Part 24

Depono la tirannide, Sollevo l’innocente, Ognor lieto e ridente Il popol mio sarà.

The other said:--

Il libro d’ oro abbruciasi L’accende il reo delitto, All’ uom resta il suo dritto La dolce libertà.

The Procuratie, both the old and the new, were renamed, according to the revolutionary dictionary, ‘Gallery of Liberty,’ ‘Gallery of Equality.’

[Sidenote: _Mutinelli, Ult. 218; also Tassini, 591._]

In the course of the month of June began the trial of the three Inquisitors, Agostino Barbarigo, Angelo Maria Gabrieli, and Catterino Corner, and of Pizzamano, the commander of the Lido fort. Even Bonaparte was obliged to admit that there was nothing against them, but he would not allow them to be acquitted; he thought it better policy to pardon them ‘in consideration of their advanced age.’ His letter on the subject is dated the fourth of October. But Pizzamano, though declared free, was still kept in prison at Bonaparte’s pleasure, and on the twenty-sixth of October sent a petition directly to the latter. Bonaparte sent it on to General Serrurier, in Venice, with an order for the man’s liberation written in the margin.

Bonaparte had kept up his comedy to the very last. On the eighth of October, General Balland had given the Venetians, in his chief’s name, the most ample assurances of attachment and devotion.

On the seventeenth, nine days later, by the treaty of Campo-Formio, Bonaparte sold Venice and the whole Venetian territory to the Emperor of Austria, including Dalmatia and Istria, in exchange for the Ionian Islands, the Cisalpine Republic, the Duchy of Modena, and the provinces of Lombardy as far as the Adige and Mantua.

Having got his price for the dead body, Bonaparte proceeded to strip it of everything valuable, so far as he could, before handing it over. The horses of Saint Mark’s were taken down from the façade of the basilica, the most valuable pictures, parchments, and books were packed, and all was sent to Paris.

The farce of freedom was over, and the bitterness of reality came back, harder to bear, perhaps, but as much more honourable, as suffering is more dignified than drunken rioting. On the eighteenth of January 1798 the Austrian garrison took possession of Venice.

Before closing these pages, I shall go back a few months and shall translate Giustina Renier Michiel’s touching account of the scene which took place in Dalmatia, in the preceding month of August, when the Austrians came by sea to take possession of the country.

On the twenty-second of August, Rukavina [the Austrian general] arrived with a fleet and a thousand soldiers and landed at Pettana, a mile and a half from Perasto. The

[Sidenote: _G. R. Michiel, Origini. Compare also Rom. x. 249._]

Dalmatians, taken by surprise, and seeing that they had nothing more to hope, resolved to render the last honours to the great standard or Saint Mark. To this end the people of Perasto, and of the neighbouring country, and others, assembled before the palace of the Captain in command; and he, with twelve soldiers armed with sabres, and two colour-sergeants, went to the hall where the standard was, and the colours carried in the field, which Venice had entrusted many centuries ago to the valour and loyalty of the brave Dalmatians. They were now to take away those dearly loved flags; but in the very moment of doing what it broke their hearts to do, their strength failed them, and they could only shed a flood of tears.

The throng of people who waited in the Square, not seeing any one come out again, knew not what to think. So one of the judges of the town was sent up to ascertain the cause; but he, too, was so much moved that his presence [in the hall] only increased the grief of the others. At last the Captain, controlling himself of sheer necessity, made the painful effort; he took down the flags from the place where they were hung and attached them to two pikes; and he handed them to the two colour-sergeants, and they and the soldiers, led by the lieutenant, marched out of the hall; and after them the Captain, the Judge, and all the rest. As soon as the well-beloved standard was seen, the grief and tears of the multitude were universal. Men, women, and children all sobbed and their tears rolled down; and nothing was heard but the complaint of mourning, no doubtful proof of the hereditary devotion of that generous nation to its Republic.

When the sad procession reached the Square, the Captain unfastened the flags from the pikes and at the same time the ensign of Saint Mark on the fort was hauled down, and a salute of twenty guns was fired. Two armed vessels that guarded the port answered with eleven guns, and all the merchant vessels saluted also; this was the last good-bye of sorrowing glory to the valour of a nation. The sacred colours were placed upon a metal salver and the lieutenant received them in the presence of the Judge, of the Captain, and of the people. Then all marched with slow and melancholy steps to the cathedral. There they were received by the clergy and its chief, to whom the sacred trust was delivered, and he placed it on the high altar. Then the Captain commanding spoke the following words, which were again and again interrupted by quick sobbing, and streaming tears that came from men’s hearts more truly than from their eyes:--

