VENICE

Historical and geographical preface.

1. Medieval Venice.

2. Renaissance period.

3. Modern Venice.

Venice was laid in the middle of the 5th century inhabitants of the solid land, fleeing from barbarian raids. The population found refuge on the islands and thus managed to preserve their own culture. Entire communities emigrated with priests and bishops. The islands became part of the Latin culture completely separated from the barbarians, albeit under the auspices of the Orthodox Byzantium. About in the ninth century began the process of formation of the new Venetian state.

On the east coast peninsula, washed by the Adriatic Sea, lies the port of Italy - Venice. This city is located on 118 islands. Two large bridges lead to the city from the shore of the Venetian Lagoon. Instead of streets, the whole city is cut through by canals, along which boats scurry, nimble, water trams, gliding gondolas. This is urban transport. It replaces the bus, trolleybus, metro here.

For a long time, water has threatened Venice. Its level in the channels increases annually. For fifteen centuries of its existence, the city has gone under water by one and a half meters. There are different opinions: some say that the islands are collapsing and settling, that the piles are rotten, others consider the appearance of a motor fleet to be the main problem. Waves shake piles, wash away foundations. Projects to save Venice are being proposed, but they are very expensive.

For many centuries Venice was the capital of the rich Venetian Republic. Like Genoa, she traded with many countries. Wealthy merchants built in the city luxurious palaces- palazzos, erected majestic cathedrals, connected the islands with bizarre openwork bridges. The most beautiful palazzos are built along the main street» - on the banks of the Grand Canal. Most of these palaces are empty, their owners come to Venice only in summer. In the center of the city is a huge square of St. Mark. It is surrounded by buildings that once housed the government offices of the Venetian Republic. Particularly beautiful is the Cathedral of St. Mark and the Doge's Palace - the rulers of the republic. Since ancient times, Venice has been famous for the production of artistic glass and lace. Nowadays, Venice (more precisely, its suburbs of Mestre and Marghera) are important ports.

1. Medieval Venice.

In the middle Ages, 1200-1300, in connection with the development of water commercial routes (the famous Marco Polo), a huge amount of spices began to be brought to Venice from the East: pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves. AT total 2500 tons per year. Interestingly, cloves in those days were used as chewing gum, which, moreover, gave a pleasant smell. At this time, sugar was first brought here. A variety of food supplies were delivered to Venice: from Syria - pistachio nuts, from Armenia - apricots, from Lebanon - peaches, from Persia - asparagus.

The Venetians did not use the vast majority of spices to add to food, but used them as money to pay for a wide variety of services. This peculiar coin existed for a long time in Venice, along with 5 thousand tons of gold brought annually. Here, already during this period, the first insurance companies were opened, where spices were delivered by gondolas. The pirates, who were watching these maneuvers in advance, often attacked them, so the cargo was usually accompanied by government guards.

Venetian fleet transported crusaders to fight the Muslims. Therefore, after the victories won, the Republic was generously rewarded for the services rendered. Many of these gifts can still be seen in the central Piazza San Marco.

In those days, it was customary to throw waste directly from the windows onto the ground. Naturally, it was quite difficult for pedestrians to alleviate their plight a little, they used shoes on a high platform. Noble Venetians they hardly left the house and took air baths on their terrace in the company of children and old people. Many moved around the city on horseback, so there were no steps on the bridges. The streets of Venice were not cleaned by anyone, and if the voracious pigs, of which there were a large number in the city, did not eat garbage, then they hoped only for a spill of water.

To supply the city drinking water At first, wells were drilled right in the ground, and then special devices were built on the squares to collect rainwater. This method worked for quite a long time, only about 100 years ago the first water supply was installed in Venice. On Piazza San Marco, under the bell tower, wine was sold on tap. And why under the bell tower? Yes, because a shadow departed from it, and the enterprising Venetians, so that this drink would not deteriorate, gradually moved with a barrel in the direction of the bell shadow. Therefore, here the word "shadow" is immediately compared with wine. Central Islands, where the main part of the population was located, were surrounded by walls, and the main channel, which gave rise to the Grand Canal, was blocked off by massive chains at night. Thus, locals defended themselves against barbarian attacks. The Venetians were not limited to fishing in the vicinity of the islands or the extraction of salt. They were brave and skilful sailors and made good use of their new location. Venice began to develop intensively thanks to maritime commerce and was, as it were, a bridge between East and West.

