The Order of Darkness Bonus Material

Venice

Venice

The city of Venice is the jewel in the crown of the Venetian empire. It is a cosmopolitan, bustling city inhabited with people of many different nationalities trading and making money. Built on an archipelago of 117 islands in a shallow lagoon and divided by 177 canals, the main forms of transportation are by water or by foot. The Grand Canal snakes its way through the centre of Venice and in the fifteenth century there was only one bridge crossing - the wooden Rialto Bridge near the Rialto market.

The most popular form of water transportation was by gondola - a traditional flat-bottomed rowing boat. The gondolier stands at the back of the boat and rows with a single oar.

The Republic of Venice

The Republic of Venice existed for over 1,000 years from the late seventh century until its fall in 1797. The full title of the Republic was the 'Most Serene Republic of Venice', or in Italian, 'Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia'. Venice's position at the head of the Adriatic sea gave it an enormous naval and commercial advantage and it became a flourishing point of trade between Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire. A powerful and wealthy city, its leading families competed to build the most beautiful palaces and support the work of the most talented artists.

The Doge and the System of Government

The head of the Venetian Republic was known as the Doge. In the early years of the Republic the Doge had sole rule of the empire but in the 12th century the Great Council was set up which shared power with him. The Great Council was made up of up to 2,000 members of the most powerful families in Venice.

Members of the Great Council could be elected annually to the Council of Ten - the main governing body of Venice which handled legal matters and law enforcement, maintaining the power of the Republic and protecting the government from being overthrown.

The most important people in power were collectively called the Signora. The Signora included the Doge, the Minor Council, which was made up of six advisors to the Doge, one for each district of the city, and the three leaders of the Quarantia, or 'Council of Forty', which was like the Supreme Court of the Venetian state.

The Doge was elected for life by members of Venice's aristocracy and lived in the 14th century Doge's Palace in Piazza San Marco on the Grand Canal. At the Doge's palace can be found one of the 'Bocca de Leone' or 'Lion's Mouth' postboxes - where ordinary members of the public were able to denounce fellow citizens anonymously.

Venetian Masks

The wearing of elaborate masks was an important part of the celebrations during the Venetian carnival. The masks emerged during the thirteenth century, and there was a mask-maker, or 'maschereri' school set up in Venice in 1271. The 'maschereri' held a unique place in Venetian society as they had their own laws and their own guild. By the fifteenth century, the wearing of masks was commonplace, and they were mostly worn during carnival, Ascension or between the 5th of October and Christmas. Venice was a small cramped city so the wearing of masks allowed its citizens a short-lived freedom from the usual constraints of their position and social status.

The masks were made from various materials including papier-mâché, clay, velvet, feathers, coloured beads, gold, silver and leather. The most popular types of mask were the 'bauta' which covered the face fully and the 'columbino' - a half mask covering the eyes held up by a wooden pole.

Quote

"Arm in arm, the girls sauntered around the streets revelling in their sense of freedom, in walking along the shadowy quays with the silk of their gowns swishing around their ankles, their masks hiding their faces, knowing that they looked strange and exotic and beautiful in this strange and beautiful city."