‘In this cruel moment,’ he said, ‘that rends our hearts for the fatal destruction of the Most Serene Venetian Government, in this last expression of our love and faith, with which we do honour to the colours of the Republic, let us at least find some consolation, dear fellow-citizens, in the thought that neither our past deeds, nor those we have done in these recent times, have led to this sad office, which, for us, is now become a good deed. Our sons will know from us, and history will teach all Europe, that Perasto upheld to the last breath the glory of the Venetian flag, honouring it and bathing it in universal and most bitter tears. Fellow-citizens, let us freely pour out our grief; but amidst the last solemn thoughts with which we seal the glorious career that has been ours under the Most Serene Government of Venice, let us turn to these well-loved colours and cry out to them, in our sorrow, “Dear flag that has been ours three hundred and seventy-seven years without a break, our faith and courage have ever kept you unstained both on the sea and wheresoever you were called to face your enemies, which were the enemies of the Church also. For three hundred and seventy-seven years our goods, our blood, and our lives have always been devoted to you, and since you have been with us, and we with you, we have ever been happy, and famous on the sea, and victorious on land. No man ever saw us put to flight with you; with you none were ever found to overcome us. If these most wretched times of rash action, of corrupt manners, of dissensions and of lawless opinions that offend nature and the law of nations had not ruined you in Italy, our goods, our blood, our lives should still be yours; and rather than have seen you overcome and dishonoured, our courage and our faith would have chosen to be buried with you. But since we can do nothing more for you than this, let your honoured grave be in our hearts, let our desolation be your highest praise.”’

Then the Captain went up and took a corner of the flag and put it to his lips as if he could not let it leave them; and all thronged to kiss it most tenderly, washing it with their hot tears. But as the sad ceremony had to come to an end at last, these dear colours were laid in a chest, which the Rector placed in a reliquary beneath the high altar.

THE DOGES OF VENICE

(ACCORDING TO ROMANIN)

NOTE.--_The Venetian year began on March first, whence the frequent discrepancies between the dates given by different writers. In this work every effort has been made to bring all dates under the usual reckoning._