2. Renaissance period.

During the Renaissance, 1400-1600, signs of decline begin to be felt in Venice for the first time, continuing until the fall of Venice (late 1700s). With the increasing frequency of Turkish raids and the discovery of America, trips to the East are reduced. Therefore, the rich inhabitants of Venice of this period invest in the construction of palaces, which were built both in Venice itself and near the city. Thus, luxurious villas with beautiful parks were erected in the neighborhood of Venice. summer holiday noble nobles.

In the 15th century, Venice passed wholesale famine. This was due to the fact that local agricultural products cost much more than those brought from the East. Men leave their homes in the hope of finding some kind of work, but for many this goal remains out of reach. Then women are forced to support their families themselves. At that time, in Venice, with a population of 100,000, there were 11,000 street women. But hunger took its toll, and specially created detachments threw the dead directly into the canals.

The central political and social structure of Venice, as the only ruling class, was the nobility, but not of feudal, but of commercial origin, around which other layers were located: free artels and merchants. This system worked well for almost five centuries until the fall of the Republic. Management relied on popular support, and the repressive apparatus was reduced to a minimum. The masses fully supported the social structure, which gave a deep flowering to art. Architecture, painting, theater and music developed with extraordinary rapidity, the influence of which still distinguishes Venice from all other cities in the world.

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Presentation on the topic: Medieval city of Venice

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The origin of Venice The name of the city comes from the region of Venetia, and that - from the Veneti tribe, who lived here in Roman times. However, under the Romans, there was no urban settlement in the lagoon. People began to settle in the Venetian lagoon after the invasions of the barbarians - the Visigoths, the Huns of Attila and the Lombards - who passed here in the 5th-6th centuries and devastated cities on the continent, the most significant of which was Aquileia. An urban settlement on the islands of the Venetian lagoon began to be created in the second half of the 6th century.

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Venice is now Venice (ital. Venezia, ven. Venesia) - a city in northern Italy on the Adriatic coast. Known primarily for the fact that the historical part is located on the islands and canals. In the Middle Ages, Venice was the center of the Republic of Venice, one of the most important states in the Mediterranean. Currently a major tourist and industrial center, the capital of the Veneto region and the province of Venice. Population - 270.4 thousand inhabitants

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In the 7th century, on the initiative of Byzantium, to which they formally belonged, the islands were united under the rule of a single ruler - the Doge. The first doge, Paolo Lucio Anafesto, was elected in 697, for which there is no documentary evidence, and replaced the Byzantine Magister militum, who ruled the entire province. From the middle of the 8th century, the Doge was elected in Venice; should not have approved Byzantine emperor. The first documented election of a doge took place in 727; in total, 120 doges were elected in the history of the city. The last, Lodovico Manin, abdicated in 1797.

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The last "Byzantine" city in Italy After the occupation (751) of Ravenna by the Lombards, Venice remained the last territory in Italy, formally under the control of Byzantium. After the inclusion of the rest of Italy in the empire of Charlemagne, it actually remained a link connecting Byzantium and the Western world, which contributed to the rapid growth of Venice as a trading city.

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Growth of Venice as a trading state In the 9th century, the commercial growth of Venice was held back by the danger of invasion by the Hungarians, Slavs, Normans or Arabs (in 975 the Muslim fleet reached the city of Grado). During the reign of Doge Pietro II Orseolo (991-1009), Venice managed to conclude agreements with all the powers surrounding it, ensuring the independence of the city and unhindered trade, and also began the territorial expansion of the republic, capturing territories in Dalmatia.

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What is Venice like? In 828, the relics of St. Mark, stolen in Alexandria, were transferred to Venice and placed in a cathedral specially built for this purpose. By the end of the 9th century, Venice acquired the structure, with islands and canals, that it retains to this day. To protect against a possible invasion of the Hungarians, a defensive system was built with walls and a chain blocking the entrance to the Grand Canal.

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the economic and political rise of Venice Some historians attribute the economic and political rise of Venice to the transfer of the religious fervor and greed of the crusaders from the Muslim East to Christian Byzantium. in the East.

