Venice: A Documentary History, 1450-1630

Renaissance Society of America

University of Toronto Press, Jan 1, 2001 - History - 484 pages

During the Renaissance, there were two centres of art, culture and mercantile power in Italy: Florence, and Venice. This is a sourcebook of primary materials, almost none previously available in English, for the history of the city-state of Venice. The time period covers the apogee of Venetian power and reputation to the beginnings of its decline in the 1630s. Sources used include diaries, chronicles, Inquisitorial records, literature, legislation, and contemporary descriptions, and are organized in sections by theme and accompanied by brief introductions.

Originally published by Basil Blackwell, 1992.

Contents

• Praise of the city of Venice 1493: 4
• A pilgrims impressions 1480 21 2220: 21
• a report by the Spanish: 31
• Theory Description and Panegyric: 39
• The Doge: 45
• the Procurators of St Marks: 51
• the Council of: 54
• Florentine admiration for Venices system of government: 61
• Benedetto Deis invective against Venice c 1472: 68
• b Ritual execution of an alleged rapist and robber 1513: 89
• Opinions about judicial and penal administration: 97
• The Regulation of Society: 105
• The struggle against plague: 113
• The defence of morality: 120
• PUBLIC AND PRIVATE WEALTH: 131
• Public Revenue and Expenditure: 134
• The valuation of houses and land 1459: 136
• Levying the tenth 1463: 137
• Revenues of the Venetian government in 1469: 139
• The sale of minor offices 1510: 143
• The hazards of speculating on customs duties 15289: 144
• the grant by Pope Paul III 1544: 146
• Two mercers make a tax return 1554: 147
• Revenue of the Venetian Republic in 1587 1594 and 1602: 148
• Expenditure of the Venetian Republic in 1587 1594 and 1602: 153
• the Monti: 157
• The establishment of a state loan fund 1482: 158
• Investment in public loan funds and in land 1509: 160
• The repayment of public debt 157784: 162
• Fortunes Made and Lost: 166
• The abundance of good things in Venice: 167
• The establishment of a board of trade 1507: 168
• Indebtedness and business failure c 1500: 169
• The activities and misfortunes of a merchant family the Zane 152450: 171
• Letter of a merchant in Aleppo 1551: 174
• An agreement to establish a merchant partnership 1596: 175
• Conspicuous Consumption and Styles of Living: 177
• A magistracy to administer sumptuary laws 1515: 178
• The Clergy and the People: 186
• The churches of Venice and the education of the clergy 1604: 193
• the reform of nunneries: 199
• Monks friars and nuns c 1580: 206
• Criticism of the Scuole Grandi 1541: 213
• d Leonardo Loredans want of leadership in the war crisis: 218
• The Interdict of Pope Sixtus IV 1482: 219
• The Apostolic Visitation 15801: 223
• The appointment of three noblemen to attend the Inquisition: 229
• Magic and superstition c 1580: 236
• The Nobility: 242
• Service to the state: 254
• The Citizenry: 261
• Service to the state: 272
• Craftsmen Boatmen and Porters: 280
• The boatmen of San Tomà: 286
• manning the reserve fleet 1595: 293
• The General Situation: 299
• The Poor in Hospital: 307
• Responsibilities of the Mendicanti and other hospitals 1619: 314
• The Germans: 327
• The Greeks: 333
• The conversion of a Jew to Christianity c 1569: 339
• Motives for expelling the Marranos 1550: 345
• The charter of the Jewish merchants 1589: 346
• LEARNING AND LITERATURE: 353
• a justification 1487: 359
• Sarpis presence in intellectual circles c 1600: 367
• petition: 373
• Comedies sponsored by a Company of the Hose during Carnival: 380
• Art for the State Confraternities and Churches: 387
• Art in the service of diplomacy: 405
• 57: 407
• 66: 413
• 77: 419
• A problem of attribution 1529: 427
• WorkingPractice Technique and Style of Life: 434
• The elderly Titian at work: 440
• Glossary: 448
• Index: 465
• 345: 468
• Opposition in the 1580s: 476

About the author

David Chambers is a Reader in Renaissance Studies, Warburg Institute. Brian Pullan is with the Department of Modern History, University of Manchester.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Venice: A Documentary History, 1450-1630; RSART: RENAISSANCE SOCIETY OF; Volume 12 of Renaissance Society of America reprint texts
• Author: Renaissance Society of America
• Editors: David Sanderson Chambers, Jennifer Fletcher, Brian S. Pullan
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2001
• ISBN: 0802084249, 9780802084248
• Length: 484 pages
• Subjects: History / Europe / Renaissance