Why did the Venetians surround their city with numerous canals? What does the lion on their banners symbolize? What forced them to hide the relics of the saint under pieces of pork? How did “funny lights” save the Republic? The history of Venice is wars, exciting intrigues, conspiracies, hidden from outsiders in the shadow of centuries.
Already in 997, when the military squadrons of Venice brought Trieste, Kapodistrias, Ragusa and a number of other cities and lands of Dalmatia under its control, the Venetians began to call the Adriatic Sea the Gulf of Venice, and the Doge took the title of “ruler of Venice and Dalmatia.” And during the first crusade, Venice obtained a promise that throughout the entire kingdom of Jerusalem its merchants would be exempt from taxes and taxes and would be able to trade unhindered.
Since 998, in the reign of the twenty-sixth Doge, Pietra Orseolo, the ceremonial galley Bucintoro was appointed for the marriage of the Doges to the Adriatic Sea on Ascension Day.
Each newly appointed doge on this day threw a golden wedding ring into the water, saying: “O sea, I become engaged to you, as a sign of my unchangeable and eternal dominion over you.”
One hundred and fifteen gold rings lie on seabed. The remains of the last Doge have long crumbled into dust. And the sea is indifferent, like a thousand years ago, splashing like a wave, and man has no power over it.
From Corinth to Azov
The capture of Ptomelais, ancient Tire and Sidon, Jaffa, and the capture of Jerusalem by the combined forces of the allied forces during the Crusades opened up new opportunities for the republic. Asian trophies poured into Venice.
While Europe was going bankrupt, equipping the crusades, the city of the lagoon strengthened its power. What saved him was the same thing that later destroyed him - practicality. Venetian galleys, brigantines, frigates, and merchant ships went further and further into the sea. The Peloponnese and Corinth, Chios, Lemnos, Abydos became trading points of Venice. Venetian ships also sailed by the Black Sea - to the Crimea, by the Azov Sea - to Tana, today's Azov, here they took not only bread grown in the south of Russia, but also furs, leather, slaves, Indian goods delivered through Central Asia. Venetian merchants felt quite at ease in Candia, Rhodes, Cyprus, Accra, Haifa, Beirut, Alexandria, Aden, Damascus, and Baghdad. In the 11th century, Venice was able to afford to begin construction of the luxurious Basilica of St. Mark, intending to create a church of unprecedented beauty. St. Mark's Cathedral is decorated with riches obtained in the East, in Byzantium, from the Turks and Saracens. In the decoration of the building there are entire pieces of Greek and Roman temples, adjusted to the size and shape of the cathedral. Convinced that the artistic value of the building would increase from the diversity of its details, the builders did not spare the ancient ruins. Venice itself was originally built from Roman bricks, which were transported on boats from cities destroyed by invasions. They were taken from Tire and installed in the square of St. Mark, near the shore, there are two powerful columns (sinking another one along the way), made of red and gray granite. One of the columns is crowned by a statue of St. Theodore, the ancient patron saint of the Venetians, the other by a lion, the symbol of St. Brand. The bronze image of a winged lion is a Sasanian sculpture of the 4th century, and the white marble St. Feodor riding a crocodile is composed of the torso of a 2nd century Roman general and the head of Mithridates of Pontus.
Since 1117, noble patricians began to be appointed to reside in all notable ports with the title of local councilors (consuls). In 1157, the first bank in Europe opened in Venice.
“Nowhere in the world is there such a huge concentration of masterpieces,” this is what they said about the city on the water.
Conspiracy against the Republic
In 1618, the Spanish ambassador to Venice, the Marquis Bedemar, seeing the wealth of the city on the water, conceived a plan to capture it. According to him, a thousand armed Spanish soldiers would be enough for this. The city was garrisoned by poorly trained zemstvo militia, and the troops of the Venetian Republic were busy with the war, both on land and at sea.
The ominous buildings of the Admiralty confused the gaze of the insidious Spaniard. He imagined it destroyed, the Venetian fleet burned. Spanish troops occupied the city, and banners with the lion of St. Mark bowed before the flag of Castile.
“No government enjoys such unlimited power as the Senate of the Venetian Republic,” the Marquis wrote in his diary. The Venetians were invincible when united, but now the nobles were squabbling among themselves, and in the neighborhoods of the poor they were ready to revolt. Bedemar spent a significant sum on bribing the leaders of this future uprising. The Spanish army was in Lombardy and could, if successful, reach Venice quite quickly. The Marquis did not let the king know about his intention, but hinted to one of the ministers and received tacit approval in response.
Taking advantage of his diplomatic immunity, the Marquis Bedemar bought bags of weapons that would be enough for a couple of battalions. One by one, soldiers in disguise and still unarmed began to enter Venice: the Spaniards and the Dutch. They were waiting for the squadron from the sea. A certain defector, a captain who had previously served with the Duke of Ossuma, was also sent to the Venetians. Having assured the Senate that he had fled from the oppression of the Spanish Duke, the captain led the Venetian fleet and won several victories over the sea robbers - the "Uskoks". He was awarded the rank of admiral. He slowly recruited his people onto the ships.
"As soon as night falls, those of the thousand soldiers who come without weapons will go to the ambassador for them. Five hundred... will arrive in St. Mark's Square, most of the other 500 in the vicinity of the Arsenal, the rest will take possession of all the ships on the Rialto Bridge," - wrote the Marquis Bedemar.
Having captured the Arsenal, it was necessary to kill all its commanders, storm the Doge's Palace, destroy the weapons depots, and burn the Admiralty. In order to divert the attention of residents from the events taking place, it was planned to set the city on fire in forty places. The arsonists were already recruited in poor neighborhoods.
The death of the old one and the election of a new doge somewhat shifted the plans of the marquis. It was decided to carry out the operation on Ascension Day, when the new Doge would solemnly become engaged to the Adriatic Sea, throwing a golden ring into its waters. Finally, everything was ready. The admiral of the Venetian fleet gathered supporters and explained in detail how to destroy the ships under his command and kill the crews of the ships. One of the admiral's men, Jaffier, alternated between blushing and turning pale throughout the meeting. “Jaffier was scared,” they told the admiral. “We need to do something with him immediately before he does something stupid.”
“Jaffier is my friend,” the admiral waved him off. “He will do everything that is required.”