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Fall of the Republic On May 1, 1797, Napoleon declared war on Venice. Doge Ludovico Manin gathers the Great Council, which included 1169 members. 619 members came to the Council, who decided to fulfill any will of Napoleon. On May 9, Napoleon gave instructions to replace the authorities with a new municipal council, recruited from the bourgeoisie, and to let the French army into the city. On May 12, at the Grand Council, Doge Ludovico Manin announced his abdication; only one member opposed it. After that, the Council, frightened by the shots from the guns (not French, loyal Dalmatian soldiers fired into the air, leaving the city), adopted the reforms proposed by Napoleon. Despite the lack of a quorum, the Republic of San Marco ceased to exist with 512 votes in favor and 20 against. Manin took off his regal korno headdress and said, "I don't need it anymore." On May 15, 1797, French troops entered Venice.

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Sources: John Norwich. History of the Republic of Venice = John Julius Norwich. A History of Venice. New York, 1982. - M.: AST, 2009. - 896 p. - ISBN 978-5-17-059469-6Oke Jean-Claude. Medieval Venice = Jean-Claude Hocquet. Venice au MoyenÂge. - 1st ed. - M.: Veche, 2006. - 384 p. - ISBN 5-9533-1622-4 by Garrett Martin. Venice: history of the city = Garrett Martin. Venice: a Cultural and Literary Companion. - 1st ed. - M.: Eksmo, 2007. - 352 p. - ISBN 978-5-699-20921-7Sokolov N.P. Formation of the Venetian colonial empire. - Saratov University Press, 1963. Luzzatto J. Economic history of Italy. Antiquity and the Middle Ages. = G. Luzzatto. Storia Economica d "Italia. Roma. 1949. - M .: Foreign Literature Publishing House, 1954.

Popular with tourists a beautiful city on the water Venice is located on 118 islands connected by 150 canals and 409 bridges. During the construction of all buildings, the craftsmen used a special technique that made it possible to firmly strengthen the foundation and successfully withstand the daily "sea bathing" of the building. To understand the unique way of building houses on the water will help information about how Venice was built. And information about the sewerage system and its state of the art has been shocking many visitors for more than one century.

How Venice was built: history

The exact date of the founding of the city is unknown, but according to scientists, the first settlement was founded by the tribes of the Venets, who lived here in the XII-XI centuries. BC e. During the fall of the Roman Empire, the inhabitants who fled from it settled on the small island of Rialto, which was located in the center of the lagoon in northern Italy. The territory was completely covered with reeds and turned out to be unsuitable for agriculture.

The first settlement was formed on the islands of the lagoon, which were hundreds of small wetlands in shallow water. They were formed from sediments of silt and soil, which over the millennia turned into thin strips of land between depressions with water.

Such soil became the basis for the invention of the way houses were built in Venice in the early years. The settlers chose more elevated areas of land, then erected walls from clay and the roots of the “grollo” weed, which grew right there in the swamps. The roof was built from tree branches, with bundles of swamp reeds and straw tied up on top of them. Such houses turned out to be a temporary shelter, the inhabitants of which, as the troops advanced, returned to the mainland to their native homes.

Refugee settlements in Venice

In the 6th century, during the reign of the Lombard dynasty, the wealthy families of the Veneto migrated to the islands, fleeing the invasion of conquerors. The settlers who arrived were accustomed to living in more luxurious conditions, and not in simple huts. Therefore, they immediately began to build already two-story houses, in which the 1st clay floor was used for a warehouse, and the second was made of wood and was intended for living quarters.

As new refugees arrived, more territory was needed, for which the settlers had to drain the wetlands and fortify the shores of the bay. It also required the construction of berths in order to transport people and goods. The banks were fortified with a barrier of wooden trunks to raise the level of the surface, on which stones and earth were thrown from above, and then houses were built.

Initially, the settlers settled 124 islands, building independent settlements. In each, stone residential buildings and churches began to be built. Over time, each settlement expanded, houses began to be built according to the plans that were used in those days for building cities: central square, around which public buildings were erected; residential buildings were located on the divergent streets. A rainwater collector was also built, which provided the population with drinking water.

As you move in a large number islands and the systematic drainage of swamps began to build bridges between them, which helped people move and transport goods.

Capital of the Venetian Republic

The central place of Venice was the island of Rialto ("high coast"), which was the safest. In 810, he became the head of the expanded settlement, officials and the government moved here. In connection with such political events, this part of the city required redevelopment and new development.

The Venetian state was supposed to have its own army, weapons, warehouses for goods and houses for wealthy citizens, as well as a residence for the Doge. Initially, the capital was called "Civitas Rivoalti" (the city of Rialto), and only in the XIII century the name was changed to Venice.