I. Paolo Lucio Anafesto elected 697 d. 717 Seat in Heraclea. II. Marcello Tegaliano “ 717 “ 726 III. Orso Ipato “ 726 “ 737 (murdered). Seat in Malamocco. (From 737 to 742, military governors called ‘Magistri Militum.’) IV. Teodato Orso elected 742 -- 755 (blinded and deposed). V. Galla Gaulo “ 755 -- 756 (blinded and exiled). VI. Domenico Monegario “ 756 -- 764 (blinded and deposed). VII. Maurizio Galbaio “ 764 d. 787 VIII. Giovanni Galbaio and his son Maurizio “ 787 -- 804 (both deposed). IX. Obelerio with his sons Beato and Costantino “ 804 d. 811 (the father put to death as a traitor). X. Agnello Partecipazio “ 811 “ 827 Seat henceforth in Rialto. XI. Giustiniano Partecipazio “ 827 “ 829 XII. Giovanni Partecipazio I “ 829 -- 836 (deposed). XIII. Pietro Tradonico “ 836 d. 864 (murdered). XIV. Orso Partecipazio I. “ 864 “ 881 XV. Giovanni Partecipazio II. “ 881 -- 888 (abdicated). XVI. Pietro Candiano I. “ 888 d. 888 (killed in battle with pirates). XVII. Pietro Tribuno “ 888 “ 912 XVIII. Orso Partecipazio II. (Badoer) “ 912 -- 932 (abdicated and died a monk). XIX. Pietro Candiano II. elected 932 d. 939 XX. Pietro Partecipazio (Badoer) “ 939 “ 942 XXI. Pietro Candiano III. “ 942 “ 959 XXII. Pietro Candiano IV. “ 959 “ 976 (murdered). XXIII. Pietro Orseolo I. “ 976 -- 978 (abdicated and died a monk, with the reputation of a saint.) XXIV. Vital Candiano “ 978 -- 979 (abdicated and became a monk). XXV. Tribuno Memmo “ 979 d. 991 XXVI. Pietro Orseolo II. “ 991 “ 1008 XXVII. Ottone Orseolo “ 1008 -- 1026 (exiled to Constantinople). XXVIII. Pietro Centranigo “ 1026 -- 1032 (driven out). XXIX. Domenico Flabianico “ 1032 d. 1043 XXX. Domenico Contarini “ 1043 “ 1071 XXXI. Domenico Selvo “ 1071 “ 1085 XXXII. Vital Falier “ 1085 “ 1096 XXXIII. Vital Michiel I. “ 1096 “ 1102 XXXIV. Ordelafo Falier “ 1102 “ 1118 (died in the Hungarian war). XXXV. Domenico Michiel “ 1118 “ 1130 XXXVI. Pietro Polani “ 1130 “ 1148 XXXVII. Domenico Morosini “ 1148 “ 1156 XXXVIII. Vital Michiel II. “ 1156 “ 1172 (killed). XXXIX. Sebastian Ziani “ 1172 “ 1178 XL. Orio Mastropiero “ 1178 -- 1192 (abdicated and became a monk). XLI. Enrico Dandolo “ 1192 d. 1205 (died in Constantinople). XLII. Pietro Ziani “ 1205 -- 1229 (abdicated). XLIII. Jacopo Tiepolo “ 1229 -- 1249 (abdicated). XLIV. Marin Morosini “ 1249 d. 1253 XLV. Renier Zeno “ 1253 “ 1268 XLVI. Lorenzo Tiepolo “ 1268 “ 1275 XLVII. Jacopo Contarini “ 1275 -- 1280 (abdicated). XLVIII. Giovanni Dandolo “ 1280 d. 1289 XLIX. Pietro Gradenigo “ 1289 “ 1311 L. Marin Zorzi “ 1311 “ 1312 LI. Giovanni Soranzo “ 1312 “ 1329 LII. Francesco Dandolo “ 1329 “ 1339 LIII. Bartolommeo Gradenigo “ 1339 “ 1343 LIV. Andrea Dandolo “ 1343 “ 1354 LV. Marin Falier elected 1354 d. 1355 (beheaded April 17). LVI. Giovanni Gradenigo “ 1355 “ 1356 LVII. Giovanni Dolfin “ 1356 “ 1361 LVIII. Lorenzo Celsi “ 1361 “ 1365 LIX. Marco Corner “ 1365 “ 1368 LX. Andrea Contarini “ 1368 “ 1383 LXI. Michel Morosini “ 1383 “ 1384 LXII. Antonio Venier “ 1384 “ 1400 LXIII. Michel Steno “ 1400 “ 1413 LXIV. Tommaso Mocenigo “ 1413 “ 1423 LXV. Francesco Foscari “ 1423 -- 1457 (deposed, and died a few days later). LXVI. Pasquale Malipiero “ 1457 d. 1462 LXVII. Cristoforo Moro “ 1462 “ 1471 LXVIII. Niccolò Tron “ 1471 “ 1474 LXIX. Niccolò Marcello “ 1474 “ 1474 LXX. Pietro Mocenigo “ 1474 “ 1476 LXXI. Andrea Vendramin “ 1476 “ 1478 LXXII. Giovanni Mocenigo “ 1478 “ 1485 LXXIII. Marco Barbarigo “ 1485 “ 1486 LXXIV. Agostino Barbarigo “ 1486 “ 1501 LXXV. Leonardo Loredan “ 1501 “ 1521 LXXVI. Antonio Grimani “ 1521 “ 1523 LXXVII. Andrea Gritti “ 1523 “ 1538 LXXVIII. Pietro Lando “ 1538 “ 1545 LXXIX. Francesco Donato “ 1545 “ 1553 LXXX. Marcantonio Trevisan “ 1553 “ 1554 LXXXI. Francesco Venier “ 1554 “ 1556 LXXXII. Lorenzo Priuli “ 1556 “ 1559 LXXXIII. Girolamo Priuli “ 1559 “ 1567 LXXXIV. Pietro Loredan “ 1567 “ 1570 LXXXV. Aloise (Luigi) Mocenigo “ 1570 “ 1577 LXXXVI. Sebastian Venier “ 1577 “ 1578 LXXXVII. Niccolò Da Ponte “ 1578 “ 1585 LXXXVIII. Pasquale Cicogna “ 1585 “ 1595 LXXXIX. Marin Grimani “ 1595 “ 1606 XC. Leonardo Donà “ 1606 “ 1612 XCI. Marcantonio Memmo “ 1612 “ 1615 XCII. Giovanni Bembo “ 1615 “ 1618 XCIII. Niccolò Donà “ 1618 “ 1618 XCIV. Antonio Priuli “ 1618 “ 1623 XCV. Francesco Contarini “ 1623 “ 1624 XCVI. Giovanni Corner “ 1624 “ 1630 XCVII. Niccolò Contarini “ 1630 “ 1631 XCVIII. Francesco Erizzo elected 1631 d. 1646 XCIX. Francesco Molin “ 1646 “ 1655 C. Carlo Contarini “ 1655 “ 1656 CI. Francesco Corner “ 1656 “ 1656 CII. Bertuccio Valier “ 1656 “ 1658 CIII. Giovanni Pesaro “ 1658 “ 1659 CIV. Domenico Contarini “ 1659 “ 1674 CV. Niccolò Sagredo “ 1674 “ 1676 CVI. Aloise Contarini “ 1676 “ 1683 CVII. Marcantonio Giustiniani “ 1683 “ 1688 CVIII. Francesco Morosini “ 1688 “ 1694 CIX. Silvestro Valier “ 1694 “ 1700 CX. Aloise Mocenigo “ 1700 “ 1709 CXI. Giovanni Corner “ 1709 “ 1722 CXII. Aloise Sebastian Mocenigo “ 1722 “ 1732 CXIII. Carlo Ruzzini “ 1732 “ 1735 CXIV. Luigi Pisani “ 1735 “ 1741 CXV. Pietro Grimani “ 1741 “ 1752 CXVI. Francesco Loredan “ 1752 “ 1762 CXVII. Marco Foscarini “ 1762 “ 1763 CXVIII. Aloise Mocenigo “ 1763 “ 1779 CXIX. Paolo Renier “ 1779 “ 1788 CXX. Ludovico Manin “ 1788 -- 1797 (abdicated with the aristocratic government).

TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL DATES IN VENETIAN HISTORY

A.D. 421 (about) Venice founded by fugitives from Aquileia, Altinum, and Padua. (According to tradition on March 25, 421, at noon.) 697 Paulus Lucas Anafestus of Heraclea chosen as first Doge. 809 Pepin, son of Charlemagne, attempts to take Venice and is defeated. 828 (about) The body of Saint Mark is brought to Venice, and he is proclaimed protector of the Republic in place of Saint Theodore. 959 (about) The brides of Venice and their dowries are carried off by Istrian pirates. 975 The first basilica of Saint Mark is destroyed by fire. 998 Pietro Orseolo is acclaimed as Doge of Venice and Dalmatia. 998 The Emperor Otho III. visits Venice secretly. 1009 Venice is ravaged by the plague. 1099 Venetians defeat the Pisans off Rhodes. 1123 Defeat of the Turks at Jaffa. 1123 The Doge Domenico Michiel takes Tyre. 1167 Venice joins the Lombard League, with Verona, Padua, Milan, Bologna, and other cities. 1172 Institution of the Great Council, in which membership is open and elective. 1177 The Emperor Frederick Barbarossa makes submission to Pope Alexander III. at Venice. 1177 The ceremony of the Espousal of the Sea by the Doge instituted. 1202 (Oct. 8) The Venetian fleet sets out for the Fourth Crusade under the Doge Enrico Dandolo. 1204 (April 12) Constantinople taken by the Venetian and French forces. 1277 Membership in the Great Council limited to those of legitimate birth. 1297 Closure of the Great Council, in which membership becomes a privilege of the nobles. 1300 Conspiracy of Marino Bocconio. 1310 Conspiracy of Marco Quirini and Bajamonte Tiepolo. 1335 Permanent institution of the Council of Ten. 1348 Venice loses half her population by the plague. 1354 Conspiracy of Marino Faliero. 1379-80 War of Chioggia. 1404-54 During this time Venice possesses herself, on the mainland, of Padua, Ravenna, Verona, Treviso, Vicenza, Brescia, Bergamo, Feltre, Belluno, Crema, and Friuli. 1405 Carlo Zeno takes Padua from Carrara. 1426 League with Florence concluded. Brescia surrenders to the allied forces, the Venetian troops being commanded by Carmagnola. 1428 Bergamo surrenders to Carmagnola. 1432 (May 5) Carmagnola executed as a traitor to the Republic. 1437 Erasmo da Narni, nicknamed Gattamelata, is made commander of the Venetian army. 1449 Bartolommeo Colleoni is commander of the Venetian forces. 1453 (May 29) Constantinople taken by the Turks. Many Venetians are massacred and much Venetian property destroyed. 1477 Scutari, besieged by the Turks, is successfully defended by Antonio da Lezze. 1489 Venice annexes Cyprus, leaving Catharine Cornaro the empty title of its Queen. 1508 League of Cambrai, between the Emperor Maximilian, Pope Julius II., Louis XII. of France, and Ferdinand of Aragon. 1571 (Oct. 7) Battle of Lepanto won by the allied fleets of Venice, Genoa, the Holy See, and Spain, commanded respectively by Sebastiano Venier, Andrea Doria, and Marcantonio Colonna, under Don John of Austria as commander-in-chief. 1574 Visit of Henry III. of France. 1575-7 Venice, swept by the plague, loses one-fourth of her population, Titian among them. Church of the Redentore built to commemorate its cessation. 1577 (Dec. 20) Fire destroys the Hall of the Great Council, with many magnificent works of art. 1630 Another visitation of the plague, commemorated by the Church of the Salute.