Jaffier was Venetian by blood. He imagined fires, screams of people being killed in the streets, and enemy soldiers occupying the city. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, friends. Friends who will be executed if the plot fails. For a long time, the Secretary of the Council of Ten, Bartholomew Comino, could not understand what this exhausted and pale young man needed from him. But when he asked for the lives of 22 participants in the conspiracy and revealed the whole plan, the matter turned out to be terrible. So terrible that no one believed the informer.
How will the ships be destroyed? - asked the dumbfounded Comino.
Amusing lights. They are filled with a flammable mixture that is almost impossible to extinguish. The ships will burn, and the flagship on which the admiral is located will be captured by people loyal to the admiral. They are currently preparing or have already made these funny lights in the Arsenal.
Realizing that there was almost no time left before the deadline indicated by Jaffier, Bartholomew Comino rushed to the Procuration. The sentries were put to sleep by a sleeping pill mixed into the wine, and those who were standing were hopelessly drunk. In the Arsenal, where Comino then burst into, he did not find any of the conspirators until he broke down an inconspicuous door in one of the buildings. The bribed officials were finishing packing the last “amusing” fire and, seeing the angry secretary of the Council of Ten in front of them, they were scared to the point of hiccups and began to mumble something unintelligible in their defense.
“In the name of the Republic, you are under arrest,” Bartholomew Comino announced. The Council of Ten alerted everyone they could find. Together with the guards, Comino burst into the presence of the Spanish ambassador. Amid the marquis's screams and curses, the guards carried armfuls of weapons out of the house.
The small ship, having raised all sails, rushed towards the Venetian squadron. The admiral was called on deck, ostensibly to deliver an important letter, stabbed to death and thrown into the sea. All his supporters were dealt with in the same way. The Republic ships were saved.
Without thinking twice, the Council of Ten put to death the rest of the participants in the conspiracy. Forty officials bribed by the marquis were drowned, the inspirers of the failed uprising were strangled and hanged by the leg for everyone to see as traitors. Three hundred more people were strangled secretly in prison. Some of the Spanish soldiers fled and some were captured.
The Spanish Ambassador did not stop complaining and threatening. In response, the Venetian Doge said that he was ready to apologize to the Marquis if the Marquis explained where so many weapons came from in his house. Bedemar waved his hand and decided to go to the celebration of the Doge's betrothal to the sea. The unfortunate Jaffier rushed about, unsuccessfully trying to save his former friends. The Republic always loved to borrow, but was never in a hurry to pay bills. He went so far as to threaten and curse.
He was forced to take money - four thousand sekins. Within three days, Jaffier was obliged to leave the Venetian possessions. Return was punishable by death.
The unfortunate man now wanted only one thing - revenge. According to Bedemar's plan, it was planned to raise an uprising not only in Venice, but also in one of the nearby cities - Bresse. The enterprise could still be a success, and Jaffier rushed there. But it was not in vain that the Council of Ten held large staff masters of shoulder work. Confessions were extracted under torture, and the secrets no longer existed. Surrounded by superior forces, Jaffier fought to the death, commanding the remnants of the defeated Spanish detachment, but the Venetians managed to capture him. The Supreme Court of the Republic gave Jaffier the last reward for saving his capital. The verdict was: death penalty by drowning. The Marquis Bedemar soon received a decree of his resignation. “First of all, scold me and my actions,” he taught the man who came to replace him. “First you need to gain their trust.” To start...
Thirty years later, in 1648, the government of Venice received humiliating peace terms from the Turkish Sultan for discussion. Patrician Pesaro, instead of answering, donated 6,000 ducats to the fatherland. The entire Senate followed his example, which was an eloquent answer to the Sultan. The Republic was still strong, resting on the shoulders of strong-willed people who were ready to sacrifice property and life itself for its salvation and prosperity.
Age of mask
At the beginning of the 18th century, Venice was pushed into the Adriatic Sea and deprived of all its possessions outside its borders. Once upon a time, the British, Germans, and Swedes learned shipbuilding, navigation and cartography from the republic. Now the Russian Tsar Peter I was able to take only galley art from the Venetians; in other respects, numerous students had already surpassed their decrepit teacher. The Peace of Passarowitz with the Turks in 1718 put an end to numerous wars, and Venice began to live peacefully, without conquering anyone, without trading with anyone in particular, and burning through the remnants of its past.
She was full of charm. It was called the second capital of Europe, after Paris. All the celebrities of the scene, people of art, travelers and adventurers, rich people, inventors, charlatans and simply curious people filled the city, creating an amazing atmosphere. The 18th century was the century of music, and not a single city in Europe or even Italy could compare with Venice in terms of musicality. Life in Venice, luxurious and idle, was an eternal holiday. “Venice,” writes Monier, “has accumulated too much history behind itself, it has marked too many dates and shed too much blood. It sent its terrible galleys too long and too far, it dreamed too much of grandiose destinies and realized too many of them. .. After a difficult week, Sunday finally arrived, and the holiday began. Its population is a festive and idle crowd: poets and hangers-on, hairdressers and moneylenders, singers, cheerful women, dancers, actresses, pimps and bankers - everyone who lives for pleasure or creates them..."
The 18th century is considered to be the century of the mask. From the very beginning of its existence, Venice put on a mask, not revealing its plans to anyone, intriguing, spreading absurd rumors about itself and carefully keeping secrets. But there were no secrets left, intrigues were a thing of the past, and the mask became tangible. And the life of the republic suddenly gave way to just a game of life. From the first Sunday in October until Christmas, from January 6 until the first day of Lent, on St. Mark's Day, on the Feast of the Ascension, on the day of the election of the Doge and other officials, each Venetian was allowed to wear a mask. This is a carnival that lasted six months. Many masks appeared and disappeared, many people dressed up, each playing their role. The jealous Venetian merchant Pantalone has survived to this day in his strange, half-medieval guise - long red stockings, a short camisole, a protruding beard and a cloak with a hood, the Venetian maid Columbina, the Venetian jesters Harlequin and Brigella. The comedy of masks swept through Venice like an epidemic. The city on the water saw the last magnificent flash of the ancient Commedia dell'Arte.
Last minutes of independence
Bonaparte dealt the final blow to the Venetian Republic. On May 1, 1797, he declared war on Venice. A descendant of the famous patrician Pesaro tried back in 1796 to establish armed neutrality, but in vain.
