Venice Republic

History of the Serene Republic

Venetian Wing Lion on the pediment of the St. Mark Basilica, Venice
410 Sacking of Rome

In 410 Rome was attacked by the Visigoths. For the first time
in 800 years Rome had fallen to a foreign enemy. This
marked the end of the Western Roman Empire.
421 - 800

Early Venice

A series of illustration by Piero Ventura published by Kingfisher, 1988.

421 AD Refuge on the lagoon

To avoid caught up in the invasions of the Germanic

tribes, some Roman Italian took refuge in the
Venetian lagoon. The founding of Venice was
traditionally, began in 421 AD.

The lagoon was created

6000 years ago. It was
once the Po delta where
the river met the sea
currents. The sea currents
created a chain of off-
shore islets. Together they
form the outer sea wall of
the lagoon. In the case
Venice, three such coastal
islets can be found today.
Venice Lagoon

Early Venice was a desolate place, with swampy ground. Boats were necessary for moving around. Farming was out of the
question and fresh water have to bought in from the mainland. Early Venetian lived as hunter, fishermen and boatman. The
place was not worthy for anyone to invade.
 Developing Republic
800 - 1200
8C - The origin of Wealth

Salt marshes being rebuilt in southern part of the Venetian lagoon, with their shore line protected to prevent erosion. Photo by Luka
Dakskobler.

The Venetian found a way to make a living, by producing salts. By the 8C the Republic was dominated by the salt trade,
which became the foundation for its maritime trade. Venice became prosperous.
First appointed Doge in 697
Earlier doges, governors of Venice were
appointed by Byzantine Emperor, as city regarded
itself as part of the Byzantine Empire.

Later doges were elected by the public.

Candidates went through 21 layers of selections
and eliminations (listed on the Golden Book) of
vetting before chosen to be doges. At some
stage a lot was drawn from a hat by a child
plucked off the street to ensure randomness and
no one family or group can be in power
continuously.

In one or two incidences doges can also be

forced out of office by the Council of Ten, which is
responsible of state security.

In addition, there were post-boxes known as

Bocca di Leone (Lion’’s Mouth) for anyone to use
to expose or to denounce anonymously any
corruptions in the city.

Venice was by no means insensitive to the welfare

of its poorer subjects. Surprisingly the system
worked as intended. Venice enjoyed great stability.
No citizen was above the law and the city
commanded the loyalty of its citizen. The republics A Bocca di Leone (Lion’s Mouth) post-box for anonymous
lasted well over a thousand years. Denunciations in Venice. With the inscription, “Secret
Denunciations against anyone who will conceal favours and
services or will collude to hide the true revenue from them”.
828 St Mark Relics

Mosaic above the doorway on the far right of San Marco Basilica, showing how the relics of St Mark’s body was smuggled
from Alexandria underneath slides of pork.
Venice invented her own history. The founding of the city in 421 and the visit of St Mark to Aquileia, a small town near Venice,
lack authenticity. In 828 to put Venice among major Christian cities, Venetian smuggled the relics of St Mark from Alexandria
back to the city. Thus Venice became an important place on the Christian maps but the truth is that the myth was invented.
Rising Naval Power

A model of a Venetian galley, manned with rowers. Note the cannons positioned in the front of the warship. Other galleys were
equipped with lateen sails. Museo Storico Navale. Venice.

Venetian Naval Power

Around 841, Venice sent a fleet of 60 galleys (each carrying 200 men) to assist the Byzantines in driving the Arabs from
Crotone, but it failed (Wikipedia – Republic of Venice). In other words Venice already has a powerful navy. More often the
Venetian warships were galleys with lateen sail (triangular). By late 11C and throughout the 12C, Venice traded with Egypt,
crusader states and Byzantine Empire. Trading voyages normally in group of 10-12 transport galleys, one or two large sailing
ships and a few escorting war galleys. In 1123, it provided a transport fleet a total of up to 120 ships for the northern
crusaders. By supporting the Crusaders, Venetian often gained exclusive trading rights for ports.
1104 Arsenale

Construction of the dockyard began c1104. It became the largest industrial site of its days. It produced the majority of Venice’s
maritime ships. It operated an assembly lines, with prefabricated parts like rigging, munitions etc. With its mass-producing
method, it could produce nearly one ship each day, with standard fit out parts. This was some 300 years before the Industrial
Revolution in the 18C. The dockyard Arsenale was a major reason why Venice was so successful in dominated the maritime
trade for such a long time.
 The Maritime Empire
1200 - 1500
10C-13C - The rise of Maritime Republic 1

A Genoese fort in Sudak, Crimea, Black Sea.

