A story about the medieval city of Venice. Medieval democracy in Venice. It’s interesting, but the famous Venetian carnivals flourished precisely during their decline

In the northwestern part 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 of the ancient Veneti tribe - 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 - on March 25, 451, at exactly noon, the low tide allegedly exposed a vast sandbank to give way to the most amazing city on earth.

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 the quicksand of the lagoon.

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 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 stands, and each of them controlled 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 splendor 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 contact 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 secured the republic northern part Adriatic Sea. The authorities of Venice decided to celebrate this memorable event annually, 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 depths of the sea, sat on a high throne of honor. Noble persons in luxurious clothes took places under the canopy, and their children sat down at the long red oars. At the entrance to the canal the Doge threw lagoon waters into the water Golden ring 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 of 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 - supreme court 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 very carefully considered the complaints of ordinary people against the nobility, strictly punishing the offending 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 Venetian Republic began to be called Serenissima (Serenissima), which can be translated in two ways: “The Most Serene” or “The Calmest”. 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 went to break 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 young Ottoman Empire began to seize one after another the mainland possessions of Venice. 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 fortress artillery guns, 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 increasingly, sea water is flooding the lower floors of palazzos - 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 unfortunate 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.

The brilliant city on the Adriatic Sea experienced a variety of events - the founding of several stilt villages in the swamps of a coastal lagoon, a period of maritime, commercial and military power, and then decline and loss of independence. The history of Venice is similar to the history of many other ancient cities, but at the same time it is unique, original and inimitable, like this Italian city itself.

Birth of a legend

The appearance of Venice is associated with a very common event for the Middle Ages - in 451, the Huns, led by Attila, who invaded the Roman Empire, destroyed the city of Aquileia. Most of its population fled west to the islands of the sea lagoon, where Venice was founded. Later, the first settlers were joined by residents of Padua, Oderzo, and Concordia with their own traditions and morals.

The settlers mastered the swampy and seemingly uninhabitable coastline quite quickly - they learned to build houses on stilts and a special foundation and live practically on the water. Initially, twelve Venetian villages were governed by a council of representatives, later power over them passed to the Byzantine Empire, which appointed the first doge - the supreme ruler, whose residence was on Rialto Island. Later this position became elective.

Venetian heyday

There was practically no arable land in Venice, so its inhabitants, taking advantage of very profitable geographical location, began to build ships and develop navigation. The city was so closely connected with the sea that there was even a ritual of “betrothal” of the doge to the sea element - the ruler threw a ring into the waves with the words: “We are marrying you, O sea, as a sign of eternal dominion over you.” Already at the end of the 10th century, the Venetian fleet began to be considered the most powerful on the Adriatic Sea.

Venice was a kind of transit trade point that served as a link between Europe and the East. This was facilitated by the signing by the Byzantine emperor of the “Golden Bull” - a document that recognized the special rights of the city and its trading privileges. Thus, Venice became an almost independent state within the Byzantine Empire, extending its influence throughout the Adriatic.

The republic reached its highest degree of power thanks to the Crusades, providing the crusader knights not only with a fleet, but also with generous loans, which were often returned retail space in captured cities. The fourth crusade brought incredible wealth to the Venetians, which resulted in twenty tons of silver received by Doge Enrico Dondolo for providing a fleet, and the plunder of the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople, and the annexation of many lands, including Crete, to the republic.

Decline period

The period of decline of Venice is associated with the invasion of the Turks, who captured Constantinople in the 15th century and then began to conquer the mainland territories of Venice. In addition, new trade routes were opened connecting New World both India and Venice were deprived of the basis of their centuries-old prosperity. The plague of 1630 also brought a lot of grief to the republic, which claimed the lives of a third of the republic’s population.

Like Rome during its decline, Venice in the 16th century was a real center of prostitution - not only for women, but also for men. At the end of the 18th century, weakened, demoralized and deprived of previous sources of replenishment of the treasury, the city easily surrendered to Napoleon Bonaparte. For a whole century, Venice passed from hand to hand, and only in late XIX century, it finally became part of Italy.