On May 12, 1797, the last Doge of the Republic, having resigned his power, established a temporary administration, which was voluntarily transferred into the hands of the French. After 14 centuries of aristocratic rule, Venice fell. And in the last minutes of its existence, the republic had three million subjects, many fortifications, a fleet, an army, and 26,000,000 francs of annual income. The capital of the republic was impregnable both from sea and land. But no one wanted to protect her.
Having passed the formidable fortresses, which did not fire a single shot, on May 16, Napoleon's troops entered the city. But already on the seventeenth of October around the world in Campo Formia, the emperor gave the Habsburgs territory in exchange for other lands former republic St. Mark is like a pawn in a chess game.
On January 18, 1798, Austrian troops solemnly entered Venice. In 1805 it was again captured by the French. And in 1814 - again the Austrians.
Between the first departure of the French and the first entry of the Austrians there were nine days of inter-power. Nine days in which the mob took to the streets to burn and plunder their own city. The ceremonial galley of Bucintoro, in which the doges went out to betrothed to the sea, covered with gold and jewelry, was plundered, broken and thrown aground. The Austrians quickly restored order, put out the fires, imprisoned particularly zealous profiteers, and began to rule at their own discretion. And it was like that for half a century.
And suddenly Venice remembered her ancient greatness. In 1848, the Austrian garrison was captured. The head of the Admiralty, ship captain Marinovich, tried to hide, but the crowd caught up with him and tore him to pieces. Venice declared itself independent. But the past could not be returned. She held out for seventeen months. But blocked from sea and land, it was forced to surrender to Venice or other places.
Today's Venice is just a ghost of a former life.
Sixty-six percent of buildings in "old Venice" are in need of major repairs, and forty percent of dwellings are either uninhabitable or overcrowded. The sea in the Venice Lagoon is currently rising by about 1 centimeter every 10 years. At the same time, the process of soil subsidence in Venice is accelerating: on average, three centimeters per ten years.
Tidal currents “wash out” canals and undermine the foundations of buildings.
In 1501, Doge Agostino Barbarigo signed a decision of the Council of Ten, which stated that anyone who tried to “in any way damage the public dam, lay a pipe underground to divert water, or deepen or widen canals ... will have his right hand cut off, They will tear out his left eye and confiscate all his property..."
Now, in connection with industrial production, pipes have been laid in the lagoon, apparently or invisibly. They expanded old canals, dug many new ones, and pumped water and gas out of the subsoil. Is it because of all this taken together that Venice began to sink faster and faster into the waters of the lagoon? More and more often and more and more thoroughly, the streets and squares of the city are being overwhelmed by sea waves.
Venice is beautiful during the day and full of charm at night. The silhouettes of the palaces grow straight out of the water, and at the main entrances there is a palisade of poles - piers for boats and gondolas. The palaces stretch one after another - four-story, yellowish-brown, greenish-gray, pinkish-fawn. Now many palaces have museums, and that is why the Grand Canal is called the art salon of Venice. Wandering through the labyrinth of streets, you notice white stripes on the walls - traces of floods, and looking carefully into the water, which is now not very clean, you see that the chipped foundations of the buildings are bearded with blue-green algae.
The past is preserved in stone and in the names of canals, streets and buildings. Two bronze Moors ring the bell on the Clock Tower. Since the end of the 15th century, hands made by craftsmen from Parma have been moving, showing the seasons of the year, the phases of the Moon, the movement of the Sun from constellation to constellation and, of course, time. They say that even the time here is different - saturated with dampness and the salty smell of the sea, the time of ebb and flow, hiding in a white haze on the horizon, where the galleys, frigates and merchant ships of the Venetian Republic have gone forever.
Dmitry Belichenko. The whole world No. 14 1998.
In the northwestern part of the Adriatic Sea, where rivers flowing from the Alps carry silt, a vast lagoon was formed thousands of years ago, the waters of which are cleaned daily by the ebb and flow of the tides. From the east it is fenced off from the sea by a narrow strip of land.
Since time immemorial in the lagoon, at 118 sandy islands, lived fishermen, salt miners and waterfowl hunters. In Roman times, the islanders also mastered cattle breeding and agriculture. The inhabitants of the lagoon earned their food through hard work. But it was safe here - the sandy barrier of the Lido held back the pirates that swarmed the Adriatic Sea, and getting to the islands from the coast, not knowing the local swamps, was not so easy.
In 451, the decrepit Western Roman Empire was shaken by the invasion of the Huns led by Attila. The horror of these savages was so great that, according to stories, even birds carried away their chicks in their beaks. Fleeing from the invasion, thousands of refugees from the mainland poured into the lagoon - descendants ancient tribe Veneti - and so they remained here. The beginning of the history of Venice is usually attributed to this time. An old Venetian legend even names the exact date of birth of the city - March 25, 451, exactly at noon, the low tide allegedly exposed a vast sandbank to make room for the city itself. amazing city on the ground.
80 years later, the historian Flavius Magnus Aurelius compiled the earliest description of the lagoon and its inhabitants. According to him, the first Venetians made great efforts to provide themselves with solid land. They patiently conquered areas of land from the sea, drained lakes, cleared swamps, erected embankments and laid canals. Early Venice was like a wooden ship. Its palaces, houses, churches and bridges were built of wood and rested on stilts driven into unstable soil. On each island there was a church, behind which lay a “campo” - a grassy field. Around the church were the houses of those who gave money for its construction; Poorer houses stood a little further away. Thanks to this layout, the city subsequently did not have rich and poor neighborhoods.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Venice first depended on Padua, and then became part of the Byzantine Empire.
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In the first centuries of the existence of Venice, the leading role among the many island settlements was played by the community of the present Lido. The local settlement was then called Malamocco. However, discord constantly arose between the inhabitants of the islands. For this reason, the city authorities in 810 decided to move their residence to another, more fortified island - Rialto. This regrouping of forces was carried out just in time. In 812, one of the decisive battles of Venetian history took place on Malamocco - with the Frankish king Pepin (son of Charlemagne), whose army was buried in quicksand lagoons.
In the X-XI centuries, Venice quickly gained strength. Its enterprising sailors went further and further into the Adriatic, and then into the Mediterranean Sea. The republic's battle fleet became more and more powerful. In the naval battle of Dyrrhachium, the Venetian galleys defeated the fleet of the Normans, who then owned southern Italy and Sicily. For this service, Alexei Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire, which nominally included Venice, opened the most important ports of the East to the Venetian merchants, freeing them from paying taxes and duties.
