Venetian State
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Sestiere – sestieri
Venice is divided into six sestiere whose origin is as old as the city of Venice itself. As far as we know, they have always been there.
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The statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni
There aren’t a lot of statues in Venice to commemorate great men of the past, but there is one for Bartolomeo Colleoni, who wasn’t even Venetian.
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The Fall of Venice
The fall of Venice on May 12th, 1797, was the result of a war that the Republic of Venice formally wasn’t even party to.
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Venice might not have been
Venice was an independent state for almost a millennium, but it might note have been. It all hinged on a single battle fought in the Venetian lagoon in 810.
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Why St Mark?
San Marco, or St Mark, is the patron saint of Venice since 828, and the Feast of St Mark on April 25th is an important day in Venice.
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The United States of America and the Republic of Venice
The founding fathers of the United States of America sought inspiration, and looked to Venice, the oldest of only two republics in Europe in the 1700s.
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John Adams on the Venetian constitution
John Adams wrote about the Venetian constitution in 1787 in the “A Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America”.
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Invasions of Italy in Late Antiquity
In late Antiquity the north-east of the Italian peninsula suffered many invasions. The wars caused people to move to the safer lagoon areas, and hence to the foundation of Venice.
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The Birthday of Venice
The Birthday of Venice of is traditionally on March 25th, 421 CE, but this is far more legend than historical truth.
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The Consiglio Maggiore
The Consiglio Maggiore – or the Great Council – was the highest authority of the Venetian Republic. It was not, however, an elected body. It was the entire electorate.