Maritime Republic

From the late10C to the mid-11C, we saw the rise of the maritime city-state republic of Genoa, Pisa and Regusa, joining the
more established republic of Venice and Amalfi. Fleets of ships were being built to link up the trading network on the eastern
Mediterranean, to Egypt, Anatolia, the western Mediterranean and beyond to northern Europe. All these republics have
similar but not identical system of governments, dominated by the merchant class.
10C-13C - The rise of Maritime Republic 2

Dubrovnik was at the heart of the Ragusa maritime Republic.

Maritime Republic. Cont.

These republics also provided transport for the Crusaders and benefited from their conquests. They scrambled to setup
outposts and colonies on Mediterranean islands and coasts along the Adriatic, Aegean Sea, Black Sea and Greece . They
were the fore-runners of the European colonial empires,16C and after.

These maritime republics expanded their naval power to protect their merchant ships from pirate (Saracen), as well as
defending the overseas outposts against competitors. The rivalry between the two most successful maritime powers, Venice
and Genoa were particularly fierce.

One surprise about these maritime republic were their longevity and their stability. Venice lasted well over a thousand years,
others are not far behind, lasting about 8 centuries or so. These maritime republics were the distribution hubs for trades on
the silk route, linking Europe, the Middle East and the Orient in trade.
Trade in the 1400 showing Venetian and Genoese possessions in the Mediterranean. The Venetian colonies were mainly in
the Adriatic Sea, the mainland Greece and in the Greek Islands, together with Crete and Cyprus. The Genoese possessions
were mainly on the Greek islands off the coast of Turkey.
Venetian Fortress in the Mediterranean

Kotor, Montenegro Trogir, Croatia

Othello Fort, Famagusta, Cyprus

Koules Fort, Heraklion, Crete.
Byzantine

Ancient Rome was split into Western and Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine). When the Western Empire was sacked by the
Germanic tribes, the Byzantine survived. Constantinople (modern Istanbul) was the capital of Byzantine. It was primary a Greek
Orthodox Empire.

Venice always looked to the east for inspirations. It has close ties with Byzantium. At one time Venice was under the Byzantine
influence. Venice merchants also traded the Middle East (Holy Land) and Egypt. As Venice became powerful, it signed a
defence pact in1082 with Byzantine that the Venetian navy would come to the aid of Byzantine if attack. In exchange Venice
gained trading concessions from Byzantine.
Byzantine & Venice

The Galata tower built by the Genoese, in 1348, dominate the skyline of the eastern half of the city, today.

In 11C, as the maritime trades grew, many citizens from Venice, Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi, had their own quarters in the
Constantinople. They also fought each others in the city. In 1171 the Byzantine government stepped in and seized the goods of
many Venetians and imprisoned them all. Thus ended the co-operation between the two powers.

In 1182, 60,000 foreign traders were massacre in Constantinople, Massacre of the Latins. Some 4000 survivors were sold as
slaves to the Turkish Sultanate of Rum. Although trading relations re-established later, but the underlying hostility remained.
Trading hub of Europe

Venice was the trading hub of Europe. The is the Fondaco dei Tedeschi on the Grand canal. It was the headquarters and
restricted living quarters of the city’s German merchants. It was first started in 1228. Other countries would have their own
trading quarters. The city also had a large Jewish population too. Normally, the ground floors were used as a warehouse for
goods. Expensive and exotic goods, like silk, spices, jewels from the Far East were dispatched from Venice to all over Europe.
1500 - 1700
Declining Venice
Ottoman Empire
Constantinople fell in 1453 to the Ottoman Empire. It
was inevitable after the Venetian and the Crusaders
had weakened the Byzantine Empire.