But the Venetians did not remember the good. In 1201, Venice contracted for 85 thousand silver marks to transport French knights - participants in the Fourth Crusade - to Egypt on its galleys. The Venetian Doge Enrico Dandolo, a skilled politician and intriguer, tried to extract maximum benefit from this deal for the Venetian Republic. Instead of taking the crusaders to Africa, he set them against the weakened Byzantium, as a result of which Constantinople was captured and sacked on April 12, 1204.
Under the terms of the agreement with the Latin Empire formed by the crusaders, Venice was the heir to a significant part of the former Byzantine possessions. At key points in the Mediterranean, it now owned fortresses that controlled important sea routes. Its enterprising merchants ruled over vast areas from Italy to Palestine, reaching India and China.
The naval power of Venice was on everyone's lips: its battle fleet numbered 300 ships with eight thousand experienced sailors. The goods of Venetian merchants were transported by three thousand merchant ships with 17 thousand crew members.
Fortune favored Venice. After the defeat of the Byzantine Empire, she became the “queen” of the Adriatic and Eastern Mediterranean for two hundred years. The “golden age” of the city in the lagoon began.
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Venice has never known monarchical power. From the first days of its existence it was a commune. Ancient chronicles say that the inhabitants of the lagoon elected leaders from among themselves, who were called tribunes in the Roman style. At first there were 12 tribunes, and each of them ruled a separate island. But in 697, due to the threat posed by the Germanic Lombard tribe, the inhabitants of the island city-state elected their first Doge named Paolo Luzzio Anafesto. The word “doge” is related to the Latin “dux” (in our opinion, prince).
At first, the Doge's residence was on the islands of Heraclea and Lido. In 810 his residence was moved to Rialto, the most big Island in a lagoon, which was divided in two by a winding channel. Following the Doge, patricians and rich merchants who had previously lived on the island of Torcello began to move here. By the way, Venice itself was usually called Rialto until the 11th century.
The Doge, elected for life, was a living symbol of the Most Serene Republic. In official documents he was called the Sovereign, and the profile of each new Doge was minted on coins. Doges usually became persons who had reached 60 years of age and had significant wealth. The election of the Doge, his dedication and wedding were arranged with magnificent ceremonies, which the Doge paid for out of his own pocket.
The Doge's ceremonial attire was distinguished by royal pomp and splendor: he appeared to the people in a purple robe woven with gold and trimmed with ermine, in the red boots of the Byzantine emperors, and until the 14th century - in a golden crown, which was then replaced by a high cap, studded with large pearls and precious stones. When the Doge left the palace, a velvet umbrella embroidered with gold was opened over him.
However, for all that, the Doge was more of a ceremonial and sacred figure. The noble Venetian families took great care to limit his power. The Doge was not allowed to enter into contacts with envoys of other states, manage the treasury, appoint officials, or even print correspondence addressed to him. All this was done in his presence by the Office of the Doge, which was also called the “heart of the state.” The Doge only signed the decrees she drafted.
In a word, dressed in truly royal robes, the Doge was a “sovereign without power,” the sacred shadow of the Venetian Republic. This importance of the Doge was especially clearly manifested in the custom of the so-called “betrothal of Venice to the sea.”
The history of this main holiday of the Venetian Republic goes back centuries.
In 1177, Venice entered into an extremely profitable treaty with the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who assigned the northern part of the Adriatic Sea to the republic. The authorities of Venice decided to celebrate this memorable event annually, in late autumn, on the day of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It must be said that on this day traditional celebrations were already taking place, established back in 998 in honor of the victory of Doge Pietro II Orseolo over the Dalmatian pirates. However, this ceremony was quite simple. The clergy and the Doge, dressed in festive attire, went on boats to the island of Lido, where a solemn mass was celebrated in the Church of San Nicolo. But after 1177, this modest celebration was replaced by a magnificent ritual - the betrothal of Venice to the sea, which has since been described many times and in great detail by foreign travelers.
From early morning, Venetians, dressed in their best attire, poured out onto the streets of the city. All the city's treasures were put on display for the residents and guests of Venice - from the treasury of St. Mark to the piles of gold and silver coins in the money changers' shops. After the solemn mass, the Doge boarded the ceremonial 20-oar galley “Bucentaur” and, accompanied by thousands of gondolas, decorated with carpets and flags, sailed to the island of Lido.
The Bucentaur was a magnificent sight. It all sparkled with gold. Above its deck, decorated with stucco and purple, fluttered the flag of the republic. The Doge, who played the role of the symbolic groom of the deeps of the sea, sat on a high throne of honor. Noble persons in luxurious clothes took places under the canopy, and their children sat at the long red oars. At the entrance to the canal, the Doge threw a golden ring into the water of the lagoon with the words: “We are engaged to you, O sea, to possess you forever!” Thus, the union of Venice with the sea was sealed.
As the Venetian Republic weakened and declined, this celebration, which once had a deep religious and symbolic meaning, degenerated into an ordinary secular celebration, like a carnival. It was brought to an end by the troops of the French Directory under the command of General Napoleon Bonaparte, who abolished the Venetian Republic in 1797. French soldiers broke the last “Bucentaur”, flattered by its gilding. Now its surviving fragments, along with a reduced model, are kept in the local Museum maritime history.
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Already in the 12th century, all power in the city was tenaciously held in the hands of the ancient aristocratic families of Venice, merchants and bankers. This happened because the basis of the republic's prosperity was trade, and the bourgeoisie and artisans were too weak to play a significant role in political life.
In 1172, the Grand Council, consisting of 480 noble citizens who were elected for a period of one year, became the highest body of state power in Venice. The members of the Great Council themselves, in turn, elected the Doge, and subsequently the Senate. But already at the beginning of the 13th century, real executive power passed to the Council of Forty - the supreme court of the republic, and then concentrated in the hands of the Signoria, which was controlled by an even smaller body of power - the Council of Ten, which over time turned into the highest tribunal of the Venetian Republic.
In 1315, the so-called “Golden Book” was compiled, where the names of citizens who enjoyed voting rights were entered. As is clear from this document, only 2,000 rich people - nobles, or 8% of the city's population (later their share decreased to 1%) were full citizens of Venice. It is this small group of the true rulers of the city that the Venetian chronicles call “the people of Venice.” The republic turned into a classic oligarchy.