New Atlantis

The appearance of Venice has remained virtually unchanged over the past centuries - there are no industrial enterprises or areas of new buildings, and the main transport is still water. However, the history of the city continues, it lives and surprises thousands of tourists with its unpredictability and enchantment. True, the forecasts of scientists regarding the near future of Venice are very sad.

The sea, which made the Venetian Republic one of the strongest and richest states in Europe, is now a serious danger to the city. Floods occur quite often, and sea water penetrates into the basements of houses, sometimes rising to the first floors. Even luxurious palaces- palazzo. No less dangerous for Venice is the pollution of the canals, the water in which is called poisonous. Let's hope that this amazing city yet he will escape the fate of Atlantis, and he will be saved for the present and the future.

Daria Tsvetkova

TO Once upon a time, seven centuries ago, the mountains surrounding the Adriatic were covered with a green cap of forests - and only here and there white limestone rocks were visible through the lush greenery. Caravans of long, squat galleys moved north past the cliffs; the drum beat evenly, setting the pace for the rowers, the oars flew up rhythmically, and the sun-burnt backs bent. A group of people in velvet cloaks and berets decorated with feathers stood at the bow of the ship, intensely peering into the distance. One of them raised his hand: “Look!” There, near the horizon, pointed spiers and domes suddenly appeared right out of the water - it looked as if a city was emerging from the bottom of the sea. It was approaching, an amazing city on the water: huge towers and magnificent temples, and painted facades of houses - a magical city in the middle of the sea. The galleys float onto the main street - it’s still morning and the window shutters are closed, the steps from the doors go down into the water; a huge cathedral suddenly appears from around a bend in the canal, its domes shine in the sun, and the knights at the bow of the galley take off their feathered berets in admiration.

– Viva, Venice!

Venice was built on water - because it was a city of fugitives. Once upon a time, during the fall of Rome, the surviving inhabitants of coastal cities fled from the sword of the barbarians to the islet of Rialto located in the middle of the lagoon. There, on the island, there were only swamps overgrown with reeds and sandy beaches, and in order to feed themselves, the fugitives evaporated salt from sea water. They rode along the shores of the Adriatic on their fishing boats and exchanged salt for bread. Gradually, a village grew on the island - a hundred wooden houses on stilts and a small church where the priest baptized children. The authorities of Constantinople sent here a ruler who was loudly called the duke, “duca” - the islanders pronounced this word as “doge”. Then the emperors abandoned distant island to the mercy of fate, and the Doge began to get out at the meeting local residents. Time passed, the salt trade gave good income, and the rich merchants began to build sea ships, sail to Constantinople and buy goods from the civilized East - silk, glass, spices. On the Adriatic coast, bales with overseas goods were loaded onto horses, and the caravans went north, through the harsh Alpine passes - to Germany and Gaul. Noble barbarians from the northern countries loved to dress their wives and mistresses in silk - and the merchants grew rich; soon they began sending entire flotillas of ships to the east. To protect these flotillas, the islanders created a navy: they resurrected forgotten Roman models and began to build galleys from the time of Augustus; these fast ships had 150 oarsmen and 20-30 soldiers. Then the merchants tried to master the production of silk and glass locally; they invited Greek craftsmen and built workshops - fishing village gradually turned into a city of artisans and merchants.

Venice was the first city to arise off the coast of the forested country of the barbarians. Like thousands of years ago, the world was again awakening to cultural life, and small cities appeared on the shores of the seas, living with trade and craft. These cities arose where there was not enough arable land and pastures, and where overpopulation forced people to live by crafts and trade. Real trade in those days was only possible by sea - and therefore trading cities arose by the sea, where sailing ships could deliver grain and goods from distant countries. “We have no fields, we have no vineyards,” the Venetians wrote to the Pope, “and we must bring everything we need from distant foreign countries.”

