History of Venice
City of uncertain origins, it seems that Venice is born following the flow of refugees that left the city of Aquileia, when it was destroyed by the Huns led by Attila and withdrew about 118 islands lagoon. They were joined later that other people left the Plains padana under the pressure of invasion by the Lombards in northern Italy in 568.
Situated at the border of the Byzantine Empire, developed a strong spirit of independence that led her to be a city state that formed the maritime republics, along with Genoa, Pisa and Amalfi. The chief minister was the Doge (from the Latin dux), theoretically elected for life, but in practice, often forced to put his or her duties as a result of unsatisfactory results of his government.
Venice was the largest medieval Italian merchant power.
Venetian institutions have their roots in the early Middle Ages, when (late seventh century) appeared exactly the figure of the Doge, probably derived from the Byzantine dux who ruled the city when it was the orbit of Byzantine sovereignty (which is made Venice autonomous and is gradually released in whole in 1084). Equipped with very broad powers, the doge was flanked by a popular assembly, in 1172, was replaced by the Higher Council, an expression of the aristocracy, who assumed the role of effective government of the republic (in fact exercised by a small body within the Council itself, the Quaranta) relegates the doge honorary functions.
Since 1297 the institutional arrangements of the city is moving towards a close oligarchy, in fact, with the "lock", it stated that the Council could participate Maggior only those who were already members before or those who, exceptionally, were proposed by the Doge. This will drastically limit the possibility of social ascent for the bourgeois class, crystallized the power in the hands of a few aristocratic families, which in 1325 further tighten the rules for access, stating that that same Maggior Council could only be part those who had already held high office or their heirs towns.
The oligarchy blocked every social dynamism and defined as class inheritance. This closure, however, was not accepted by all without response, nor were some attempts to claim personal power. In 1355, the Doge Marin Faliero tried to give the republic a noble attitude, taking most of the powers, but his attempt was stopped by the Council. Following the city to prevent any attempt to blow of hand, established the Council of Ten, to prosecute conspiracies to maintain firm and the oligarchy.
Venice led by a strong military and mercantile oligarchy, between the end of the fourteenth century and the first half of the fifteenth, had unified the Veneto and Lombardy, and the continued struggles against Genoa for commercial dominance on the seas. Venice was defeated by Genoa in 1354, the war resumed in 1376 on the Taking into possession of the island, the entrance of the Strait of Dardanelles.
This islet was of major importance for the maritime trade in the Black Sea The conflict was that the war of Chioggia, because the Venetians, after an initial success, they were defeated by the Genoese in Pula, which occupied Chioggia and lay siege to Venice. The Venetians, however, managed to set a new fleet to lay siege to turn the Genoese at Chioggia, who were forced to surrender (1380). Peace of Turin (1381) confirmed the Venetian supremacy in the Mediterranean and marked the beginning of the decline of Genoa.
At the end of the fourteenth century, after the Peace of Turin, to keep pace with the Duchy of Milan, Venice took companies of mercenaries led by prestigious leaders such as Gattamelata (Erasmo da Narni) or Carmagnola (di Francesco Bussone), taking l 'expansion into the mainland, under the leadership of Doge Francesco Foscari (1423-1457). Venice conquered part of Lombardy.
In 1433 (Pace of Ferrara), Filippo Maria Visconti was forced to give in Brescia and Bergamo and with peace of Cremona (1441) was forced to sell other lands. Francesco Sforza after the Peace of Lodi (1454) recognized the Venetian border all'Adda. The rich and fertile land in possession assured in Venice not only to significant revenue and a market for its products, but also safe supply when, following the fall of Constantinople, the increased pressure on the Turkish city.
At the height of his power, Venice controlled much of the coast of the Adriatic, many of the Aegean islands, including Crete, and between the major commercial forces in the Middle East. The territory of the republic in Italy extended to Lake Garda and the river Adda. Compared to standard time, the government of their territories was illuminated, and many of the city controlled by Venice, such as Bergamo, Brescia and Verona veneziana claimed sovereignty over the threat of foreign invasions.
Although the population of the city had a Catholic majority, the state remained secular and characterized by extreme tolerance towards other religions, there was no action for heresy during the counter-reform. This independent attitude and put the secular city often at odds with the State of the Church.
The loss of importance of the Mediterranean routes to new trade routes opened by the Atlantic voyages of exploration and colonization of the continents outside Europe, and the advance of the Turks (loss of Cyprus, 1571, Crete-Candia, 1669, the Peloponnese / Morea , 1718) marked the beginning of the decadence of the Republic. Meanwhile patriciate by merchant class was turning into aristocracy because land was cheaper to invest their assets in the acquisition of significant large estate in the "Mainland Veneta.
In eighteenth century Venice was the most sophisticated cities in Europe, with a strong influence on art, architecture and literature of the time. Its territory included the Veneto, Friuli, Istria, Dalmatia, Kotor, part of Lombardy and the Ionian islands. But after 1070 years of independence, May 12 1797 the city was conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte. The Doge Ludovico Manin is forced Napoleon to abdicate. Is dissolved the Council and of the Venetian Republic was proclaimed the Provisional Government of the Municipality of Venice.
On 16 May 1797 French troops occupy Venice. With the restoration and the Treaty of Campoformio between the French and Austrians, on 17 October 1797 ends the Provisional Municipality of Venice and be transferred to Austria Veneto, Istria, Dalmatia and the mouths of Kotor. Birth of the Province of Venice under Francis II of Habsburg Lorraine, with the arrival of the Austrians in the city on 18 January 1798.
Following the restoration after the Napoleonic period, on 9 June 1815 with the Congress of Vienna to Venice passes Lombardo-Veneto Kingdom and in 1866 joined the Kingdom of Italy.