The choice of the capital in favor of the island of Rialto was made due to its inaccessibility. Because he was surrounded by the waters of the deep sea ​​bay, other people's large ships could not approach him. During the founding of the capital here, 14 churches had already been built on the island, around which the construction of the city center continued.

The beginning of the planned development of Venice

The land on the islands consisted of several layers, which were soft and loose, and therefore unsuitable for supporting the weight of monumental stone buildings. Builders and architects were invited to solve the problems of ensuring the sustainability of future buildings and figure out how to build Venice on the water.

It was decided to drive piles into the ground, which were brought across the sea. According to their strength characteristics, only 2 types of wood were suitable: oak and larch, the latter has the specific property of becoming more durable when located under water.

To drain the territory, a dam was first erected, then piles were driven, which were previously treated with special solutions and resins. For a small residential building, 6-7 rows of piles were made, for more tall buildings- "pile field". The trunks were hammered into the soil to the level where solid earth began.

The dimensions of the piles were: thickness 20 cm, length 3 m, 2 layers of wooden beams were laid on top of them, on top of which it was already possible to lay stones for the foundation of the building. According to historians, the total number of piles installed under the buildings of Venice is about 1 million.

The properties of local silt also contributed to the preservation of wood, which stuck around the tree in the form of a protective layer and did not allow air to pass through, blocking the penetration of bacteria and animals. Such amazing properties of the mud helped to avoid damage to the piles and their decay. It was the unique properties of Venetian silt that ensured the long life and operation of buildings in the city and allowed the builders to come up with a new method of building Venice and preserving its buildings.

Wood

There are no forest plantations on the territory of the Venetian Republic, therefore all the wood for construction had to be brought from the mountainous regions of Slovenia and Croatia. These were huge larches and oaks, which were first floated along the rivers and then delivered to the islands by sea. According to some reports, wood was also brought from Russia in the form of Perm larch or "karagai".

Due to the properties of local silt and the deep location of the piles, the access of oxygen to the wood was blocked. Therefore, microorganisms and fungi, which usually have a destructive effect on trees, died. Under the influence of sea water and mineral mud, wood has petrified over many centuries.

Venetian builders came up with not only a way to build Venice, but also how to increase the stability and lightness of city buildings. Wood began to be used by analogy with brickwork, in the form of strips of wooden piles. Such details, called "reme", were placed horizontally, at certain intervals between the masonry. They acted as "bearings", i.e. more evenly distributed the load on the walls and roof slabs.

The inner walls of Venetian buildings were also laid with beams called "skorzoni", which were located vertically and reduced the severity of the building.

Istrian stone

The next question about how to build houses on the water in Venice, the architects decided by choosing a stone for buildings. To build a city on swampy soil, a special stone was needed that would not collapse under the influence of sea water. The most suitable was one of the types of limestone found on the Istrian peninsula (Croatia) in the Adriatic Sea and called "Istrian".

Such a building material had remarkable properties:

• had high water resistance and water resistance due to the porous surface;
• was weather resistant;
• had sufficient strength, could withstand a large mass of the building without cracking;
• it was cut simply enough to form bricks;
• possessed resistance to erosion and abrasion;
• looked great visually, because it was painted in a beautiful color, reminiscent of marble.

90% of the buildings built in Venice are made of Istrian sandstone. The stone turned out to be an ideal material for the intermediate layer between the wooden piles and the brickwork from which the walls of the building were erected. It perfectly protects the building from erosion and destruction. Nowadays, such stone is still successfully mined in the quarries of Croatia and used for the restoration of old buildings in Venice. It is also used for the construction of new buildings.

Venice urban style

Due to frequent fires, Venetian builders decided to give preference to brick and stone masonry when erecting buildings. To understand how the city of Venice and the multi-storey buildings in it were built, let's turn to the architectural principles of the building of that time.

The urban planning style of the “city on the water” was formed taking into account the absence of a possible military attack, so defensive structures were not erected. Public and residential buildings had wide openings, numerous decorations, columns and decorative elements. Each house had direct access to the water, where the facade of the building went. Inside, the architects planned a courtyard with a garden or fountain.

In 1501, magistrates of reservoirs were created in the city, which operate to this day. Their functions include providing hydraulic works, granting concessions to individuals or groups, religious societies. They indicate the working area, delivery, protective measures to remove debris from the water. The contracts imply an obligation to build bridges and building foundations. If they were not fulfilled, all property was transferred to the municipality.