The history of Venice was similar to the history of Tire, Athens, Carthage - it was the history of gaining dominance at sea. At first, the Venetians had to fight Arab pirates, then the Normans, who captured Southern Italy. As a reward for victories over the Italian Normans who ravaged the Balkans, Emperor Alexei I granted the Venetian merchants the right to duty-free trade, and they created trading posts in the cities of the Empire. Then the Crusades began, and in 1100 the Venetian fleet sailed to the shores of the Levant to help the Crusaders. The Crusaders besieged Arab cities from land, and the Venetians from the sea; for its help, Venice received a third of each captured city. In 1123, a decisive naval battle between the Venetians and Arabs took place near Ascalon: the Venetians had about two hundred ships, including large galleys, unprecedented at that time, on which two rowers sat at each oar. The Arab fleet was defeated, and Venice gained supremacy at sea; from now on she became the “queen of the seas.” Flocks of swift galleys scoured the Mediterranean Sea, capturing ships of trading rivals; Lines of archers stood along the sides, and at the stern fluttered a pennant with the image of a lion - the symbol of the patron saint of Venice, St. Mark.

The time has come for the city to prosper on the Rialto. Hundreds of ships sailed east every year for silk, spices, and flax; they carried timber, weapons, and slaves purchased from Hungarians and Germans for sale. The population of the small island reached 50 thousand, all the swamps were drained using dug canals, and there were no houses left that were stuck together free space. Two-story stone houses faced the canal on one side; the walls rested on stilts, and they seemed to rise out of the water; At the doors there were gondola boats, which served the Venetians instead of horses. The first floor of the house was usually occupied by pantries and a kitchen; the owners lived on the second floor, which opened towards the canal with loggias covered with flowers. The Venetians loved greenery, but a courtyard with several trees was for them a symbol of unheard-of luxury; Ordinary townspeople did not have yards, and the back side of the house overlooked a narrow street, where two passers-by could barely pass each other.

Wealth and poverty were not evident in Venice at that time, unlike in a later era. In the 12th century, real luxury was not yet known, but merchants knew how to count money and save. Some of the profits went to the common people, and they could live tolerably - in any case, there were no uprisings in Venice, and the city fathers even built houses for the poor. Of course, over time, money took its toll, and in the 13th century the city was no longer ruled by the doge or the people’s assembly, but by the Great Council of the richest merchants. In the 14th century, merchant families were rewritten in the “Golden Book”, acquired coats of arms, titles, palaces and turned into an arrogant nobility - but this was the reality of a different era.

The symbol of the greatness and power of Venice was the huge Cathedral of St. Mark, towering over the city. It was the first of the great cathedrals, the construction of which heralded the rebirth of Europe - and it is symbolic that it was built by Greek craftsmen invited from Constantinople. In Europe at that time they did not know how to build large stone buildings, and only eastern craftsmen kept the ancient secrets of preparing cement and masonry. The revived culture returned to Europe along with the messengers of the eastern civilization that preserved it: mosaics, icons, altars - everything was made by the hands of the Greeks. All of Venice with its churches, houses, crafts was a product of the East; it was a breakaway city of the Eastern Empire and its ally, enjoying trading privileges. However, over time, these privileges began to undermine the trade of Constantinople, and enmity took the place of friendship. In 1171, by order of the emperor, thousands of Venetian merchants were captured and thrown into prison, the Venetian ambassador Enrique Dandolo was blinded in Constantinople. Thirty years later, an 80-year-old blind old man who became the Doge took the opportunity to take revenge: he persuaded the participants in the Fourth Crusade to turn to Constantinople. Of course, the knights were not averse to plundering richest city East - but they could only take it with the help of the Venetian fleet blockading the harbor. On April 13, 1204, the Franks ascended the walls of Constantinople on hundreds of bridges thrown from the masts of Venetian ships; the capital of the East was plundered and burned by barbarians. Venice received its share: several surviving cities, the right to duty-free trade and four bronze horses, which the proud winners placed over the entrance to St. Mark's Cathedral. A large Venetian colony was created in Constantinople, and merchant ships left from here to northern shores Black Sea.

Venice reigned over the seas and every year solemnly celebrated its betrothal to the sea-ocean. On the appointed day, a flotilla of decorated ships went to sea; The Doge stood on the deck of the luxurious flagship galley "Bucentaur" - and all the nobles of Venice in velvet cloaks and berets decorated with feathers stood on the decks of their galleys. The banners of St. Mark fluttered proudly and the oars in the hands of the rowers soared rhythmically. Then the Bucentaur stopped, and in front of thousands of people, the ruler of Venice threw a wedding ring into the water:

“We are engaged to you, sea,” the Doge proclaimed to the enthusiastic cries of the crowd. “We are getting engaged as a sign of our true and eternal power over you!”

