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The Worlds of the Renaissance: Projects - Kim Smolik

Ideal Society
Venice:
Teacher's Notes

Note: In comparing Venice and Florence, 2 main points will be emphasized:

  1. Venetian roots are heavily tied to Ancient Greece/Byzantine Empire vs. Roman roots of Florence (influence emphasized in this project are found in development of government and artistic traditions)
  2. Venetians had intense pride in their independent roots (greatness from the beginning) in the development as a free republic
    1. independent from Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire
    2. independent from Byzantine control (mythological belief) which led to elaborate outward display of this pride in their architecture vs. Florentine pride in their Republic which is personified in the story of David, the biblical figure, who is small, but courageous. Florence is able to overcome difficult a beginning to become a great Republic.

  1. Intro to Venice:
    1. Historical documents provided as primary source documents (in this assignment) have only recently been used to answer broad historical questions about Venice. They are non- literary articles, not created as an official history but as a running list of events.
    2. A city built on the water: traces roots to Greeks, Byzantine Empire. Strong connection as port city to Eastern cities (not confined to Italy and European mainland).
      1. no city walls other than the lagoon
      2. no palace guard other than workers in shipyards
      3. no parade ground for military other than the sea
    3. Pre-Renaissance history
      1. Venice became separate from Europe gradually
        • Within Roman Empire, all lands at the North end of the Adriatic were called Venetian
        • When Rome began to decline, German tribes were taking over Europe, the coast of Venice remained under CONSTANTINOPLE, as appointed by Roman officials: Venice experienced Greek/Byzantine influence
      2. 6th century to 18th century the Venetians were a separate people from Europe
        • MYTH #1: (a number of myths are held by Venetians which support their pride in their independence from both Europe and the Byzantines). The first Doge (The elected chief magistrate of Venice) was (as it is told) selected by the inhabitants of the lagoons. This belief established Venice as independent from its beginning.
        • (More supported) FACT#1: the Doge received order and honors from the Byzantine emperor. This established Venice as part of the Byzantine Empire (separate from Europe). The first Doge was a Byzantine official.
      3. 6th century to 1000 A.D., Venice made of boatmen mainly in Northern Italy
        • in 810, Charlemagne sent his son, Pepin, to takeover Venice
        • takeover was unsuccessful. Peace treaty signed that established Venice as part of Byzantine Empire
      4. After 1000 A.D., Venice was a sea-going nation: sailing, trading and fighting from South Russia to Britain
        • after which they became craftsmen, aristocrats (not just boatmen)
        • became known for: handiwork, finance, government structure
      5. 1204, Venice was part of Crusade Conquest of Constantinople
        • made Venice an imperial power: a time which marked a shift of power in the Mediterranean from East to West.
      6. Post-Middle Ages: most Europeans had strong monarchies take over vs. Venice
        • Venice created and expanded a Republican government due to financial and trade success(especially with Byzantine Empire), never experiencing the isolation other medeival city-states or towns experienced.
        • Other Italian city-states recognized a theoretical sovereignty of the emperor or pope, but the Venetians recognized their government first because it expressed their desires and "history" of freedom and independence
        • Venice was attached to maintaining the customs that made them a separate people, especially government
    4. Other Myths: supporting Venice's freedom and independence
      1. Cult of St. Mark the Evangelist: patron saint of Venice
        1. strengthened their feelings of soveirgnty
        2. story of St. Mark in Venice: he was carried to Venetian lagoon by a storm and founded the church at Aquileia (Venetian territory), from which was derived the Patriarch of Venice. St. Mark also found refuge one night on the place where the church of San Marco was to be built and he dreamt of it being built there in his honor.
        3. This legend was supported by the arrival of two Venetian traders delivering to the Doge the remains of the deceased St. Mark.
          • Note: the Doge (not the local bishop/clergy) received the remains because of Venice's adoption of Byzantine tradition of putting the clergy subordinate to the political leaders
          • Doge had San Marco built to house the remains: the church was not the cathedral of the local bishop (one of its magnitude normally would be) but instead, the cathedral of the patriciate. Again, this connection to government first supports the uniqueness Venice held with pride: independence, strong government
      2. Myth: "Venice was free of factions, everyone worked together for the glory of the city"
        • Venice did know bloody factions, but found ways to control them
          • example: a number of Doges were killed/assassinated for political reasons. Famous Candiano family brought in foreign soldiers to Venice to support their authority and then looked to German emperor for support. This led to a mob storming the palace in 976, starting a major fire in the city.
      3. Counter myth: saw Venetian government as tyrannical oligarchy
        • reaffirmed by Jacobins and Napoleon, who used this myth as rationale for the destruction of the Venetian Republic.