The Council of Ten closely monitored the slightest signs of discontent. Any attempts by the Doge and other persons to seize power in the republic were mercilessly punished. In general, the Council of Ten could bring to justice any Venetian accused of disturbing the peace. The French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote that it was “a bloody tribunal, striking on the sly and deciding in utter darkness who will die and who will lose their honor.” Before this tribunal, the accused had no right to defense and could only count on the mercy of the judges.
It may seem strange, but the common people of Venice felt under the control of this government, if not happy, then quite content. The “Fathers of the Fatherland” tried to provide the crowd with a cheerful and satisfying life and did not allow abuse of the law. Thus, the Council of Ten considered complaints very carefully ordinary people on the nobility, strictly punishing the guilty nobles. Apparently, thanks to this, Venice gave an example of the longest experience of a republican system in the history of mankind.
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Medieval Venice represented a rare example of a secular state for its time. The Venetian government assigned the church and religion the role of a spiritual assistant to the state in instilling in its subjects respect for law and authority. The importance of the state itself was exalted in every possible way, serving it was regarded as a duty and honor, state interests were placed above personal ones and required self-sacrifice. The word “state” was written only with a capital letter. And since 1462, the Republic of Venice began to be called Serenissima (Serenissima), which can be translated in two ways: “The Most Serene” or “The Most Serene.” The new name reflected the officially established idea of Venice as a calm and peaceful state.
To maintain and strengthen this state ideology, the authorities of the Republic took special care to create historical works glorifying the past of Venice. It is no coincidence that the historical chronicle became the most widespread genre of patrician literature. In the second half of the 15th century, by order of the Venetian Republic, Marcantonio Sabellico compiled the 33-volume “History of Venice from the Founding of the City,” in which he argued that Venice surpassed the Roman Republic in the justice of its laws and government. At that time of universal admiration for antiquity, it was impossible to imagine greater praise.
Like most cities, Venice grew due to the influx of visitors. And in order to avoid chaos, the city authorities pursued a strict migration policy. According to the statute of 1242, the natives of the four islands of the lagoon - Rialto, Grado, Chioggia and Cavarzere - were considered Venetians proper. Only they had the right to build houses in Venice. All the rest were included in the category of “invitees”, who received equal rights with the “born” only after 25 years of life in the lagoon.
The secular nature of the Venetian Republic led to greater freedom of local morals. Suffice it to say that many married couples did without a church blessing and, as a result, easily broke their marriage ties - a completely scandalous matter at that time. Gambling became so widespread that the government had to issue a decree prohibiting gambling in the portico of the Cathedral of San Marco and in the courtyard of the Doge's Palace. Professional players were flogged and branded with irons. And the Venetians were known for such terrible foul language that the poet Petrarch even complained about them in his poems. The authorities clearly outlined their position here: public insult with a word was punishable by a large fine.
Probably, some of what we heard would be useful to transfer into our everyday life.
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By the 15th century, island Venice had become one of the largest mainland states. In addition to half of Northern Italy, the Republic of St. Mark owned part of what is now Croatia and Slovenia, the Southern Peloponnese, Athens, Cyprus and colonies scattered throughout the Middle East and the Black Sea region. Venice called its mainland possessions Terraferma (“solid ground”).
The economic prosperity of the Republic of St. Mark was based on maritime trade. In their colonies, the Venetians sought to take over all local trade, engaged in usury and mercilessly oppressed the indigenous inhabitants. Residents of neighboring Slavic Dubrovnik, for example, did not dare to sell their goods anywhere other than in Venice itself, where, naturally, they received pittance for it. Any craft there was suppressed in the bud, only the production of tallow and wax candles for home use was allowed, and soap and pottery had to be bought only in Venice. The Venetians also arrogated to themselves a complete monopoly in the Adriatic on the construction of sea vessels.
Engaged only in the predatory exploitation of its colonies, Venice did not care at all about their development. During its reign, the Republic did not build a single road in Terraferma, did not organize a single production for processing local raw materials, did not plant a single olive tree or grapevine.
All the neighbors of the Republic of St. Mark experienced the insidiousness of Venetian policy. Venice had a particularly destructive influence on the Zeta state of the Dalmatian Slavs. Century after century, she pushed him away from the sea, bringing discord and confusion into his inner life. And when the Zeta state was completely weakened in this struggle, the Venetians began to convert its people to Catholicism, take away churches and monasteries from the local Orthodox Church, and, in case of resistance, destroy them. Orthodox priests and monks were expelled or exterminated.
Therefore, it should not be surprising that the Republic of Venice has a very unflattering international image. Venice's neighbors compared her to a toad and a sea snake. The 13th-century Italian chronicler Salimbene called the Venetians “a gang of greedy and miserly people” who turned the Adriatic into a “den of robbers,” and Giovanni Boccaccio (author of the famous “Decameron”) considered Venice “the repository of all abominations.”
In the end, the lagoon city suffered historic retribution.
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Venice was dying slowly. Its decline began in the 15th century, when the young Ottoman Empire began to seize the mainland possessions of Venice one after another. The Republic resisted with all its might, but bloody naval battles with the Ottomans only ravaged its treasury and drained its military power.
And then, as luck would have it, in 1499 the Portuguese Vasco da Gama opened a sea route to India, bypassing the Mediterranean trade routes on which the prosperity of the Republic rested. The Venetian economy suffered a severe blow.
In 1630, Venice was devastated by the plague, which killed 47 thousand city residents - a third of the entire population (including the great artist Titian). Today, this is reminded by the giant bluish dome of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute, erected as a sign of gratitude to the Holy Virgin Mary for ridding the city of a terrible epidemic.
By the beginning of the 18th century, Venice was already politically bankrupt. However, it was at this time that she experienced another flowering of the arts - Tiepolo and Canaletto lived and worked in the city, and plays by Goldoni and Gozzi were staged on the stage. Until the very last days The Republic of Venice lived easily and carefreely, as if not noticing the passage of merciless time.
Thus the Age of Enlightenment came to an end, and with it the history of independent Venice. In 1794, the troops of the young general Napoleon Bonaparte captured Northern Italy. On May 12, the Venetian Senate received a formidable ultimatum from the French commander, and the city on the islands, with powerful fortifications, a large fleet and five hundred cannons of fortress artillery surrendered to the ground army without firing a single shot.
