Zorro
January 29th, 2011, 04:02 AM
In 828 two Venetian merchants, Buono di Malamocco and Rustico di Torcello,
returned from a trip to Alexandria, Egypt with what they proclaimed to be the
body of the Christian Apostle, Saint Mark. A basilica was built to house his
remains, and he replaced St. Theodore, a Byzantine-Greek saint, as the patron
saint, and protector of Venice. This put Venice up second only to Rome (with
Peter and Paul).
By this time the military and naval prowess of the Venetian Republic was
becoming legendary. Their boat building ability, naval expertise, and their
astute trading sense, their 'nose' for a deal, were turning them into one of
Europe's most formidable entities.
One decision they had made early on, which really gave them an edge, was
basically to have turned their backs on the west (Rome and Aachen), as well
as the politics of the Italian peninsula. When most of Europe was torn apart
by such conflicts as that between the Guelphs and the Ghibbelines, the Republic
remained serenely aloof, throughout the middle ages.
Instead it looked resolutely to the east, becoming a self-ruling satrap of the
Byzantine Empire and its capital, Constantinople. Here lay the repository of
Greek, and Roman, civilization; ancient Greece the motherland and ancient
Rome the fatherland of Byzantine culture, and of western civilization. Many
wealthy merchants of Venice would send their sons to Constantinople for their
higher education. And many a son brought home a Byzantine nobleman's
daughter as his bride.
The Republic was always trying to work as much independence from Constantinople
as it could, while remaining under its protection. And while paying theoretical
homage to the Holy Roman Emperor in Aachen, the ruling oligarchy in Venice
was systematically removing all Frankish sympathizers from its ranks. It made
alliance with Byzantium, when necessary, as when fighting the pirates of the
Adriatic (1000), the Saracens, and versus the Normans of Sicily (1082 - 85). It
continued to impose its authority on the eastern Adriatic coast (remember the word
slave is derived from the word Slav). The Doge of Rialto, as Venice was then known,
was also the Doge of Dalmatia. And Dalmatia was doubly important to Venice
because it was the primary source of its timber supply, so its construction industry
and its shipbuilding industry depended on it.
In Venice, the processing of salt went on, as the leading industry; ship building and
repair, and the building trades all flourished as merchants, and their backers became
increasingly wealthy. Evermore churches were built (guilty consciences eh?), as
were palaces, canals and bridges.
And again, the key was the timber supply, needed to keep the boats coming off the
assembly line at the Arsenal. Its shipping industry being what kept Venice alive.
And the, mostly pine, logs that were driven into the mud to provide foundations
for all its buildings.
And the merchants of Venice had earned a well deserved reputation for expertise in
the 'Asia trade'. It imported the finest oriental goods. In addition to the silks and
other cloths and the spices, there were precious stones and metals, coffee, tea,
fruits and vegetables unknown to most Europeans. Venice's treasury was overflowing.
returned from a trip to Alexandria, Egypt with what they proclaimed to be the
body of the Christian Apostle, Saint Mark. A basilica was built to house his
remains, and he replaced St. Theodore, a Byzantine-Greek saint, as the patron
saint, and protector of Venice. This put Venice up second only to Rome (with
Peter and Paul).
By this time the military and naval prowess of the Venetian Republic was
becoming legendary. Their boat building ability, naval expertise, and their
astute trading sense, their 'nose' for a deal, were turning them into one of
Europe's most formidable entities.
One decision they had made early on, which really gave them an edge, was
basically to have turned their backs on the west (Rome and Aachen), as well
as the politics of the Italian peninsula. When most of Europe was torn apart
by such conflicts as that between the Guelphs and the Ghibbelines, the Republic
remained serenely aloof, throughout the middle ages.
Instead it looked resolutely to the east, becoming a self-ruling satrap of the
Byzantine Empire and its capital, Constantinople. Here lay the repository of
Greek, and Roman, civilization; ancient Greece the motherland and ancient
Rome the fatherland of Byzantine culture, and of western civilization. Many
wealthy merchants of Venice would send their sons to Constantinople for their
higher education. And many a son brought home a Byzantine nobleman's
daughter as his bride.
The Republic was always trying to work as much independence from Constantinople
as it could, while remaining under its protection. And while paying theoretical
homage to the Holy Roman Emperor in Aachen, the ruling oligarchy in Venice
was systematically removing all Frankish sympathizers from its ranks. It made
alliance with Byzantium, when necessary, as when fighting the pirates of the
Adriatic (1000), the Saracens, and versus the Normans of Sicily (1082 - 85). It
continued to impose its authority on the eastern Adriatic coast (remember the word
slave is derived from the word Slav). The Doge of Rialto, as Venice was then known,
was also the Doge of Dalmatia. And Dalmatia was doubly important to Venice
because it was the primary source of its timber supply, so its construction industry
and its shipbuilding industry depended on it.
In Venice, the processing of salt went on, as the leading industry; ship building and
repair, and the building trades all flourished as merchants, and their backers became
increasingly wealthy. Evermore churches were built (guilty consciences eh?), as
were palaces, canals and bridges.
And again, the key was the timber supply, needed to keep the boats coming off the
assembly line at the Arsenal. Its shipping industry being what kept Venice alive.
And the, mostly pine, logs that were driven into the mud to provide foundations
for all its buildings.
And the merchants of Venice had earned a well deserved reputation for expertise in
the 'Asia trade'. It imported the finest oriental goods. In addition to the silks and
other cloths and the spices, there were precious stones and metals, coffee, tea,
fruits and vegetables unknown to most Europeans. Venice's treasury was overflowing.