo Mauri.
Conselve: Think ADV.

External links
Geschichte Venedigs. Politik (German)
Sources for the history of the Republic of Venice
(Italian)
Interactive map of venetian fortresses & fortied villages in Greece and Aegean sea

EXTERNAL LINKS

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

Republic of Venice Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic%20of%20Venice?oldid=643049078 Contributors: SimonP, Panairjdde, Olivier, Leandrod, Infrogmation, Menchi, Mic, , Error, Djnjwd, Andres, GCarty, John K, Mxn, JASpencer, RodC, Adam
Bishop, Lawrence Chard, Reddi, Tpbradbury, Nv8200p, Publius, Joy, Nstenberg, DocWatson42, Wilfried Derksen, Wwoods, Everyking,
WHEELER, Iota, Formeruser-81, Antandrus, Piotrus, Domino theory, PDH, OwenBlacker, Pmanderson, B.d.mills, Lacrimosus, Omassey,
D6, Perey, Rich Farmbrough, CanisRufus, El C, Kross, Susvolans, Bobo192, Giraedata, Polylerus, Alansohn, Gary, Lord Pistachio, Luka
Jaov, Kdau, RainbowOfLight, Axeman89, Richard Weil, Jenniferz, B1mbo, Woohookitty, Brunnock, Je3000, Xaliqen, Driftwoodzebulin, Thewanderer, Kbdank71, Rjwilmsi, Tim!, JHMM13, Yakolev, Ghepeu, Ev, Yamamoto Ichiro, Dsnow75, Godlord2, Str1977, Wastingmytime, Fresheneesz, Bgwhite, YurikBot, Stan2525, Hairy Dude, RussBot, Kurt Leyman, Kirill Lokshin, Eleassar, Trovatore, Rjensen,
Dppowell, Robyvecchio, Botteville, AjaxSmack, Sadistik, Zello, Laszlo Panaex, Codrinb, Hayden120, PaxEquilibrium, Segv11, CrniBombarder!!!, Edward Waverley, Attilios, SmackBot, Unyoyega, Pgk, Nickst, Srnec, Peter Isotalo, Brianski, Hmains, ERcheck, Chris the
speller, Bigdaddy1204, Red star, Cattus, Hibernian, Teodorico, Cypher z, Dove1950, Cplakidas, Greenshed, TGC55, DMacks, Evlekis,
LukeMiguez, Bejnar, Ohconfucius, SashatoBot, Quendus, Srikeit, Bobby Brown, A. Parrot, Frokor, Frederikton, Maksim L., Neddyseagoon, Odedee, NeroN BG, Volorik, Meld, Sinaloa, Momet, Ioannes Pragensis, Filiep, CmdrObot, Aherunar, John Riemann Soong,
Cydebot, Dougweller, DumbBOT, Thijs!bot, Gaijin42, Hervegirod, N5iln, WhyNotFreedom, Marek69, F l a n k e r, ThomasPusch, Gustavo Szwedowski de Korwin, AntiVandalBot, BokicaK, Vanjagenije, Johnny Vandalcloud, Ani td, JAnDbot, Giovanni Giove, Bahar101,
Panarjedde, Magioladitis, MartinDK, Nidator, Chesdovi, KConWiki, 28421u2232nfenfcenc, Kayac1971, MapMaster, JaGa, MartinBot,
Analytikone, R'n'B, Altes, Maus-78, Alexmeske, Jnmandal, Nathanian, Conte di Cavour, Xenonice, Tbowler, Sam Blacketer, VolkovBot,
Nug, Director, TXiKiBoT, Raaeleserani, Foscari, Zenswashbuckler, Viator slovenicus, Quindraco, Tar-Elenion, Piratedan, Tttom,
Dorkules, EunseokLee, Mai-Sachme, KjellG, PericlesofAthens, Lylefor, SieBot, Mimihitam, Oculi, Lightmouse, Mesoso2, Poindexter
Propellerhead, KathrynLybarger, Belligero, Ushanka, ClueBot, Venske, Raguseo, Plastikspork, Librarian2, Grosfumeur, Shaded0, Place
Clichy, P. S. Burton, McMarcoP, Hans-Jrgen Hbner, Ouedbirdwatcher, Takabeg, SchreiberBike, Catalographer, DerBorg, Lambtron,
Norfgard, Hotcrocodile, Mahmudss, NellieBly, Good Olfactory, Cewvero, Addbot, Blanche of Kings Lynn, Binary TSO, Ronhjones, LaaknorBot, AndersBot, LinkFA-Bot, 5 albert square, Tharnton345, Lightbot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Glatisant, Piraeus, Amirobot, QueenCake,
KamikazeBot, Gaius Claudius Nero, AnomieBOT, Ginyild, AdjustShift, Tom87020, Alexikoua, Materialscientist, Visitante22, Tbvdm,
Xqbot, Capricorn42, Sodacan, 3family6, RibotBOT, Brutaldeluxe, Mattis, FrescoBot, LucienBOT, Arnaldo Mauri, Diegriva, Grifter72,
TU-nor, Jack1755, AndreaFox2, Tahir mq, Deguef, Jamesinderbyshire, Jauhienij, Cusio, Rereward, Greco22, English Bobby, TheLongTone, TjBot, Antidiskriminator, EmausBot, Sky4t0k, -kayac71-, Bucaramango, Ivanplusequalsivan, HiW-Bot, 15turnsm, ZroBot, Sundostund, Dusselmann, Eleanaf, Newbiepedian, Erianna, Senjuto, RoseAphro, Cerobb01, TRAJAN 117, ClueBot NG, Toolen, , RJFF,
Helpful Pixie Bot, Lowercase sigmabot, T56b, Hubertl-AT, Judas1204, Qbli2mHd, Venicescapes, Lubiesque, Khazar2, Rosso Veneziano,
Dexbot, Nimetapoeg, Vanished user svoinsr8wiraeku3rhnsfvr4sb, RomanM82, Soredo, Turgeis, Ben Tuckett, Dabibiohajdajdobarblajv,
Tttt, Agent0047, Agilulf2007, Austin fridenberg, Agiwolf2008, BalkanAlliance, Absolute98, Jarimetaksi and Anonymous: 217

