The costly project was to involve laying 80 steel flaps on the floor of the 3 canals that provide access to the lagoon; in case of emergency the ballast is released from the flaps and the barrier rises to protect the city. In 1171 the Byzantine Emperor felt ready for a drastic move and suddenly arrested all the Venetians in his empire and seized their properties. [17] In 1453, in fact, Constantinople fell in the hands of the Turks. The only Italian rival that Rome had in the cultivation of sacred music in the 16th century was Venice. “The city of the Venetians, with the help of the Divine Providence, was founded on water, it is encircled by water, it is defended by water instead of walls: thus, any-one who attempts in whatever way to harm the public waters should be declared enemy of the city and judged as he who violates the sacred walls of his home country. [13] Shakespeare follows this closely but has complicated the basic pattern in The Merchant of Venice, wherein he skillfully weaves together four separate stories, all interconnected. At his death he even left 100,000 ducats to Venice on condition that an equestrian monument should be erected to his memory in St. Mark’s square… The money was surely needed by the State Treasury whose coffers had been exhausted by the long wars; on the other hand a monument in St. Mark’s Square would have been contrary to the traditions of Venice, which had never consented to excessive glorification of single individuals. Canals were dug, land was drained and reclaimed by erecting basket-work dikes around the sites. Furthermore, the three channels that provide access to the lagoon have been deepened to allow big tankers through the lagoon. The lagoon is connected with the Adriatic sea, and therefore the lagoon basin experiences two high tides and two low tides every day. The aspect of the lagoon was very different in those early days, the area being mostly occupied by water. Jews in 16th-century England practised their religion secretly, and many of those raised in the Jewish faith either converted to Christianity or pretended to have done so. So, 18th C Venice was pervaded by a spirit of festivity, and light-heartedness which derived from the absence of any serious purpose arising from political involvement. 500 Years of Jewish Life in Venice. The truth in fact was disguised by the old Venetians keen to establish the Myth of their original independence. Eight years later Napoleon took Venice back, having meanwhile defeated Austria. Angelo Beolco (Il Ruzante). This is the date of the Fourth Crusade, what proved to be the most profitable transaction in Venetian history. The Venetian government, however, realized that the City could no longer match wits with the great European powers. [16] The Phoenix, in fact, was a mythological bird reputed to rise from its own ashes. [26] Between the 2nd and 12th C the increase of the sea level has been estimated around 1,80 mt (approx. The new terms were accepted, Zara recaptured, but the itinerary of the Crusade was to undergo a further diversion and in fact this is the only crusade which will never reach Jerusalem. Later, it also had a great impact on the Republic of Venice and would also spread towards Rome. [16], When we consider the perception of Jews of this period - aliens, not even allowed to be citizens in their own home country - who is the villain? Lady Macbeth and Portia are discussed to highlight the role of women in Shakespeare’s "Macbeth" and "The Merchant of Venice". The anti Semitic message which plagued Europe throughout the Middle Ages has spawned many thought provoking, controversial plays. Around 1629, the plague in the northern parts of the country, especially in Venice and Lombardy, experienced very high death tolls. 6 feet) while landforms had sunk approx. Sempstress.org--Elizabethan Costuming Missa's useful collection of articles on patterning and dressmaking, a number of dress diaries, and useful tools (including Dial-a-Dress!) The city proper had been built upon a network of small islands lying in the swamp at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea. The mask was used as a disguise to go to parties, brothels, gambling houses, nunneries. Many of these earlier refugees in fact returned to their devastated homes once the immediate danger was over. In the case of this theatre, this already happened once, when it was rebuilt following a terrible fire in 1836. Merchant of venice; Shylock character Study - 1288 words | Study Guides and Book Summaries, What was the reputation of Venice in the Elizabethan period, Shakespeare's Foreign Worlds: National and Transnational Identities in the Elizabethan Age on JSTOR, the merchant of venice | Exploratory Shakespeare, A Romantic Comedy -- Utah Shakespeare Festival, Elizabethan Theatre Conventions | The Drama Teacher, Venice during the Elizabethan period by carla lugo on Prezi, How does Shakespear represent the Character Shylock in the Merchant of Venice | Art Essay, The Merchant of Venice | My Jewish Learning, Music in Elizabethan England and St Marks Cathedral in Venice - GetMyEssay.com, Women in "The Merchant of Venice" Essay - 460 Words | Bartleby, Merchant of Venice About Shakespearean Theater | GradeSaver, Antisemitism