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 VENICE

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VENICE

income for the dogo, with the title of Protosebastos. From this time Venire is an independent state.

The Doge Vitale Michiel (1096-1112) participated in the First Crusade only when he saw the Genoese and Pisans bringingbacli booty from Palestine; and, in general, the Venetians turned the succeeding crusades to their own advantage. Alexius Comnenus, per- ceiving this, refused the bull of investiture to Do- menico Mirhiel (1117-29) and had the Venetian ships sequestrated. The Venetians, however, defeated by the Mussulmans near Jaffa (1123), turned against, the Greeks, and from that time even the nominal sover- eignty of Constantinople w;us at an end. It was esiierially by their aid that, in 1124, Tyre was taken, one-third of the city being assigned to them. In 1771 another exjK-dition against Manuel Comnenus was necessary; it had small success, however, on account of the ])lague, and the Doge Vitale Michiel II (ll.'36-72) fell a victim to the fury of the populace. Another re- form in the government was then introduced, increas- ing the powers of the Grand Council at the doge's ex- pense. At the same period Venice joined the Lombar- dic League, without, however, showing any excessive zeal for a cause which mattered but little to her, .and thus the Peace of 1177, between Alexander III and Frederic Barbarossa, was solemnized at Venice, as being a neutral cit j'. With the Doge Enrico Dandolo (1192-1205) began the most glorious period of the republic. Assuming command of the French crusad- ing army, he used it to reduce to obedience Trieste and Zara, which had placed themselves under the sway of Hungary, and then turned against Constanti- nople, where the Latin F^mpire had been set up. Venice obtained three quarters in the capital, most of the Peloponnesus, the eastern shores of the Adriatic, the Sea of Marmora, and the Black Sea, the coasts of Terraglia, /Egina, Corfu, and other islands of the Archipelago, and the rule over about 8,000,000 of new subjects. In these va.st dominions the doge found compensation for his diminished power, as the appointment of podesiA and other magistrates belonged to him, and thereby he could always win the friendship of those who entertained ambition^. These conquests before long became veritable fiefs of the principal famihes, which thus had an interest in preserving and increasing them without calling upon the State for any help to that end. The Govern- ment even purchased the island of Crete from the Marquis of Monferrato. Venice had now become the greatest power in the Mediterranean, and this stirred up the rivalry of Genoa, which republic, in 12.')7 and 12.58, suffered two naval defeats. Genoa then formed an alliance with Michael Palaeologus, who recovered Constantinople, and Venice, her possessions threat- ened, engaged in a war with her rival (1262-79), in which the Genoese were, on the whole, worsted. In 1292 the war recommenced with greater ferocity. The Genoese were victorious at Laiazzo on the Black Sea (1294); the Venetians at Galata (1296). In 1297 the Genoese under Spinola wasted the coasts of Dal- matia. In 1298 the Venetian fleet was destroyed by Lamba d'Oria, a victory which brought about the Peace of Milan (1299). V'enice now needed con,soli- dation. The Venetians had meanwhile become interested in Italian affairs.

In the thirteenth century the election of the doge was reserved to theGreater Council, compo.sed of 480 members taken from certain families. The doge could do nothing without his councillors; the obliga- tions of the office were restated afresh for every new doge, and he must swear to observe them. ;\ffairs of greater moment w'ere discussed by coimcillors, who invited a certain nvmiber of members of the Council (pregndi) of whom the Senate was afterwards con- stituted. In 1297 it w.os enacted that only those who had sat in the Greater Council and their descendants should be eligible; thus wa.s formed an aristocracy XV.— 22

which monopolized the offices of State. The con- spiracy of Boemondo Tiepolo (1310), for the restora- tion of democratic government, was repressed by the Doge Gradenigo (1289-1310); the Council of Ten was instituted to guard the existing constitution, and the most important matters were afterwards reserved to it. At first jjrovisional, it became permanent in 133.5; the individual members, however, held office for only one year. In 14.54 the three inquisitors of State were instituted for cases of high policy; it was thanks to this institution that Venice remained a republic, and no one succeeded in becoming its SignoTC. Besides, until 1.506 there was no juridical distinction between nobles and plebeians. In the fourteenth century Venice began to extend her dominion on the mainland, joining the league against Mastino dellaScala, from whom it took Treviso (1338), Castelfranco, and Ceneda. The possession of Crete had to be defended by force of arms in 1307 and 1365.

About the same time (1334 and 1342) alliances were formed with the Byzantines and the Knights of Rhodes against the Turks, who were beginning to render navigation unsafe. The Genoese having taken the island of Sico and interfered with Venetian navi- gation in the Black Sea, war again broke out in 1350. There was fighting on the Bosporus (13.52) and off the coasts of Sardinia (13.53), where the Genoese were beaten; and then peace was restored, Venice having to abandon all her ports in the Red Sea.

In 1355 the Doge Marino Falieri was beheaded, charged with having conspired to overturn the Gov- ernment and make himself Lord of Venice. This

The Bbidoe of Sig

incident occasioned new limitations to the rights of the doge. Next followed the war with Hungary for the possession of Dalmatia, in which all its neighbours took sides against the republic, and Venice lost the greater part of Dalmatia (1358). The possession of the island of Tenedos Wiis the cause of a war with Genoa, a-ssisted by other foes of Venice. The Vene- tians, victors at Anzio (1378), were defeated at Pola (1379). C^iecked by the Genoese at sea and by Fran- cesco Carrara, Lord of P.adua, on land, Venice would then have made peace, had not the conditions been exorbitant. A new armament wa.s prepared, with