  2. Political System

    1. Historical background of political structure
      1. Two theories of government in Europe in Middle Ages:
        1. God gave right to rule to Pope and Emperor/ruler
        2. Lawmaking ability existed in community and could be distributed to those designated in the community.
          • Venice used this theory to
            1. defend independence
            2. impose restrictions on Doges
        3. Combination of theories led to Doge avowing to strength of God, not self in induction ceremony (although power of Doge/government still came before the clergy.)
      2. From monarch to self-made man
        1. 9th-11th centuries, Doge was unlimited monarch
        2. in 1032, there was an overthrow of current dynasty and councillors were assigned to assist new Doge (checks on power)
          1. new Doge was a self-made man due to success as silk merchant, no member of his family had ever held high office
          2. introduced belief that "anyman" could rise to Dogeship
          3. competition for this formally aristocratic position began
        3. From 12th century on, Dogeship treated not as family possession, but of the commune
        4. COMMUNE development happened throughout Italy (Florence, Milan Padua) but it was different in Venice:
          1. Florence, Milan, Padua fought to take away power from bishops and feudal lords
          2. Venice continued dukedom under new name, gradually restructured system which already existed
    2. Political system closely related to the class system
      • only nobles were allowed a vote in the Republic's affairs
      • Great Council composed of men from noble families
      • 2% of population had political power
    3. Governing bodies
      1. Doge=highest office in Venice (comes from word = Duke)
        • elected by council of peers (not general public)
      2. Council of 10/Ducal Council (Signoria)=cabinet/CIA equivalent
      3. Senate=a group of elected noblemen (300 members) from the Great Council for 1 year, unpaid terms
      4. Grande/Great council=noblemen (approximated 2000)
      5. General Assembly

        Doge
        Ducal Council
        The Forty and the Senate
        Great Council
        General Assembly

  3. Social Class System
    1. Status based upon money
      1. nobility drawn from the patrician classes of rich mercantile families
      2. commoners
        1. lived in houses on unpaved roads away from the center of the city
        2. had all the rights of a citizen as prescribed by the law
        3. limited in political aspirations
      3. Cittadini Originarii
        1. had full citizenship
          1. earned by working for 25 years in Venetian territory without manual labor
          2. finest Guild Workers hoped to achieve this status
        2. could hold political positions up to Chancellor (2nd in command to Doge)
      4. Aristocracy
        1. nobility formed of the mercantile classes
        2. noble families recorded in the Libro D'Oro - The Golden Book had the most political power
        3. Cittadini Originarii could aspire to the Golden Book by paying 100,000 ducats to the Senate

  4. Architecture: a display of civic pride in a free and independent republic
    1. For centuries, Venice looked Eastward for models of beauty
      1. San Marco Church
        1. compare to Santa Sophia in Constantinople
        2. began as basic brick structure, with emphasis on internal beauty as is typical in Byzantine tradition
        3. added elaborate external decoration over time
        4. in contrast to Western cathedrals, San Marco has:
          • low domes
          • small lighted windows
          • 500 columns cut from Eastern quarries
          • column capitals carved into intricately braided or flowering patterns
          • mosaics from the East
          • in the form of a Greek cross
      2. Palazzo Ducale
        1. Government building
        2. Doge's apartment/palace
        3. Received much elaboration during the Renaissance


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