1715-18 The Turks wrest from Venice Crete and the Peloponnesus. 1784 Angelo Emo, the last Venetian leader, humbles the Bey of Tunis. 1788 Election of the 120th and last Doge, Ludovico Manin. 1796 The ceremony of the Espousal of the Sea by the Doge takes place for the last time. 1797 (April 18) General Bonaparte, by the treaty of Campo-Formio, cedes to Austria the Venetian provinces between the Po, the Oglio, and the Adriatic, in exchange for Romagna, with Ferrara and Bologna. 1797 (May 12) The Doge Ludovico Manin abdicates, and the Great Council accepts the Provisional Government required by General Bonaparte. 1798 (Jan. 18) The Austrian garrison takes possession of Venice. 1866 (Oct. 19) Austria cedes Venice to Napoleon III., who transfers it to Victor Emanuel II., King of Italy.

SOME EMINENT MEN AND WOMEN CONNECTED WITH VENICE

_The places where some of the principal works of Painters and Architects may be seen are given in this list, which, however, is by no means exhaustive._

ARCHITECTS

(_Many of these were also Sculptors._)

1618-1684. GIUSEPPE BENONI.

The Dogana.

(Not known)-1529. BARTOLOMMEO BON.

Ducal Palace, S. Maria dell’ Orto, Scuola di San Rocco, Palazzo Foscari.

(Not known)-about 1680. BALDASSARE LONGHENA.

S. Maria degli Scalzi, S. Maria della Salute, Palazzo Giustiniani Lolin, Palazzo Rezzonico, Palazzo Pesaro.

1518-1580. ANDREA PALLADIO.

Ducal Palace, San Giorgio Maggiore, Il Redentore.

1512-1597. GIOVANNI ANTONIO DA PONTE.

The Rialto.

1484-1549. MICHELE SAMMICHELE.

Palazzo Grimani, Palazzo Corner Mocenigo, Castello di S. Andrea.

1479-1570. JACOPO SANSOVINO.

Ducal Palace, Libreria Vecchia, Loggietta, Procuratie Nuove, Zecca, S. Giuliano, S. Salvatore, S. M. Mater Domini, Palazzo Corner, Palazzo Manin.

1552-1616. VINCENZO SCAMOZZI.

Ducal Palace, Libreria Vecchia, Procuratie Nuove, I Tolentini, Palazzo Contarini degli Scrigni.

CONDOTTIERI

1390-1432. CARMAGNOLA (FRANCESCO BUSSONE).

1400-1475. BARTOLOMMEO COLLEONE.

(Not known)-1443. GATTAMELATA (ERASMO DA NARNI).

His statue by Donatello is at Padua.

1401-1466. FRANCESCO SFORZA.

MEN AND WOMEN OF LETTERS

1492-1566. ARETINO (PIETRO BACCI), Essayist and Playwright.

(About) 1510-1571. ANDREA CALMO, Essayist and Poet.

1310-1354. ANDREA DANDOLO, Historian.

1554-(after 1591). VERONICA FRANCO, Poetess.

1707-1793. CARLO GOLDONI, Playwright.

1720-1806. CARLO GOZZI, Playwright and Satirist.

1449-1515. ALDUS MANUTIUS, Printer.

1512-1574. PAULUS MANUTIUS (son of ALDUS), Printer.

1547-1597. ALDUS MANUTIUS (son of PAULUS, and grandson of ALDUS I.), Printer.

1755-1832. GIUSTINA RENIER MICHIEL, Historian.

1523-1554. GASPARA STAMPA, Poetess.

PAINTERS

1556-1629. ALIENSE (ANTONIO VASILLACCHI).

Ducal Palace, Accademia delle Belle Arti.

1510-1592. BASSANO (JACOPO DA PONTE).

Ducal Palace, Accademia, Museo (Civico).

1548-1591. BASSANO (FRANCESCO DA PONTE, eldest son of JACOPO).

Ducal Palace, Accademia, San Giacomo dell’ Orio.

1558-1623. BASSANO (LEANDRO DA PONTE, third son of JACOPO).

Ducal Palace, Accademia.

1400-1470. JACOPO BELLINI (father of GENTILE and GIOVANNI).