Venice is a city on the water. The history of this corner is amazing. But before you go on vacation, you need to plan it carefully. Study the historical sights of the place where you are going on vacation in advance. This article is intended for those who have decided to travel to the most romantic corner of Europe.

Historical reference

The history of Venice goes back hundreds of years. This one is located on the Adriatic Sea. Historically, most of the city “stands on water.” Venice is beautiful. The history of the city is interesting and full of amazing events.

The city received its name in honor of the Veneti tribe who inhabited this territory. After many centuries, the Veneti were assimilated, but even today you can find their descendants in a place like Venice. The history of the city goes back centuries. And the optimal time to visit the city on the water is May and June!

History of Venice. Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute

It just so happens that Venice is a city of romance and love. There are also stunning cathedrals and churches, including the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. The history of Venice informs curious tourists that this basilica is the largest domed temple. It is located opposite the Doge's Palace, which will be discussed a little later.

The construction of the basilica in honor of the Virgin Mary was completed in 1682. The church is the pearl of a city like Venice. The history of the basilica is amazing. In 1630, the plague was raging in Europe. The townspeople offered prayers to the Holy Virgin. Unable to fight the bubonic plague, people died on the streets of the city. The city authorities turned to the Most Pure One with a prayer. If she stops the epidemic, a unique cathedral will be built in her honor in Venice. The Holy Virgin took pity, the plague retreated from the city, and the authorities immediately began the promised construction.

The architect of the basilica was the young and talented Balthasar Longen. The history of the creation of Venice confirms that the cathedral took almost 50 years to build. Unfortunately, the architect did not live to see the construction of the basilica completed. Every year on November 21, Venetians celebrate victory over the plague and praise the Virgin Mary in a festive mass. Externally, the basilica looks grandiose. It is decorated with pilasters, tympanums and sculptures. The interior decoration of the church is in no way inferior to the exterior. When visiting places of worship, clothing should be appropriate. You should not wear anything bright or open.

St. Mark's Square

The history of Venice is closely connected with this square. The first information in historical chronicles about this square dates back to the 9th century. Three centuries later it was expanded. They named it after the cathedral opposite which it is located. For many years, the main attraction of Piazza San Marco was the feeding of tame pigeons. San Marco is also famous for the fact that it was filmed on great amount films!

The square itself consists of two so-called parts:

Piazzetta - distance from the Grand Canal to the Campanile.
Piazza is the square in front of the entrance to San Marco Cathedral.

Stepping onto the piazzetta, you will immediately see two grandiose white columns. Previously there were three. The columns of Saints Theodore and Mark were presented to the Venetians as a trophy in honor of the victory over the Constantinople king Tire. Retrieving such a unique and huge exhibit from a ship is a serious matter. Unfortunately, the third column broke and fell to the bottom of the lagoon. There was no way to get it. Several centuries later, the column was covered with a dense layer of lagoon silt.

Basilica of San Marco

While walking around, be sure to visit the cathedral of the same name. This is a Catholic church, which differs from all other religious buildings with unique elements of Byzantine architecture. The basilica was built back in 832! But in 976 there was a fire. The basilica was rebuilt again. remained dominant, but elements of Gothic, Romanesque and Oriental styles were added. The walls inside the cathedral are decorated with unique ancient mosaic paintings. There is also a shrine with the relics of St. Mark in the cathedral. No tickets are needed to visit the cathedral; admission is free. You cannot wear revealing clothes in such places, or take pictures.

The most grandiose channel

The Grand Canal is S-shaped and runs through the entire main Venetian city. Beret big canal its origin from the Basin of St. Mark's. Its 4 km path extends to railway station Santa Lucia. The width of the canal varies from 30 to 90 meters. Its depth is about five meters.

While sailing on gondolas, you will see 4 beautiful famous bridges:

new Constitution Bridge;
Rialto Bridge;
Scalzi Bridge;
Academy Bridge.

In the 10th century, the area with the Grand Canal was the center of Venice. There were a huge number of markets and trading points there. This is easily explained by the fact that maritime traders sailed through the canal on ships and concluded large trade deals.

Five centuries later, the Venetians built the Grand Canal with buildings in gothic style. And in subsequent centuries it was “marked” by the styles of Baroque and Classicism.