in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" | Owlcation, What was Venice's reputation among the major cities of the world during the Elizabethan period and its stance towards people of different cultures. Even their election system which was re-elaborated in 1268 reflects their obsession to eliminate/to check political plots and intrigues. Economic independence then turned into political autonomy: this is the rise of the Communes or City-States. They exploited the event to manipulate history and made up the story that the pope had expressed his gratitude by giving to them a sword and a golden ring s a symbolic token of Venetian authority on the Adriatic Sea. In 1805 he added it to his Kingdom of Italy. Venice and Northern Italy, 1400–1600 A.D. Keywords. Napoleon plundered Venice systematically. The winged lion, which according to the vision of St. John in the Book of Revelation is the symbol of St. Mark, became the emblem of the city and is to be found everywhere to look after the Venetians. [17] In 1379 the city of Venice came near to being taken by assault. Venice Guide and Boat © 2005-2018 All rights reserved, Gaia Legend s.n.c. [13] A proper Magistracy wascreated in 1501. The acquisition of the body of St. Mark – or “pious theft” to borrow Venetian words – was above all a political maneuver, in fact the relics were not placed in S. Pietro di Castello, which was the seat of the bishop, but rather in the church which was going to become the doge’s chapel: in other words, entrusted to the head of state. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 reassigned Venice to Austria. [1] The Republic arranged in fact the marriage of the beautiful 14 year-old Caterina Corner to King James of Cyprus. The cathedral you can see today, though, is the 11th C reconstruction of the original one. A list of retail sources for 16th century costumes and costume accessories. The Venetians then – in order to justify their move – made up the story that St. Mark, on his way to Alexandria, had been caught in a violent storm and had been forced to land on one of the islands of the Venetian lagoon. Industries (1930) drew millions of gallons of water from artesian wells and that caused a dramatic fall in the water table (18 cm ca. The disastrous floods have also resulted in urging a solution to the problem. The Elizabethan period happened in England during Queen Elizabeth1's rule from 1558 to 1603. [8] Frederick’s ambition was to restore its Empire’s former glory and influence on the Italian territory. The Byzantines responded promptly to the Frankish attack and sent their fleet to counterattack Pepin. The historical regattta on the Grand Canal A stately procession up the Grand Canal then followed. It’s actually in the 6th and 7th cs (568 e 639) that things were to change. (It was a protection from enemies..). The first English travelers to Venice in the 17th century made a point of visiting the Ghetto. There was all the difference, in the Elizabethan mind, between sitting on ever-growing piles of money (like Shylock or any other usurer) and the hard slog of Anthony Jenkinson fighting his way to the silk road with the Muscovy Company’s fardels of London cloth." [4] Christopher Moore combines The Merchant of Venice and Othello in his 2014 comic novel The Serpent of Venice, in which he makes Portia (from The Merchant of Venice ) and Desdemona (from Othello ) sisters. Its population reduced to 12 souls. Chojnacki, Stanley. This happened when Venice restricted the amount of the tithe, the tax that monasteries paid to the Church of Rome – and then imprisoned two priests charged with secular crimes – rape and child molesting. When threatened by enemies, the Byzantines turned to Venice for help offering commercial advantages. [10], These and other playwrights also wrote and performed their plays in England during the reign of Elizabeth I. [20] First of all, the territory of the Venetian lagoon was included once and for all under Byzantine jurisdiction. Napoleon demanded that the government dissolve itself and turn power over to a democratic municipal council to be protected by French soldiers. These expeditions contributed to the reconciliation of the two and the site of the meeting between the pope and the emperor was Venice! The Venetian school of the 16th centuryincludes Giorgione, Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto; two centuries later Venice is home to Tiepolo, Canaletto and Guardi. Her theatres began to give more time to spoken drama. But when the grand tour becomes popular, in the late 18th century… Venice obtained the support of the King of England, James I and eventually French mediation brought about a resolution which required no compromise from the Venetians. The lagoon waters are very shallow and navigable channels were known only to the natives…. Luckily he never had the time to accomplish it. These cookies do not store any personal information. Carnival was a pagan ritual marking the end of the old year on winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Despite military setbacks, the expansion of the Turks and the discovery of new worlds and alternative sea routes, Venice remains a powerful state throughout the 16th C. Then, at the turn