The last Doge, Ludovico Manin, casually threw his crown to a servant with the words: “Take it away, this will no longer be needed.” Napoleon plundered the Venetian treasury, destroyed about forty palaces, and three years later handed over the gutted city to Austria.
In 1826, Venice was declared a free harbour. After Byron's visit to the city, the poetry of Venetian decadence became fashionable. Bohemians came to the Venetian canals and bridges for inspiration, wealthy Europeans spent the summer on the fashionable beaches of the Lido.
In 1866, Venice became part of the newly created Kingdom of Italy. However, memories of the 14th century of the Republic of St. Mark are still alive in Venice. In the summer of 1997, a group of patriotic youth hoisted the ancient banner of the Republic on the bell tower of San Marco and demanded independence for the Venetian region. It seems that Venice’s proximity to present-day Kosovo is unlikely to have cooled these sentiments...
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After Napoleon's decree on the liquidation of the Venetian Republic, the city seemed to freeze in anticipation of its destruction. Already in the middle of the 19th century, Venice was for Balzac just “a pitiful, shabby city, which is tirelessly sinking into the grave every hour,” and the inexorable water hangs “mourning fringe” on the plinths of houses. Emile Zola did not see any prospects for the revival of the “trinket city,” which, according to him, was time to be placed under a glass cover.
An ancient prophecy says: “Venice was born from the sea, and it will find its end in the depths of the sea.”
Indeed, the future of Venice gives rise to serious concern. The sea, which for centuries has enriched the city with rich goods from the countries of the Levant, now threatens it with death. “Most Serene Venice” does not rise from the waters, as it did before, but sinks into the waves, like a sinking ship. In the mid-60s of the last century, the world was shocked by the message of scientists: Venice is sinking under water at a rate of two and a half millimeters per year. Floods are becoming more frequent, and more and more sea water is flooding the lower floors of the palazzo - these magnificent monuments of Venetian architecture. Priceless art collections in city museums and private collections are suffering from dampness. In the Cathedral of San Marco, the floor curved bizarrely due to the settlement of the foundation, as tides regularly turn the area in front of the cathedral into salt Lake. Stucco figures of cherubs and seraphim are crumbling from the façade of the Church of Santa Maria della Salute. The once wise laws of the Republic declared anyone who dared to lay a pipe in the ground an enemy of the Fatherland, and until recently today’s would-be entrepreneurs pumped groundwater with all their might, thereby contributing to further subsidence of the soil.
The environment within the city is polluted to the extreme. The canals are littered, the water in them is lifeless, even poisonous. The industrial complex of Porto Marghera, which has grown up just five kilometers from the Doge's Palace, fills the air with acrid sulfur fumes that cause the erosion of historical buildings and statues.
Experts from all over the world are developing projects to save the unique city in order to prevent Venice from sharing the fate of the legendary Atlantis.
Although there’s really no need to invent anything. Recently, underwater archaeologists discovered the remains of the ancient Roman quarter of Venice in the lagoon. It turned out that 2000 years ago, two stone walls 150 meters long perfectly protected the city from sea tides. Apparently, in those blessed times there was no bureaucracy, with its eternal excuses about the lack of funds for carrying out expensive work.
Venice... Even in distant childhood, it excited me with its kind of unearthly life, with its extraordinary islands located in the Adriatic Sea. The fact is that the house contains beautiful engravings with views of this charming corner of Europe. And it was these engravings that touched my heart deeply. I really wanted to go there and see for myself the unearthly beauty that so much has been and continues to be talked about. I couldn't believe that people could create this fairytale city, spread over 400 islands. And I couldn’t believe even more that I would ever visit here myself.
Of course, when we talk about a country, we are always interested in the history of this state. The history of Venice is very interesting.
The fabulous city of Venice arose in 421, although many will argue with this, but you must agree, it is not nice to begin the chronology of one of the greatest cities in the world with the words “approximately” and “about”. So we, people who are not directly related to history, will accept this sacred date for every lover of beauty for the year of the birth of Venice.
Historians will still say that the first information about the settlement of the marshy islands of the lagoon (Rivo Alto, Malomocco, Chioggia, etc.) of little use for meaningful existence dates back to 452. Okay, let’s take this connection of numbers into account.
Just at this time, the exhausted Roman Empire was subjected to another attack by bloodthirsty and merciless barbarians, Huns and all other evil spirits, led by the cruel warrior Attila. So the residents of Northern Italy had to flee to a lagoon on the wild islands of the Adriatic. It turned out that you can also live here and, as we find out later, it’s very good.
The new settlers began fishing, farming, and by 466 they agreed to found the first Venetian government - a council of representatives from each of the twelve villages. And after another two centuries, the turbulent situation in the lagoon forced the inhabitants to elect their supreme ruler, in Venetian - the Doge (Doge from the Latin Dux (King), in Italian Duca).
At the same time, on paper, Venice was still subordinate to the Roman Empire, only not to the Western Empire, which was devastated at the end of the 5th century, but to the Eastern Empire, that is, Byzantium.
Byzantine influence in Italy soon began to decline, and when in 810 Venice was unsuccessfully attacked by the Frankish army, the islanders morally rallied and began to actively distance themselves from Byzantium.
The administrative center of the lagoon was moved to the safest island of Rivo Alto (where the Rialto district is now located). And in 829, two Venetian merchants went to Alexandria, stole the relics of St. Mark there, brought them to the islands, and local residents with pleasure they exchanged the Byzantine heavenly patron Theodore for the freshly stolen, but their own, Mark. In addition, they began to build the Doge's Palace and mint their own coins.
The Republic of Saint Mark built its economic prosperity on maritime trade. Geographically, the lagoon city was a meeting point between East and West, and the islanders, being talented merchants, knew how to capitalize on this. Venetian ships set sail and returned full of hot goods, and if problems arose with local corsairs who interfered with normal shipping in the Adriatic, the Venetians simply bought off their obsessive attention.
When the famous Pietro II Orseolo was elected Doge in 991, the inhabitants of the lagoon began to successfully use force. Nine years into his reign, on the Feast of the Ascension, the Great Doge went to sea with the most powerful fleet that the waters of the Adriatic had ever seen, and in a moment he completely cleared the sea of Dalmatian pirates, capturing cities along the way. Thus began the territorial expansion of Venice. The city expanded its influence on the sea and established itself as a center of maritime trade.