The grandiose construction was completed by XVIII century. And even now no one is erecting buildings there anymore.

Doge's Palace

This palace is mandatory place for visiting by tourists. His story is long. The very first building was erected in the 14th century, when the Venetian state was powerful and rich. At that time, the Turkish threat did not yet exist, since the Turks did not have a serious fleet. The Doge's Palace was intended for the top officials of the state. The meetings of the Grand Council and the Council of Ten were held there. The Doge's Palace was rebuilt many times. It burned down several times, during the period of the power of the republic it did not correspond to its greatness, which caused another restructuring, etc. That is why the palace does not have a single style. Its façade resembles an overturned ship and features Gothic and Byzantine architectural elements.

The courtyard is decorated big amount statues. Through it one could get to the second tier, where the coronation ceremony of the Doges took place. On the same floor are the personal chambers of statesmen of past centuries.

Has many rooms and halls. The first hall you will enter as tourists is Purple. The Doge of the Prosecutor's Office, wearing a purple robe, walked into it. The ceiling of the hall is decorated with lampshades, separated by gold stucco molding. You will get to know the rest of the halls on the tour.

Rialto Bridge

We continue the tour and return to the Grand Canal, to the Rialto Bridge. Let's talk about him. This is the very first bridge over the Grand Canal. It is the symbol of Venice. opens ten popular places Venice. There are 24 stalls selling souvenirs. William Shakespeare wrote about this crossing in his play “The Merchant of Venice.” The history of this bridge is impressive. It burned several times since it was built of wood. It happened that the crossing could not withstand the load and collapsed. But in 1551, the authorities held a competition for the best stone crossing. Among the participants' works was a project by Michelangelo himself. But the winner was the unknown architect Antonio de Ponte. Envious people whispered that the bridge would not hold up and would collapse. However, they were wrong. The bridge is already seven hundred years old, and it still stands. True, the Venice authorities are carrying out large-scale reconstruction until December 2016.

The Rialto Bridge is small in size:

the maximum height in the center is 7.5 meters;
The length of the bridge is 48 meters.

Tourists are amazed by the bridge supports. Each of them has 6 thousand piles driven into the bottom of the Grand Canal.

School of Grand di San Rocco

The school, built more than 6 centuries ago at the expense of the townspeople, still stands and delights tourists even today. Today the building houses a charitable organization. The school began its educational activities in 1515. They named her in honor of Saint Rocco. The Venetians believed that it was this saint who protected the city from the raging plague. Today, paintings that are already five hundred years old are displayed for tourists in this building! All of them are perfectly preserved. The main advantages of the San Rocco school are the paintings “The Adoration of the Shepherds”, as well as “The Temptation of Christ”.

Finally, about the fabulous Italian city...

The history of the construction of Venice is closely connected with the rise of the Venetian Republic. Fabulous Italy waiting for tourists. It's worth remembering that life in Venice revolves around the canals, including the Grand Canal. Transport also moves along them. Be sure to buy a carnival mask as a souvenir; it is a symbol of Venice.

In 2017 it will take place from February 11 to 28. Two fabulous weeks await you. But always remember that visiting is good, but home is still better!

In the courtyard of the Doge's Palace.

The Doge of Venice (doge) was the elected head of Venice from the 8th to the 18th centuries (before the title was abolished). The state of the Doges of Venice lasted about a thousand years.

The Doge's activities were subject to strict control. The head of Venice did not have the right to alone receive ambassadors of foreign states, open correspondence and have property outside the Venetian Republic. The doge's income was strictly controlled; all gifts received became the property of the city treasury. Such a fight against government corruption has been present in Venice since the early Middle Ages. In addition, the Doge did not have a personal bodyguard.

The Free Venetian Republic was formally part of the Byzantine Empire, but had autonomy, and united various religious denominations within its city walls, national traditions and art. The capital Venice is a progressive and tolerant (in the good sense of the word) city of the Middle Ages. Italo-Romans, Germans, and Slavs lived and worked together here. In medieval democratic Venice, festive “working people’s parades” took place; each type of urban craft represented its own scuolou (school, workshop) in the parade.

Venice was founded in the 5th century as a Christian city, which made its medieval natives proud.