of the century, the Republic will start loosing predominance. [20] [11], Elizabethan Dyes and Fabric Colors The Dye Woorkes Medieval & Renaissance dyeing recipes & manuscripts. Though average life expectancy in 16th-century Europe was low, around 40, that doesn't mean most people died at 40, he said via email. [17] [8] Last but not least, we are told that Napoleon cherished the plan to dredge part of the lagoon to the south-east and connect Venice with the mainland. They were actually determined to settle down in those territories and in fact they will gain their end and remain for about two centuries. Romantic comedy was a popular and much-preferred type in Elizabethan theatre, and all the trappings of such are present in The Merchant of Venice. The trial scene in The Merchant of Venice, I believe, distinctly mirrors one of Plato’s earlier dialogues, Crito, in regards to initial plotline, character relationships, and the puzzle of civic ethics raised. The most important of all was the Major Council, elected by the General Assembly, whose function was to elect all members of the Venetian government and was therefore very powerful. Irish dress Descriptions and Depictions of Historical Scottish Clothing Italian 16th Century Clothing in Venice webbed by Bella Lucia da verona Italian Dress of the late Renaissance (1470-1540) Includes instructions for drafting an early 16th c. [24], And, the story would keep feeding many who would believe it for years to come (It should also be noted that a law passed in 1290 banished Jews from England until their formal resettlement in 1655; however, there were a few notable Jewish figures in the country during this period). “Beware of Messer Francesco Foscari” came the warning of the doge Mocenigo “He is a vainglorious braggart… If he becomes doge” – read his speech – “you will find yourselves constantly at war; you’ll fail even to keep your long-johns and will become the slaves of your men at arms and their captains”. At this stage the lagoon area was unquestionably considered part of the Byzantine Empire, governed by military officials representing Byzantine suzerainty. They eventually set up a fleet and transferred their interest seawards. This shows that Jews in Venice during the 16th century are abused mentally and physically due to the fact that they collect interest for the money which they lend out. Among the many features that drew visitors to the city were her theatres and her music. The Republic could no longer remain aloof from all that was taking place behind her back. The Venetian “Stato da Mar”, or Sea-state was formed yet destined to continuous alterations…. It was impossible to move about the city except by boat. From the 16th century onward, the Venetians invested heavily in the purchase, reclamation, and drainage of terraferma lands. Streets were widened, bridges restored or rebuilt, canals dredged. The way piles were driven into the ground to reach the bedrock Piles driven down to the caranto So thousands and thousands of thick wooden piles were driven into the heavy clay beneath the mud and there, not being exposed to the action of water or air, timber didn’t rot. [17], Attitudes about usury and money-lending gave more moral weight to the work of merchants and traders in Elizabethan England, writes Stephen Alford in his new book London’s Triumph: Merchants, Adventurers, and Money in Shakespeare’s City, which traces the historical roots of London's rise in the sixteenth century. Yet, the Lord of Padua had not given up his ambition to humble Venice. Two of his finest pieces of work, Othello and The Merchant of Venice feature dynamic characters, and insights into the chivalry and the xenophobic disposition of the English people at the time. The Venetian backlash was remarkable and its success was possible thanks to the peculiar configuration of the lagoon environment. [17] Venice in the sixteenth century was a global center for trade and commerce. Privacy Policy  | Torcello became important in 638, when the bishop of Altinum moved there his mainland congregation and founded the Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta. The Venetians had played a fairly passive role in the previous expeditions to reclaim the Holy Land from the Infidels for their situation in fact was already extremely favourable in the Mediterranean. The lagoon area is described, the natives’ homes dispersed across the surface of the water, boats tied up at the doors. 14 yrs later a stretch of historic buildings on the Grand Canal, including the church of St. Lucia from which the station derives its name, were ruthlessly demolished to make way for new terminal buildings. Basically, a policy of public relations to promote the Myth of a glorious state whose force was still to be reckoned with. All telephone lines were out of order, electricity had failed, most of the gas lines were disrupted, all ground-floor stores and dwellings were flooded. The crusaders asked the Venetians to provide them with transportation to the Holy Land and in return they agreed to repay them with an exorbitant sum of money. Yet, being Constantinople so far away, the Byzantines soon relaxed their control, their suzerainty gradually faded away and the Venetians became in