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Most Serene Republic of Venice
Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia
Timeline: Ninety-Five Theses (Map Game)
OTL equivalent: Republic of Venice 1517
Flag of Most Serene Republic of Venice Coat of Arms of the Republic of Venice
Coat of arms
Map of Venice 1530 (95T)
Terreferma in red, Stato de Mar in Gold, Dogado in light blue
Capital
(and largest city)
Venice
Official languages Italian
Demonym Ventian
Government
 -  Doge Poalo Sommaripa
Establishment697

The Republic of Venice (Italian: Repubblica di Venezia; Venetian: Repùblica Vèneta), or traditionally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia), is a state originating from the lagoon communities in the area of Venice, now northeastern Italy. It has existed from the late 7th century AD until present day. Although it has a long history of war and conquest, the Republic's modern reputation is chiefly based on its status as a current economic and trading power.

History[]

Pre League of Cambria[]

Main article: History of Venice

Modern history[]

In 1518 Doge Leonardo Lorden died and he was replaced by Poalo Sommaripa. Poalo Sommaripa is a Venetian nobleman originally from the Duchy of the Archipelago, he was sent to Venice for schooling as a child. In 1520 he established (with other Nobles) the Venetian Atlantic Trading Company. It was established due to rising development of the deepwater galleon, and increased trade with Benin

From 1520-1521 Venice fought and won the Venetian-Hungarian War. The war saw territorial gains in Eastern Europe and the Italain peninsula with the annexation of the Duchy of Ferrera and Hungarian coastal land respectively. It also saw the loss of Cyprus and Crete to the Ottoman Empire in Treaty of Lesbos. In compensation for their loss they gained of 250 miles of land around the Ventian Albanian city of Durazzo.

From 1525-1528 Venice fought and won the The War of Habsburg Dominance. Allied with the Venetian were the French and the English. The war saw gains of Amalfi and the island of Sardinia. The Doge officially added to his title Duke of Amalfi. This was done to honor the first Italian trading state, the Duchy of Amalfi. During the war the Ottomans seized the Duchy of the Archipelago in the Fourth Ottoman-Venetian War.

In 1533 Venice established a trading post in West Africa named port Sommaripa.

Government[]

Main article: Government of Venice
File:Venice-government.png

The governmental structure of Venice

In the early years of the republic, the Doge ruled Venice in an autocratic fashion, but later his powers were limited by the promissione, a pledge he had to take when elected. As a result, powers were shared with the Maggior Consiglio or Great Council, composed of 480 members taken from patrician families, so that "He could do nothing without the Major Council and the Major Council could do nothing without him".[1]

In the 12th century, the aristocratic families of Rialto further diminished the Doge's powers by establishing the Minor Council (1175), composed of six advisers of the Doge, and the Quarantia (1179) as a supreme tribunal. In 1223, these institutions were combined into the Signoria, which consisted of the Doge, the Minor Council and the three leaders of the Quarantia. The Signoria was the central body of government, representing the continuity of the republic as shown in the expression: "si è morto il Doge, no la Signoria" ("The Doge is dead, but the Signoria is not").[2]

Also created were the sapientes, two (later six) bodies that combined with other groups to form a collegio, which formed an executive branch. In 1229, the Consiglio dei Pregadi, a senate, was formed, being 60 members elected by the Major Council. These developments left the Doge with little personal power and saw actual authority in the hands of the Major Council.[3]

Venice has a mixed government model which claims to be a "Republic". It combines monarchy in the Doge, aristocracy in the senate, and a "democracy" of Rialto families in the Major Council.[4]

In 1310, a Council of Ten was established, becoming the central political body whose members operated in secret. Around 1600, its dominance over the Major Council was considered a threat and efforts were made in the Council and elsewhere to reduce its powers, with limited success.[5]

In 1454, the Supreme Tribunal of the three state inquisitors was established to guard the security of the republic. By means of espionage, counterespionage, internal surveillance and a network of informers, they ensured that Venice did not come under the rule of a single "signore", as many other Italian cities did at the time. One of the inquisitors – popularly known as Il Rosso ("the red one") because of his scarlet robe – was chosen from the Doge's councellors, two – popularly known as I negri ("the black ones") because of their black robes – were chosen from the Council of Ten. The Supreme Tribunal gradually assumed some of the powers of the Council of Ten[6]

Subdvisons[]

Sommaripa Family[]

Coat of arms of Venice (NFT) (Modified)

Coat of Arms of the Sommaripa family

The Sommaripa family is a Venetian royal family that the current Doge is apart of. Its roots can be traced back to Crusaders settling in the Duchy of the Archipelago. The titles the family has held includes Lord of Andros, Duke of the Archipelago, and Doge of Venice.

The Sommaripa family coat of arms contains the Coat of Arms of Naxos, and the Coat of Arms of the King of Jerusalem, and the helmet of a Crusader. The helmet of a Crusader and the coat of Arms of the King of Jerusalem represent the crusader heritage as the Sommaripa family moved to Naxos from Venice to participate in the first crusade. The Arms of Naxos is on it because of the families title of Duke of Naxos. The Venetian red appears on it because they were originally from Venice.

       
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Paolo Sommaripa
b. 1488
 
Andrea Grimani
b. 1492
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Poalo Sommaripa
b. 1514
 
Fiorenza Sommaripa
b. 1516
 
Domenico Sommaripa
b. 1516
 
Crusino Sommaripa
b. 1520
 

Economy[]

Venetian Arsenal[]

Main Article Venetian Arsenal
View of the entrance to the Arsenal by Canaletto, 1732

Entrance into the Venetian Arsenal

The Venetian Arsenal (Italian: Arsenale di Venezia) is a complex of former shipyards and armories clustered together in the city of Venice in northern Italy. Owned by the state, the Arsenal is responsible for the bulk of the Venetian republic's naval power during the middle part of the second millennium AD. It was "one of the earliest large-scale industrial enterprises in history [10].

Construction of the Arsenal began around 1104, during Venice's republican era. It is the largest industrial complex in Europe, spanning an area of about 45 ha (110 acres), or about fifteen percent of Venice. Surrounded by a 2 mi (3.2 km) rampart, laborers and shipbuilders work regularly within the Arsenal, building ships that sail from the city's port. With high walls shielding the Arsenal from public view and guards protecting its perimeter, different areas of the Arsenal produce a particular prefabricated ship part or other maritime implement, such as munitions, rope, and rigging. These parts can then be assembled into a ship in as little as one day. An exclusive forest owned by the Arsenal navy, in the Montello hills area of Veneto, provides the Arsenal's wood supply[11]

The first ever Galleon was made there.[12]

Terreferma Arsenal[]

Military[]

17th-century-artillery-men

Venetian artillery

Venice's navy numbered 3000 ships of militaristic ships.

Organization[]

Name Station Numbers
Regiments of the Army of Venice

Culture[]

References[]

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