How Venice was built: sewerage

There is no centralized sewerage system in the city at all, and its function is performed by small channels through which garbage and waste from the city's vital activity are carried directly to the Grand Canal and further to the Adriatic Sea. However, due to the regular ebb and flow of the tides, dirty water from the canals constantly flows into the lagoon. Therefore, in Venice, you can even see fish in the canals.

The Venetian lagoon is 56.5 km long and 9.6 km wide. It is separated from the Adriatic Sea by the straits of Lido, Chioggia and Malomocco, through which the fast current clears all the water and canals in the city. Thanks to them, Venice has existed for many centuries without a centralized sewage system.

Each palazzo has septic tanks in which waste accumulates, the lightest of which exits through holes in the walls or through pipes into the canal. Heavier fractions are pumped out by constantly plying sewage boats.

The main components of the internal sewage system in the house:

• waste receiver;
• siphons or hydraulic seals;
• networks of pipes laid inside the building and going outside;
• a special device for cleaning pipes and their inspection.

Previously, the waste passes through filters that are installed in the basement. However, to meet floating waste in the canal of Venice is quite real.

Now, in houses on some islands and on the mainland, a central sewage system has already been installed, but in the historical old part of the city everything remains the same.

The threat of flooding the city on the water

In recent years, the Venice City Council has provided little funding for the maintenance of canals, since all funds are directed to the construction of flood locks (5.4 billion euros). This is due to a plan to protect the city from constant flooding and flooding, due to which there is a gradual subsidence of buildings. Over the past 50 years, Venice has sunk by 23 cm, and the process of flooding continues by 1-2 mm annually.

Venice has been a city-museum for many years, which attracts millions of tourists to admire the beautiful palazzos and canals along which romantic gondolas glide. Many of the people do not even think about how Venice was built and why the buildings have been perfectly preserved for several centuries. All this is thanks to the first builders and architects of the city, who thought out a unique principle for the construction of multi-storey buildings.

During the Middle Ages, the city-state of Venice controlled almost all trade between Europe, Asia and Africa, acquiring wealth and influence in the world.

Venice was founded in Roman times by the Veneti, a tribe that fled to the swamps to escape the raids of the Celts and Hannibal's troops. The city was built on pillars and piles driven into the silt and on artificial islands separated by canals. They did not have land, so the ancient Venetians were engaged in fishing. Gradually, their small boats began to go farther and farther її the sea to trade. By 1100, Venice had become a prosperous city, and the merchants built luxurious palaces for themselves. Protected by the sea, the city did not need expensive fortifications. Venetian merchant ships roamed all over mediterranean sea, maintaining trade relations with the Byzantines and Arabs who traded with Russia, Asia and Africa. Imported goods were sent further to Europe. The multinational population of Venice - Jews, Germans, French, Italians and Arabs - introduced many innovations in trade.

Rising influence of Venice

In the XII century. Venetians increased their influence by taking part in Crusades. With the decline of Byzantine power, Venice took over its role in trade and used conveniently located islands such as Corfu and Crete as ports. Got rid of in the XIV century. from the competition of Genoa, the Venetians began to control all trade and transportation of goods between Europe and the East and reached their peak in the 15th century. Venice did not own land, but its influence in trade was so significant that Venetian silver dinars and gold ducats were widely used as money.

Venice was built on pillars and piles driven into the muddy bottom of the swamps. Channels were dug between the artificial islands, which are clearly visible in this 16th-century painting.

Like many other cities in medieval Italy, Venice was practically an independent city-state. Its rulers were called doges (from the Latin word "dux" - leader). Doges were chosen for life from the most influential Venetian families. They had almost unlimited power over the government, the army and the church. True, in 1140 this power was lost and passed to the Great Council.

The image of a lion - a symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist in a painting by the Italian painter V. Carpaccio (c. 1500) - became the emblem of Venice.

The Venetian Doge (doge) was the elected head of Venice from the 8th to the 18th century (until the title was abolished). The state of the Doge of Venice lasted for about a thousand years.

The activities of the doge were subjected to strict control. The head of Venice did not have the right to receive ambassadors of foreign states alone, open correspondence and own property outside the Venetian Republic. Doge's income was strictly controlled, all gifts received became the property of the city treasury. Such a fight against the corruption of power 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, national traditions and art within its city walls. The capital Venice is a progressive and tolerant (in the good sense of the word) city of the Middle Ages. Italo-Romans, Germans, Slavs lived and worked here together. In medieval democratic Venice, festive “parades of workers” were held, each type of urban craft represented its skuolo (school, workshop) at 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, who made up the Great Council, which made political decisions in the life of the city, participated in the elections of the Doge. Here the property qualification had a lot to do with it. The democracy of Venice was not as "democratic" as in Scandinavia or the German cities of the Middle Ages.

