History Walks in Venice

La cazza del toro — Running with bulls — Habiti delle Donne Venetiane — 12

A monochrome print of a street scene with two bulls. In the foreground, a woman (on the right) with her dress hitched up and wearing flat shoes, holds a rope tied to the horns of a bull, while a man (on the left) drags away a large, agitated dog. Behind them, two other men hold ropes tied to the horns of the same bull. In the background, a man and a woman, her skirt hitched up, run after a bull, holding on to ropes tied to the bull's horns. A dog is attacking the running bull.

This print depicts the traditional bull hunts or bull runs, which often took place in Venice. They were especially popular for the grand feast on Fat Thursday (Giovedì grasso) during the famous carnival.

Bulls were let loose in the squares, at times with ropes tied to their horns, and people ran in front or behind them, and sometimes dogs were set on the bulls.

Source: Habiti delle Donne Venetiane, published by Giacomo Franco, c. 1610, in Venice.

A monochrome print of a street scene with two bulls. In the foreground, a woman (on the right) with her dress hitched up and wearing flat shoes, holds a rope tied to the horns of a bull, while a man (on the left) drags away a large, agitated dog. Behind them, two other men hold ropes tied to the horns of the same bull. In the background, a man and a woman, her skirt hitched up, run after a bull, holding on to ropes tied to the bull's horns. A dog is attacking the running bull.

Running with bulls

It is customary in the noble City of Venice to hold a festival on the day of Fat Thursday,1 in St. Mark’s Square, for the recreation of the people; to which the Most Serene Prince2 and the illustrious Signoria3 attend, and the young men usually run with the bulls through the City, to amuse themselves with such pastimes and give pleasure to others; and because not only men are accustomed to running, but also some courtesans.

Therefore, we have placed this figure of good design, in which two women are represented running gracefully.

Notes

  1. The feast of Giovedì Grasso (Fat Thursday) was a major event during the Venetian carnival, celebrating a Venetian victory over the Patriarch of Aquileia in 1162. ↩︎
  2. The doge was the head of the Republic of Venice — main articles: The Doge and Doges of Venice. ↩︎
  3. The Serenissima Signoria were the Doge and the six Councillors of the Doge, appointed annually by the Maggior Consiglio, the closest the Republic of Venice had to an executive.. ↩︎

Original texts

La cazza del toro

Costumasi nella nobilissa Città di Venetia far una festa il giorno della Giobia grassa per re­creatione del popolo nella piazza di San Marco; alla quale assiste il Serenissimo Principe, & l’illustrissima Signoria, & da i giovani si suol correr con i Tori per la Città, per recrearsi con tali spassi, e dar piacere ad altri; e perche non solo gli huomini sogliono correre; ma ancora alcune meretrici.

Però habbiamo posta questa figura di bel dissegno, nella quale con bello atto vi sono rappresentate due donne a correre.

Text from the 1878 edition

Chasing the bull

On the last Thursday of carneval (Giovedì grasso) it is the custom in Venice, for the entertainmen of the people, to give a fete in St. Marks square at which are present the Doge and the «Signoria». Young people and sometimes courtisans then run with the Bulls through the city to amuse themselves and others with this pastime.

This is why in our picture of this fete two women appear running.

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Bibliography

  • Franco, Giacomo. Habiti delle donne venetiane intagliate in rame nuovamente da Giacomo Franco. Venezia : F. Ongania, 1878. [more] 🔗
  • Franco, Giacomo. Habiti delle donne venetiane intagliate in rame nuouamente. 1610. [more] 🔗

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