The collapse of the Byzantine Empire allowed the

Ottoman Empire expanded into Greece, the Balkan
and the Adriatic. Venice started off well sending
Venetian artist Gentile Bellini to the court of Mehmed
II. Venice also negotiated with the Ottoman to gain
overland routes to Aleppo and Alexandria. Venice
remained as a major trading maritime power in the
Eastern Mediterranean, even doubling its fleet, until
the loss of Cyprus in 1571.

Left - Mehmed II
painted by Gentile
Bellini in 1479.

Right – Venetian and Turks would have met in

Constantinople, across the Golden Horn. 16C Ottoman
manuscript.
Venice continue trading into 16C

Venetian Delegation at Damascus. c1513-16. From the workshop of Gentile Bellini. Italian. Musee du Louvre. Paris.

Venice continued trading with the East even after the discovery of sea routes to the Americas and to Asia.
1450 The zenith of Naval Power

A galley was a type of ship that was propelled mainly by rowing. This was a typical design of the 16C war galley. Although it carried
several cannons on the ship, it relied mainly on their crews to fight the enemy in boarding actions.

Wikipedia divides the history of Venetian navy into three main phases. Between 8C to 11C was the origins of Venice’s naval
power. Between 12C to first half 15C, with the construction of Venetian Arsenal, allowed Venice to dominate the
Mediterranean. By 1450, some 3800 Venetian merchant ships were in operation, both as supply ships for Venetian
merchants and as warships for the Venetian navy. The final phase between the second half of 15C to 18C, coping with the
expanding military power of the Ottoman Empire and the its declining maritime trade.
1571 Lepanto

The Battle of Lepanto of 1571 (Detail), painted in c1640 by Flemish artist Andries van Eertveit (1590-1652). Private collection.

During the 16C, the Ottoman Empire seemed unstoppable. The world’s trade between the East and the West were dominated by
Muslim traders. By the mid-16C, the Ottoman Empire was in control of all north African coasts, Egypt, the Middle East down to
the Persian Gulf. In the eastern Mediterranean, Venetian possessions were lost to the expanding Ottoman Empire including
Cyprus. The Turk was entering central and eastern Europe, Budapest was lost too and so were the shores of the Adriatic.

In 1571, the Holy League was form to engage the Turks in a sea battle, the Battle of Lepanto. The Holy League had about 200
warships and about 70,000 men and the Turks had about 250 ships with about 80,000 men. Venice provided over half of the
ships. Spain contributed a quarter of the ships and Genoa & others made up the rest. It was a decisive victory for the Holy
League. 137 Turkish ships were captured and 50 ship sunk. It was a turning point. It ended the Ottoman’s maritime ambition on
Europe.
The End of the Serene Republic

A view of 19C Venice, Snow and Fog on the Grand Canal. 1840. Ippolito Caffi. Galleria d’Arte Moderna. Ca’Pesaro.
Venice..
In 1796 Venice has no powerful navy. Napoleon crossed into neutral its territories and Venice surrendered unconditionally,
thus ended just over one thousand one hundred years history of the republic. During its existence, Venice has created a
stable, effective and enduring government. It invented the factory production system long before anyone else. From its
humble and desolate beginning in the marshy lagoon, it created one of the most power and prosperous state of its time.
Venice also has to reinvent itself after the collapse of its maritime trade. Venice also left behind a wealth of artistic
achievements. The era of city-states had ended, superseded by the rise of the nation-states and colonialism.
 Conclusion
Its origins date back to the 5 th century
when the residents of the inland areas of
Veneto sought refuge on the lagoon in order
to escape the Barbarian invasions . Until
the 8 th century the city was under Byzantine
rule, then subsequently controlled by an
oligarchic government it developed its
wealth and influence until, in 1200, it
reached the height of its power, dominating
trade between the Mediterranean and the
East. It kept its independence until the
mid-1800s, when it was annexed to the
Lombardo Veneto kingdom by the Austro-
Hungarian empire.