However, only noble families of the republic participated in the election of doges, who made up the Great Council, which made political decisions in the life of the city. Here the property qualifications influenced a lot. The democracy of Venice was not as “democratic” as in Scandinavia or German cities Middle Ages.

The winged lion of St. Mark with a book is the symbol of Venice, which is worshiped by the Doge.

Lion of St. Mark by Vittore Carpaccio

The first Doge of Venice, Paul Lucius Anathestos, was elected in 697. According to legend, the first ruler of Venice himself wished to be elected from 12 noble Venetian families as a sign of the independence of his power.

Dress costume. Doge and dogaressa (doge's wife) and a noble citizen.

According to another version, Orso Ipato became the first Doge in 726; he wanted to pass on his title by inheritance, which caused discontent among other influential city clans. Orso Ipato was killed 10 years into his reign.

Palace facade

Until the 11th century, the doges’ struggle for power could hardly be called democracy; it was murder and intrigue in the style of the “Game of Thrones”. For example, during the 7th-10th centuries, out of twenty-six doges: six were killed, three were blinded, four were sent into exile, two ended their days in captivity.

Popular elections took place in 1071 after the ouster of Doge Pietro Barbolano. People took to the city streets and started shouting “Domenicum Silvium volumes et laudamus” - We wish Domenico Selvo. Noble townspeople carried the future Doge in their arms to the Cathedral of San Marco, where Domenico Selvo, barefoot and wearing a simple undershirt, prostrated himself before the people and donned the ceremonial clothes of the Doge.

Venice canals

In the 12th century, the Great Council developed a complex procedure for selecting doges, who were elected for life.

The selection of the members of the Great Council, who were to take part in the vote and elect the Doge, resembled a lottery.

According to legend, initially special balls (balote) were made for elections, which were taken from the ballot box. Metallic and indistinguishable to the touch balls contained the names of voters and were counted with wooden handles to prevent substitution. The current word “to run” comes from the name of this Venetian ball.

Palace in the rain

Then the balls were replaced with pieces of paper. Using a lottery, the Council selected eleven electors, who then voted for the Doge. The rules for selecting people to vote were partially changed at each election to eliminate possible bribery.

John Norwich's book, The History of the Venetian Republic, describes the complex process of Venetian elections.

“On the day appointed for the elections, the youngest member of the Signoria was to pray in the Basilica of San Marco. Afterwards, leaving the basilica, he stopped the first boy he met and took him with him to the Doge's Palace, to a meeting of the Great Council, where all its members sat, with the exception of those who were under thirty years old.

The boy, he was called a ballotino, took pieces of paper from the ballot box and drew lots. After the first such lot, the council chose thirty of its members. The second draw was to reduce this number to nine, and the nine were to vote for forty candidates, each of the forty having to receive at least seven votes. A group of forty people was to be reduced, again by lot, to twelve.

These dozen chose twenty-five people, and they in turn were again reduced to nine. The nine voted for forty-five candidates, for each of whom at least seven votes had to be cast, and from these forty-five ballots the ballotino took out slips of paper with the names of eleven candidates. Eleven voted for forty-one - each had to collect at least nine votes in his favor. So these forty eventually elected the Doge.

First they attended mass, and each took an oath individually that they would behave honestly and justly for the good of the republic. They were then locked in a secret room in the palace, cut off from all contact with the world. They were guarded by a special detachment of sailors around the clock until the work was completed.

That's all for the preparations, then the elections themselves began. Each elector wrote the name of his candidate on a piece of paper and threw it into the ballot box. Afterwards, the sheets were taken out and the names of the candidates were announced, without taking into account the votes cast for them. Pieces of paper were dropped into another urn, each with a single name on it.

If a candidate was present in the hall, then he went out together with any other voter who bore the same name, and the rest discussed his candidacy. The candidate was then invited to enter and answer questions or defend himself against the charges brought against him. A vote took place, and if the candidate received the required twenty-five votes, he became Doge. Otherwise, another piece of paper was taken out of the urn, and so on...

With such a painfully complex system, it seems strange that anyone was elected at all.”