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

Lion of Saint Mark by Vittore Carpaccio

The first Doge of Venice, Paul Lucius Anafest, 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.

Parade suit. 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 urban clans. Orso Ipato was killed 10 years after his reign.

Palace facade

Until the 11th century, the doge's struggle for power could hardly be called a democracy, it was murders and intrigues in the style of the "Game of Thrones". For example, in 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 were held in 1071 after the expulsion of Doge Pietro Barbolano. People took to the city streets and started shouting "Domenicum Silvium volumes et laudamus" - We wish Domenico Selvo. Noble citizens carried the future Doge in their arms to the Cathedral of San Marco, where Domenico Selvo, barefoot in a simple undershirt, prostrated himself before the people and dressed in the ceremonial clothes of the Doge.

Canals of Venice

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

The choice of members of the Grand 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 the elections, which were taken from the urn. Metal balls, indistinguishable to the touch, contained the names of the voters and were counted with wooden pens to prevent substitution. From the name of this Venetian ball came the current word "run".

Palace in the rain

Then the balls were replaced with pieces of paper. With the help of a lottery, the Council determined eleven electors, who then voted for the Doge. The rules for selecting persons to vote were partially changed at each election to exclude possible bribery.

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

“On the day appointed for the elections, the youngest member of the signoria was supposed to pray in the Cathedral of San Marco. After 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 Grand Council, where all its members met, with the exception of those who were under thirty years old.

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

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

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

That's all about 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. After the leaflets were taken out, the names of the candidates were announced without taking into account the votes cast for them. In another urn, sheets of paper were dropped, each bearing a single name.

If a candidate was present in the hall, he left with any other voter bearing the same name, and the rest discussed his candidacy. The candidate was then invited to come in and answer questions or defend himself against the accusations against him. There was a vote, and if a 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 an excruciatingly complex system, it seems strange that anyone was chosen at all.”

A difficult election could take more than two weeks, the people were looking forward to the results of this lottery.
After the election, the doge was introduced to the people with the words “This is your doge, if it suits you,” and the head of Venice solemnly took the oath before the citizens. The coronation of the Doge was a special ritual.

The Doge received the camauro (white cap) from the youngest member of the Council and the Zogia (ceremonial crown) from the oldest. “Receive the crown of the Venetian duchy,” they said to the doge. At 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 in 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 given to understand that he was "a person of subordination and mercy." The doge walked barefoot to the altar, swore an oath, and the banner of St. Mark was handed to him. Then they put on a new dress, put him on a pozzetto and solemnly carried him 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 inform his wife about this news ... Then they led her to a new home, ”writes John Norwich about the doge's coronation.

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

The French chronicler Martineau describes the solemn jousting in Piazza San Marco, "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 magnificently decorated. Beautiful ladies and girls entered the pavilions, and other ladies approached the windows of the palaces. Monsignor Doge proceeded on foot from the Cathedral of San Marco, and after him all the patricians of Venice. People surrounded the square... This procession was followed by riders on fine horses and with expensive weapons. Then the tournament began, which was watched by the ladies. Ah, gentlemen, if you were there, you would have seen the beautiful blows of swords ... "

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

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

Medieval blacksmiths. The lady is also a drummer of labor

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

But the first prize for fantasy went to the hairdressers, who were led by two horsemen in full knightly attire and four "very strangely dressed ladies."

Dismounting before the doge, they introduced themselves: “Sire, we are two knights-errant. Traveled all over the world in search of luck. Having experienced many dangers and adventures, they won four beautiful ladies. If there is a knight in your court who is willing to risk his head 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 all the honors, 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 handed him 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 sailors, was located. The priest with a prayer of thanksgiving sprinkled the doge and his retinue with holy water, after which the remnants of the water were solemnly poured into the sea.

"Betrothal of the Doge 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 defend against Frederick Barbarossa. During the solemn sea procession, the Pope of Rome read a thanksgiving prayer service and threw a ring into the sea with the words "as a sign of true and eternal dominion." Since then, this rite was 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 spoil the weather everywhere."