Exotic goods from the East, fruits from the Caucasus were brought here, perfumes, cosmetics, carpets, gold, slaves were traded here; resourceful Venetian merchants brought treasures and relics from all over the world. Venice has become amazing world: the motley crowd on the streets spoke hundreds of languages and dialects,
and in the palazzo (palaces) luxury reigned. The growing city needed artists and creators. Venice gave orders to the greatest painters and architects. Churches and cathedrals were built in the city, book printing developed, and at the beginning of the 12th century the largest shipyard of that time, the Arsenal, was built.
The flourishing republic was ruled by a limited number of oligarchs, whose names were recorded in the so-called. "Golden Book" - only members of their families had the right to sit on the Grand Council, the legislative body. At the head of the Great Council was the Doge. Although his position was for life, throughout the centuries of the republic’s existence it remained elective. True... Doge Marino Falier in 1355 tried to make his power hereditary, like royalty, but was beheaded by his subjects for this.
The city's relations with the Catholic Church were cool. No matter how hard the popes tried to influence his policies, they failed. Venice had a sense of self-respect and always resisted the Vatican. The city was excommunicated from the church more than once, they tried to impose a list of prohibited books, they threatened to excommunicate the entire Venetian Senate, but each time these decisions were ignored, and the city continued to live and prosper peacefully.
All these years, the Venetian government played a successful political game, seizing more and more profitable territories and benefiting from the most intractable situations and international conflicts. In the 15th century, the republic already ruled from the Alps to the Po River and to Bergamo in the west. Even Cyprus came under the rule of Venice.
But in the 15th century, the Turks began to gain a foothold in the Mediterranean... Having conquered many lands, the Ottoman Empire began to conquer the mainland territories of Venice one after another. The Republic resisted, but bloody battles brought only ruin, and the once profitable lands consistently passed to the Turks.
And then, as luck would have it, travelers became more active - in 1499 Vasco da Gama found a way to India through the cape Good Hope, bypassing the trade routes that traditionally formed the basis of the republic’s well-being. The discovery of the Portuguese dealt a severe blow to the entire Venetian economy. Years of slow decline began...
In 1575, and then in 1630, the city was devastated by the plague, a third of the population (including the great artist Titian) died, and all remaining human and financial resources continued to be siphoned off by the ongoing conflict with the Turks. By 1720, the republic was practically bankrupt. It is characteristic that it was at this time that she experienced another period of flowering of the arts - Tiepollo, Canaletto, Guardi lived and worked in the city, plays by Goldoni and Gozzi were staged on the stage, and the Florian cafe opened in Piazza San Marco.
Thus the 18th century came to an end, and with it the history of Venetian independence. The bloodless city became easy prey for Napoleon. The invasion of French troops marked the end of the republic. The last Doge Ludovico Manin, taking off the cap he wore under his crown, said to the servant: “Take it away, I won’t need it anymore.”
Napoleon came out to San Marco and said: “But this square is the most elegant living room in Europe,” after which he plundered the city and destroyed about forty ancient palazzos. When his empire fell, Venice passed to Austria.
In 1826, Venice was declared a free harbor, and now tourists replaced businessmen in the city. After the visit of Byron, the main European tourist, excuse me, romance, the poetry of Venetian decadence came into fashion. Bohemians came to the Venetian canals and bridges for inspiration, wealthy Europeans spent the summer on the fashionable beaches of the Lido. The city has become a place of pilgrimage for every self-respecting esthete.
Meanwhile, the Venetians had a hard time experiencing their dependence on Austria and, together with the rest of Italy, rebelled against the Austrian occupiers, and in 1866 the city became a province of the Italian kingdom.
During World War II, Venice narrowly escaped serious damage from Allied bombs. Actor Marcello Mastroianni ended up in a German labor camp, escaped and hid in Venice until the end of the war.
Now the beautiful and poetic Venetian fairy tale has turned into something like Disneyland for an endless stream of tourists, and the number of citizens has decreased three times over the past half century. Every year, 1,500 people leave the city because the city's young owners find it increasingly difficult to find a place among the countless number of guests.
The history of Venice does not end here, and will continue for some time, but pessimistic scientists greatly limit the period and say that due to the rise in the water level in the lagoon, Venice may become the “Atlantis of the new millennium.”
I am grateful to Katya Degot, without whom this text would not have been possible.
Venice or Serenissima is a unique city that combines unusual accommodation and numerous luxurious buildings. The pearl of Italian tourism, the center of trade and art of the Mediterranean during the Crusades, the cradle of art and architecture.
History of Venice
The city on the water began its existence in the 5th century. Until this time, the territory, entirely consisting of islands and swamps, was occupied by scattered settlements of fishermen and hunters. When wars raged on the mainland, the inhabitants of Venice were reliably sheltered from enemies by the sea. Safety became a deciding factor for wealthy and influential aristocratic families, who fled with their servants and relatives from the devastated cities. By investing their capital in the development of canals, the construction of buildings, and trade, they became the backbone of the future republic under construction.
And in 568, the residence of Archbishop Aquelia, the second person after the Pope, was transferred to the city. Money, connections, high-ranking clergy gave Venice a good start for rapid development. In the 6th century it had a strong fleet, which took an active part in military naval campaigns. The reward for helping the warring countries was trade benefits, freedom of movement of Venetian ships in the waters of the Mediterranean, patronage and protection.
By the 7th century the islands were united, and in 727 the Republic of Venice received its first Doge. The city reached its peak of development in the 12th-13th centuries, using its fleet to transport knights and lending money for the needs of the Crusades. During the same period, active construction of buildings was carried out, including for ordinary people, both at the expense of city funds and with the money of influential trading families. For aristocrats throughout much of Venice's history, personal contribution to the architectural heritage and promotion of the arts was a matter of prestige and bragging rights, which only served to its advantage.
Since the 15th century, a gradual decline in growth and development began, and the city faced a number of serious problems. He survived famine and plague, and military clashes with the Turks became more frequent. Cash receipts decreased when the world was captured by news of new lands beyond Atlantic Ocean. Venice lost its primacy on the water, giving way to new sea conquerors - Great Britain and Spain. Instead of investing in new trade routes, the aristocracy began building new villas and palaces, which provided the basis for a future influx of wealthy tourists from all over Europe. Venice of the 18th century was drowning in decadence.
