Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/83

* VENICE. 57 astery with which iiro connected extensive educa- tional ami publisliing institutions. Inuustkies anu (Jommkrce. Tile manufac- tures, conunerce, and wealth of Venice have lat- terly greatly increased. It inanufac'turrs heavy machinery, clocks, cotton and woolen ^oods, and chemical fertilizers. ShiphuiUliiig and the manu- facture of torpedoes are also iirominent indus- tries. (The arsenal is inentioneil ahove.) The glassware and glass-bead industries, once so nourishing and then so inf<'ri(ir, are now pros- ■■ pcrous, and are increasing l)oth in the amount and the variet.y of tlH>ir products. 'J'he fine artistic goods of Venice — its famous lace, bro- cades, ta])estrics, wood carvings, mosaics, bninzcs, jewelry, etc. — are once more becoming prominent in the world's markets. The glassware is manu- factured on the island of Murano, the lace chiefly on the island of Burano — both north of the city. The Venetian shops are among the most famous in Europe. Most of the trade is transit. In 1001 there entered and cleared 320(i vessels, of 1,778,- 261 tons. Venice is the seventh Italian port in volume of traffic. Vessels drawing 24 feet can enter at the city's quayage, which is large and constantly being extended. In the western part of Venice is situated the excellent modern mari- time station, lined by moles and having basins, warehouses, custom houses, railway connections, etc. Important enlargements are to be made to these facilities. Inland navigation is being promoted, and more iron steamers are being con- structed. The sea channels have also been great- ly improved. Administration. "For administrative pur- poses the city is divided into six districts. The budget has constantly gained in surplus. The public debt was only about .'Pl,.3.'in,000 in 1895, and bids fair to be extinguished in the near future. Since 1880 the rebuilding and restora- tion of the decayed and unhealthful sections and houses of the city have been carried on, and thorough improvements of every kind are under way. The reconstruction plan has embraced some twenty-five projects, about half of w'hich have been already carried out. Important new streets have been built. The liygienic conditions have lieen carefully tested and are constantly watched and improved. An aqueduct passing un- der the lagoon now provides good drinking water. Population, Education, and Charitie.s. The population in 1901 was 1.'>1,841. It was over 200,000 in the period of the city's greatness, and fell to less than 100.000 about 1800. Venice is now the ninth Italian city in size. There has been latterly radical improvement in the con- ditions of the elementary schools. Among the edu- cational institutions not already mentioned are the Manin Institute, a patriarchal seminary, the Scuola Superiore di Comniercio. and a Protestant house for boys. There are many private educa- tional institutions. Venice has a royal academy of fine arts, a gallery of modern art, and other permanent exhibitions. The International Art Exhibition is held biennially. The charitable institutions number about 180. Some thirty are managed by the nuinicipality, the rest by the clergy. HisTORT. The islands which later formed Venice served as a refuge for the inhabitants of Aquilcia, Padua, and the neighboring cities dur- ing the barbarian migrations. The invasion of VENICE. Attila (452), the campaigns of Belisarius against the Goth.s, and the invasion of the Lombards (5(i8) drove many fugitives to the lagoons. The date comnmnly assigned for tlic foundation of Venice is 452, but the Ijeginnings of its history are veiled in obscurity, lu 4UU twelve trilnmes were chosen for the twelve principal islands; in 5fi8 four bishops established their sees on the isl- ands; and in 584 twelve additional tribunes were elected with greater [lower tlian the twelve pre- viously cliosen. For the next century Venice was practically inde|iendent of, although formally subject to, the Eastern- Empire. It had con- tinually to fight against the Slavic pirates of the Dalmatian coast and the Lombards on the Ital- ian mainland. These wars and internal dissen- sions led to the appointment of a common head, the first Doge, in 087. During the following cen- tury the islands W'cre still disturbed by internal dissensions, but the danger caused by the attacdi of Pepin, son of Charles the Great, in 810, brought unity and led to the choice of the Kialto, in the midst of the lagoons, as the seat of govern- ment. In 828 the reputed body of Saint .Mark, who became the patron saint,' was brought to Venice from Alexandria. Attacks by Saracens in 830 and by Hungarians in 000 were repulsed. Orseolo II., who became Doge in 991, made a. commercial treaty with the Saracens,' thus be- ginning the long-continued policy of Venice of trading with the Mohammedans rather than fighting with them. Orseolo's reign was marked by a great expansion. He conquered the Dalma- tian pirates and assumed the title of Duke of Dalmatia. This victory was celebrated annually by the S'posalizio del mar (espousal of the sea), in which the Bucentaur (q.v.) was later the cen- tral feature. The family of Orseolo attempted to make the dogeship hereditary, and this led to a revolution. Two privy councilors (later six) were appointed to assist the Doge, and the lat- ter was compelled to invite (pregare) the assist- ance of prominent citizens. This was the germ of the Prcgadi or senate. The Crusades greatly promoted the growth of Venice as a commercial State. Under Enrico Dandolo (q.v.) she played the leading role in the Fourth Crusade, which ended in the conquest of Constantinople in 1204. She received a large share of the Eastern Empire, and became the strongest power in the Mediter- ranean. Constitutionally the period was marked by the creation of the Grand Council in 1176, destined to curb the power of both the Doge and the people in the interest of the wealthy citi- zens. In the thirteenth century the Doge's "power was lessened, and in 1297 by 'the closing of the Grand Council to new-comers the oligarchy of nobles secured supreme power. The conspiracy of Tiepolo in 1310 against the rule of the oli- garchy led to the appointment of an executive committee, the Council of Ten, which was made a permanent body in 1335. The Ten, although renewed by election each year, became the real governing force in the State. With some changes and additions the government retained the form then fixed until the fall of the Republic. The Grand Council may be said to have contained the whole body politic. The roll of the noble fam- ilies who were entitled to representation in the council was called the Golden Book. (See Libro d'Oro. ) Above it were the Senate or Prepndi of 160, the chief legislative body, and the Council