8.2

Images

File:Coat_of_Arms_of_the_Republic_of_Venice.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Coat_of_Arms_

of_the_Republic_of_Venice.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work by uploader; based on File:Most serene republic coat of
arms.jpg. Original artist: Sodacan
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Albania.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Flag_of_Albania.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Austria.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Flag_of_Austria.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Own work, http://www.bmlv.gv.at/abzeichen/dekorationen.shtml Original artist: User:SKopp
File:Flag_of_Croatia.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Flag_of_Croatia.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx?sec=4317 Original artist: Nightstallion, Elephantus, Neoneo13, Denelson83, Rainman,
R-41, Minestrone, Lupo, Zscout370,
<a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:MaGa' title='User:MaGa'>Ma</a><a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png'
class='image'><img
alt='Croatian
squares
Ljubicic.png'
src='//upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png/15px-Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png'
width='15'
height='15'
srcset='//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png/23px-Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png
1.5x,
//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png/30px-Croatian_squares_Ljubicic.png
2x' data-le-width='202' data-le-height='202' /></a><a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:MaGa' title='User
talk:MaGa'>Ga</a> (based on Decision of the Parliament)
File:Flag_of_Cyprus.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Flag_of_Cyprus.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Own work Original artist: User:Vzb83
File:Flag_of_France.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Greece.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Flag_of_Greece.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: own code Original artist: (of code) cs:User:-xfi- (talk)
File:Flag_of_Italy.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/Flag_of_Italy.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Montenegro.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Flag_of_Montenegro.svg License: Public
domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: B1mbo, Froztbyte

10

8 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

File:Flag_of_Most_Serene_Republic_of_Venice.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Flag_of_Most_

Serene_Republic_of_Venice.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Website about Heraldry of Venice (http://digilander.iol.it/arupino/
serenissima.htm) Original artist: F l a n k e r
File:Flag_of_Russia.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Flag_of_Russia.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:Flag_of_Slovenia.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Flag_of_Slovenia.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Own work construction sheet from http://flagspot.net/flags/si%27.html#coa Original artist: User:Achim1999
File:Flag_of_Turkey.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Flag_of_Turkey.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Turkish Flag Law (Trk Bayra Kanunu), Law nr. 2893 of 22 September 1983. Text (in Turkish) at the website of the
Turkish Historical Society (Trk Tarih Kurumu) Original artist: David Benbennick (original author)
File:Flag_of_Ukraine.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Flag_of_Ukraine.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: 4512:2006 - .
SVG: 2010
Original artist:
File:Flag_of_the_Repubblica_Cisalpina.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Flag_of_the_Repubblica_
Cisalpina.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: PavelD
File:Francesco_Guardi_034.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Francesco_Guardi_034.jpg License:
Public domain Contributors:
The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN
3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. Original artist: Francesco Guardi
File:Giovanni_Battista_Tiepolo_080.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Giovanni_Battista_Tiepolo_
080.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202.
Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. Original artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
File:Jacopo_Tintoretto_037.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Jacopo_Tintoretto_037.jpg License:
Public domain Contributors: [1][2] Original artist: Tintoretto
File:MZK_001_Nr_09_Eine_Ansicht_des_Dogenpalastes_-_Fig._01_Ende_14._Jhdt.jpg Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/8/82/MZK_001_Nr_09_Eine_Ansicht_des_Dogenpalastes_-_Fig._01_Ende_14._Jhdt.jpg License: Public domain
Contributors: Mittheilungen der kaiserl. knigl. Central-Commission Original artist: Herausgeber: Karl Freiherr von Czoernig
File:Naval_Jack_of_Italy.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Naval_Jack_of_Italy.svg License: Public
domain Contributors: World Flag Database and other sources, as well as information at Flags of the World. Original artist: Denelson83
File:Palamidi_castle_-_Agios_Andreas_Bastion.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Palamidi_castle_
-_Agios_Andreas_Bastion.jpg License: CC BY 2.0 Contributors: originally posted to Flickr as kens pics 394 Original artist: Ken Russell
Salvador
File:Repubblica_di_Venezia.png Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Repubblica_di_Venezia.png License:
CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Transferred from it.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:ZioNicco using CommonsHelper. (Informationssource: G. Benvenuti, Le Repubbliche Marinare. Amal, Pisa, Genova, Venezia, Roma, Newton & Compton editori, 1989.) Original
artist: Original uploader was -kayac- at it.wikipedia
File:Republik_Venedig.png Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Republik_Venedig.png License: CC-BYSA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Simple_Labarum.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Simple_Labarum.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Based on Labarum.png and Simple Labarum.gif. Original artist: Aethralis
File:Venezianische_Kolonien.png Source:
cense: CC BY-SA 2.5 Contributors:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Venezianische_Kolonien.png Li-

Background map Original artist: Maximilian Drrbecker (Chumwa)

File:Venice-government.png Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/17/Venice-government.png License: CC-BY-3.0
Contributors:
I (Nstenberg (talk)) created this work entirely by myself. Original artist:
Nstenberg (talk)

8.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0