The difficult elections could take more than two weeks, with people eagerly awaiting the results of this lottery.
After the election, the Doge was presented to the people with the words “This is your Doge, if that suits you,” and the head of Venice solemnly took the oath in front of the citizens. The coronation of the doges was a special ritual.

The Doge received a camauro (white cap) from the youngest member of the Council and a Zogia (ceremonial crown) from the most senior. “Accept the crown of the Duchy of Venice,” they told the Doge. During the coronation, the townspeople made it clear to the Doge that here he was a “servant of the people” and not a king.

Doge Leonardo Loredano in a white cap

Doge Andrea Gritti wearing a ceremonial crown

“People surrounded the new Doge and “teared the clothes off his back” - it seems that tradition allowed them to do this. Thus, the Doge was made to understand that he was “a subordinate and merciful person.” The Doge walked barefoot to the altar, took an oath, and was presented with the banner of St. Mark. Then he was put on a new dress, seated on a pozzetto and solemnly carried around the square. The Doge scattered coins, after which he entered the Doge's Palace and addressed his subjects. Meanwhile, the delegation hurried to his house to tell his wife about this news... Afterwards they led her to new house"- writes John Norwich about the coronation of the Doge.

The day of the long-awaited election of the Doge became a national holiday.

The French chronicler Martineau describes the solemn jousting tournament in St. Mark's Square, "la place soit en tot li monde", which took place on election day:

“Pavilions covered with silk were erected on the square, and the square itself was also lavishly decorated. Beautiful ladies and maidens entered the pavilions, and other ladies approached the windows of the palaces. Monsignor the Doge proceeded on foot from the Cathedral of San Marco, followed by all the patricians of Venice. People surrounded the square... This procession was followed by riders on beautiful horses and with expensive weapons. Then the tournament began, with the ladies watching. Ah, senors, if you were there, you would see the beautiful blows of swords..."

In the democratic city there was a parade of artisans, who united into scuols according to types of craft.
As John Norwich describes the workers' parade:

“The parade was led by blacksmiths with garlands on their heads, followed by furriers in rich clothes of weasel and ermine, which was clearly not suitable for the weather at the end of July.

Medieval blacksmiths. The lady is also a labor striker

Tailors walked by, all in white, with crimson stars. As they walked, they sang to the accompaniment of their own orchestra.
Weavers and quilters, sandal and gold brocade makers, silk merchants and glassblowers followed. The birds were released from the cages.

But the first prize for imagination went to the hairdressers, led by two horsemen in full knightly garb and four “very strangely dressed ladies.”

Dismounting in front of the Doge, they introduced themselves: “Sire, we are two knights errant. We traveled all over the world in search of luck. Having survived many dangers and adventures, they won four beautiful ladies. If there is a knight at your court willing to risk his neck and take these strange ladies from us, we are ready to fight for them.” But the Doge replied that he would give the ladies a warm welcome, and if they themselves wanted to be conquered, then with God’s help let it come true. At his court they will be given every honor, and not a single man will dare to contradict them.”

The head of Venice changed the traditional Doge's Cap (Corno Ducale) every year during the solemn Easter procession, which ended at the convent of San Zaccaria. The abbess met the doge and solemnly presented him with a new hat embroidered by the nuns. The hat was made of brocade and decorated with gold embroidery.

Venice was a maritime power and the doges often participated in church ceremonies dedicated to the protection of seafarers.
In the 9th century, in honor of the naval victory of Doge Pietro II Orseolo, a solemn procession on boats approached the island where the temple of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers, was located. The priest, with a prayer of gratitude, sprinkled the Doge and his retinue with holy water, after which the remaining water was solemnly poured into the sea.

"The Doge's Betrothal to the Sea" by Canaletto

Later in the 10th century, the tradition of “Betrothal to the Sea” appeared, which was brought by Pope Alexander III, who arrived in Venice on a grateful visit; the Venetian army helped him in protecting him from Frederick Barbarossa. During the solemn sea procession, the Pope read a grateful prayer service and threw a ring into the sea with the words “as a sign of true and eternal dominion.” Since then, this ritual has been performed by the Venetian doges.

Venice is a fairy tale city that will not leave anyone indifferent. I was a little unlucky with the weather: at first it was sunny, and then... as usual, “guests from swampy Petersburg always ruin the weather everywhere.”

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