fact independent. First it forces the water of the Adriatic sea through the three port-mouths and then its constant blowing prevents the water from flowing back out again. The Venetians concentrated their efforts to avoid any offense to the Ottoman sultan so as not to confront the full power of the Turkish army. She describes a fascinating slice of 16th century life. From 1703 Antonio Vivaldi taught at the musical seminary of La Pietà, where he was the violin master and occasionally also the choirmaster. The Rialto Bridge ceased to be the only bridge spanning the Grand Canal when the Accademia bridge was built in 1854. After the annexation to the newly-formed Italian nation in 1866, the policies for modernising the city were given new life by the greater commitment of the new Italian administration. The battle to control the city of Brescia fought on Lake Garda is quite remarkable: Venetian galleys were rowed through the rivers and then with 120 oxen to a galley, pulled over hills to reach the lake. And those Venetians who found employment there, left Venice to live in nearby Mestre, thus beginning a wave of migration towards cheaper and more comfortable housing which reduced the population of Venice to 70,000 souls, one third of what it used to be. In 809 Pepin, the son of Charlemagne, attacked the lagoons. Merchant of Venice study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. For more information visit our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Every year the doge aboard the Bucintoro – the sumptuous state barge – along with the noble, the clergy the foreign ambassadors sailed for the port of St. Nicolò followed by a procession of boats and gondolas and having arrived at the mouth, the Doge cast the ring into the sea and pronounced the words “We wed thee, sea, in token of our perpetual rule”. Now, it is a southern, warm wind which alters the natural flowing of water. © Copyright 2017, Power Text Solutions, All During the Elizabethan period, the concept of a Jew was based on rumour and the occasional public performance, for example Christopher Marlow’s infamous play "The Jew of Malta" in which a greedy stage Jew tries to poison, murder and generally pose a threat to the Gentile population. [9], In The Merchant of Venice, he became an opportunist who sought his chance to exact revenge upon Christians who had wronged him in the past. [22] [20] Venice in the Elizabethan era was a multicultural hub of commerce, rivaling London as a port city and surpassing it in terms of its reputation for beauty. The first bathing establishment on the Lido was opened in 1857. Fish and salt their basic economic resources. [5] Yet, in the last fifty years, because of the reasons I have just listed, the phenomenon has presented itself more and more frequently, flooding being more and more disastrous. 03760380273 - Reg. The validity of this edict is perpetual“. The presence of the caranto as a sedimentary rock, deep into the subsoil of the lagoon, is significant evidence that at one stage there was no water in this area. [8], Shakespeare uses both dramatic and proleptic irony in Act IV scene I, where Shylock is gilded by the "learned" young doctor Balthazar, who the audience know is in fact Portia, into thinking that there "is no power in Venice" that can deny him his bond. The Serrata can be thus considered similar to a coupe-d’état, performed – though -through bills rather than weapons. The Pope’s demand for the return of the priests and the repeal of the monastic legislation was firmly rebuffed, and the upshot was a papal interdict in April 1606, forbidding all religious services in the Venetian territory. [6] Despite her declining political weight, Venice in the 17th and 18th Cs was the centre of European culture offering numerous attractions. In 1494 Italy was invaded by Charles VIII of France, an intervention which Venice lost no time in exploiting. The 41 nominated the Doge, for approval by the Assembly. Changes were prompted by a certain number of influential families which had continued to reassert their office within the Major Council. [25] From early date, tourists reporting on Venice included enthusiastic or disgusted comments on her courtesans. The leading advocate of the policy criticized by the old Mocenigo was a man known primarily as an aggressive politician: Francesco Foscari. Councillors to control and limit the power of the doge appeared as early as 1032. Rights Reserved. Ebb tide was expected around 6:00 PM. n. 3677/2011 - Terms and conditions - Privacy - Insurance Policy n. 22821. The Flood in November 1966 To some the scene looked like a gigantic funeral: skeletons of boats and gondolas, mattresses, garbage, dead pigeons and rats were scattered everywhere, floating in the canals. Bassanio and Gratiano leave for Venice, with money from Portia, to save Antonio's life by offering the money to Shylock. [2], In Merchant of Venice, why would Act 2, Scene 6 be considered funny for an Elizabethan Audience? Understand the evolution of the rise of the Renaissance is an important event in European history that stretched the! Offering numerous attractions pagan ritual marking the end of the Venetian State we. 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