The government lost any economic influence and commercial acumen on the international stage, but the city itself continued to invest in the arts. The first coffee shops opened in Europe. It is natural that with the advent of the Republic, the Republic lost its independence, becoming a province. However, there was no destruction of buildings. On the contrary, new shipyards and a port were built, and work began on the restoration of dams and bridges. In 1866 the city came under Italian control.
Sights of Venice
There are two noteworthy moments in the architecture of the city on the water throughout its existence. The first is that it was practically not rebuilt. Secondly, despite its contribution to the development of fascism, it was one of the least affected by air raids during. The Grand Canal is the main transport river artery of Venice. It is here that the most beautiful buildings of the city are collected, including churches, palaces, libraries and bridges. A distinctive feature is that there is no embankment adjacent to the Grand Canal, so the houses seem to grow out of the water.
Piazza San Marco is the heart and soul of the city, surrounded by ancient and majestic buildings. The flags of its former colonies still fly over it. The Doge's Palace was built over two centuries, starting in the 14th century, in the Italian Gothic style. In addition to the residence of the ruler, officials of all stripes worked here, from legal consultants and the admiralty, to members of the Grand Council and judges. The Campanilla was the oldest building in the city, towering above the palaces and houses, but in 1902 it collapsed due to disrepair. The city authorities restored it to its original form, but is no longer used as a lighthouse.
Cathedrals of Venice
The Cathedral of San Marco is the oldest basilica, repeatedly rebuilt as a result of fires. A key place in the history of the city, where rulers were crowned and said goodbye, ships with gifts sailed here and from here they sailed on long journeys. Nowadays the most visited place in Venice. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Healing was built in the shape of an octagon in memory of the victims of the plague. This largest domed structure in the city took more than fifty years to build. The statues at the entrance and altar were created by the greatest sculptors of the time.
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta was founded by the Jesuits in the image of the one located in Il Gesú. It is notable for the fact that in 1774 it ceased to be a temple and was used for administrative needs. Then it completely turned into barracks for soldiers. After 70 years, it was returned to the Jesuits and reopened for services.
Museums of Venice
Murano Island – Museum Venetian glass, where the visitor can not only view the exhibits, but also purchase products of any kind (from a glass button to a Chandelier), which came from the master’s hand in front of an appreciative public. The Museum of Navigation and Maritime History houses exhibits and models of ships from the times when Venice dominated the sea. The Accademia Museum in Venice houses paintings by artists of this city, written starting from the 14th century. Here, future artists and sculptors studying at the Academy constantly experience beauty.
Instructions
Venice is a city on the water, slowly but surely sinking under it. The future of Venice worries people - in a few centuries this architectural pride of Italy will drown in the waters of the Mediterranean lagoons. But the past of this city raises many questions, and one of the most common is - who thought of building a settlement in such unfavorable conditions?
Legend has it that Venice emerged from the foam of the sea in 421 AD, on March 25 - this day is today celebrated as the day the city was founded. But history gives a more serious and accurate answer to the question of the origin of the city. The territory of Venice and the surrounding lands was occupied by the Veneti tribe even before our era, thanks to which the Romans called this area Venice. Gradually, more and more people settled on these lands, a Roman colony appeared here, and even during the decline of the Roman Empire, Venice grew and developed.
Many people mistakenly believe that houses in Venice were originally built in the water, on stilts, so the question of why the first inhabitants of the city decided to choose this particular place seems fair to them. In fact, the lagoon contained a group of islands on which the first settlements appeared. Gradually they grew, bridges were built between them. Whole thousands of small islands, on which people built their homes, organized markets and practiced crafts, united into one Big city. Due to the huge number of islands, there was no time to build bridges, so the Venetians began to use small boats to move around the city.
The unusual location of Venice helped residents resist the barbarians: in the center of the island they surrounded the islands with walls, and outside the main canals were blocked with chains. It was more difficult for the enemy to invade a city located on the water. Venice was almost untouched by the barbarian raids that shook the entire continent, and the fall of the Roman Empire had little effect on the city.
In the sixth century, the rich inhabitants of the province of Venice fled from the Lombards to the islands, so the social structure of the city began to be based on the aristocracy - until then, mainly fishermen lived on the water. This also contributed to the development of Venice's trading power. New sea routes began to appear; spices were transported to Europe through Venice: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg. The city has become one of the most important political and commercial centers in Europe.
Unusual cities located on the banks of rivers are often compared to Venice. So the East has its own Venice. Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is often called the Venice of the East.
City on the water
The city of Bangkok is located at the mouth of the Menam Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand, in a swampy area and is intertwined with a huge number of canals along which all residents moved. The canals were dug back in the 19th century by the reigning king at that time. He also created a complex hydraulic system, including one that protected the river from flooding.
The canals were streets along which local residents moved about their business. For transportation in this case, as in, boats were used both then and now.
Bangkok boats have a narrow shape similar to the Venetian ones, and the boatmen, as in Venice, operate them while standing. Most of channels modern city filled, paved and used as highways, but in the suburbs of Thonburi, in historical center Bangkok residents still travel on special boats, go to the local market, and to work. By the way, the market is also located on the water, which makes it very unusual. At the market you can buy everything from household items, fresh food and clothing.
The movement of private boats and water taxis is regulated by water traffic rules; there are intersections and oncoming traffic.
Similarities and differences
Thanks to the huge number of canals, Bangkok really looks like the Italian Venice. The houses here are also built on water, and there are floating structures. But that's where the similarities end. In Bangkok you cannot see the splendor of Venetian buildings; here everything is much more modest and prosaic.
Thonburi, for example, is a very poor area; the buildings are not particularly beautiful or splendid. And yet, the flavor of the city on the water attracts tourists to Thonburi. A walk along the city’s canals leaves a strong impression, because the intense traffic of boats carrying people and goods is a very unusual sight.
The city has water buses, ferry crossings, connecting various canals, all this allows residents and tourists to move around the water part of the city. The cost of such trips is very low, in addition, short intervals provide huge advantages over motor transport. And they allow you to avoid traffic jams, from which a modern city is not protected.
Modern Bangkok, especially its western part, is a business city with developed infrastructure and differs from the historical part of the city.
