Location:
Italy
Coordinates:
45.4408, 12.3155
Events at Venice (48)
380
ID: 4180
St. Donatus kills dragon with spit - dragon poisoning wells near Venice dies when saint spits in its mouth (Venetian chronicles)
ID: 4180
421
ID: 5093
Church of San Giacomo di Rialto founded - traditionally first church in Venice, marks beginning of permanent settlement
ID: 5093
421
ID: 5091
March 25, 421
Legendary founding of Venice - refugees fleeing barbarian invasions establish settlement on Rialto islands at noon on Feast of Annunciation
ID: 5091
452
ID: 5092
Mass flight to Venetian lagoon - refugees from Aquileia and mainland cities flee Attila's Huns, establish permanent settlements in lagoon
ID: 5092
584
ID: 5094
Venice under Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna - lagoon settlements organized under Byzantine administration, nominal imperial control
ID: 5094
697
ID: 5095
First Doge elected - Paoluccio Anafesto becomes first Dux (Doge) of Venice, beginning unique republican system
ID: 5095
810
ID: 5096
Capital moved to Rialto - Doge Agnello Participazio transfers seat from Malamocco to Rialto islands after Frankish attack
ID: 5096
828
ID: 5097
Body of St. Mark stolen from Alexandria - Venetian merchants smuggle evangelist's relics hidden in pork, St. Mark replaces St. Theodore as patron
ID: 5097
832
ID: 5098
First St. Mark's Basilica built - Doge Giustiniano Participazio builds church to house St. Mark's relics, Byzantine style
ID: 5098
840
ID: 5099
Pactum Lotharii - Treaty with Carolingians confirms Venice's independence from Western Empire, Byzantine allegiance maintained
ID: 5099
976
ID: 5100
St. Mark's Basilica burns - popular uprising against Doge Pietro IV Candiano, palace and church destroyed in fire
ID: 5100
992
ID: 5101
Golden Bull of 992 - Byzantine Emperor Basil II grants Venice extensive trading privileges in Constantinople
ID: 5101
1000
ID: 5102
Doge Pietro II Orseolo conquers Dalmatia - establishes Venice's Adriatic empire, begins annual 'Marriage of the Sea' ceremony
ID: 5102
1082
ID: 5106
Golden Bull of Alexios I - grants Venice duty-free trade throughout Byzantine Empire for helping against Normans
ID: 5106
1082
ID: 5738
Venice gains Byzantine spice monopoly - controls European pepper distribution, one pound costs month's wages for laborer
ID: 5738
1094
ID: 5103
New St. Mark's Basilica consecrated - current Byzantine-style basilica completed with golden mosaics, becomes symbol of Venice
ID: 5103
1099
ID: 5105
Venice transports First Crusade - provides ships for crusaders, establishes trading posts in conquered territories
ID: 5105
1104
ID: 5104
Venetian Arsenal founded - state shipyard becomes Europe's first factory complex, can build a ship per day at peak
ID: 5104
1162
ID: 5121
Venice Carnival begins - victory celebration over Patriarch of Aquileia becomes annual festival, masks allow social mixing
ID: 5121
1202
ID: 5107
Fourth Crusade diverted by Venice - Doge Enrico Dandolo manipulates crusaders' debt to attack Venice's rivals
ID: 5107
1204
ID: 5108
Venice sacks Constantinople - directs Fourth Crusade against Byzantium, steals treasures including four bronze horses
ID: 5108
1204
ID: 5109
Venice gains 'Quarter and Half-Quarter' of Byzantine Empire - controls three-eighths of former Byzantine territories, becomes imperial power
ID: 5109
1260
ID: 5078
Niccolò and Maffeo Polo depart Venice - Marco's father and uncle begin first journey to East, reach Kublai Khan's court
ID: 5078
1271
ID: 5080
Marco Polo departs Venice at age 17 - travels with father and uncle via Acre, carries papal letters for Kublai Khan
ID: 5080
1291
ID: 5122
Glassmakers confined to Murano - all glass furnaces moved to island to prevent fires and preserve trade secrets
ID: 5122
1295
ID: 5086
Marco Polo returns to Venice after 24 years - family doesn't recognize them, they prove identity with jewels sewn in clothes
ID: 5086
1297
ID: 5111
Serrata of Great Council - membership restricted to hereditary nobles, Venice becomes closed oligarchic republic
ID: 5111
1298
ID: 5110
War of Curzola with Genoa - Venice defeated at sea, Marco Polo captured, long rivalry continues
ID: 5110
1299
ID: 5089
Marco Polo released and returns to Venice - becomes wealthy merchant, marries, has three daughters
ID: 5089
1310
ID: 5119
Council of Ten established - secret tribunal created after conspiracy, becomes permanent state security apparatus
ID: 5119
1324
ID: 5090
Death of Marco Polo - on deathbed refuses to recant stories, says 'I have not told half of what I saw'
ID: 5090
1348
ID: 5112
Black Death devastates Venice - kills 60% of population (about 60,000 people), temporary economic collapse
ID: 5112
1380
ID: 5113
War of Chioggia ends - Venice barely survives Genoese invasion of lagoon, emerges victorious, Genoa never recovers
ID: 5113
1400
ID: 5741
Venetian spice markup reaches 4000% - nutmeg bought for 1 ducat in Alexandria sold for 40+ ducats in Europe
ID: 5741
1405
ID: 5114
Venice conquers Padua and Verona - begins major mainland expansion, becomes territorial state beyond maritime empire
ID: 5114
1420
ID: 5765
Venice pays 10,000 ducats annually to Mamluk Sultan - ensures exclusive access, other Europeans blocked from spice trade
ID: 5765
1489
ID: 5115
Venice acquires Cyprus - last Queen Caterina Cornaro abdicates, Venice gains valuable sugar and wine producing kingdom
ID: 5115
1504
ID: 5768
Venice proposes Suez canal to Ottomans - desperate attempt to compete with Portuguese Cape route, Ottomans refuse
ID: 5768
1602
ID: 5120
Bridge of Sighs built - connects interrogation rooms in Doge's Palace with prisons, prisoners sigh seeing last view of Venice
ID: 5120
1615
ID: 5696
Coffee arrives in Venice from Ottoman Empire - first European coffee, Venetian merchants control early trade
ID: 5696
1619
ID: 5116
Banco del Giro founded - Venice creates one of first public banks, manages state debt, influences modern banking
ID: 5116
1631
ID: 5117
Great Plague and vow - 80,000 die, Senate vows to build Santa Maria della Salute church if plague ends
ID: 5117
1669
ID: 5118
Fall of Crete to Ottomans - after 21-year siege of Candia, Venice loses major possession, maritime empire shrinking
ID: 5118
1742
ID: 516
Rousseau arrives in Paris with musical notation system, enters salons through Diderot and d'Alembert
ID: 516
1797
ID: 5123
Napoleon conquers Venice - thousand-year republic ends without a fight, last Doge Ludovico Manin abdicates
ID: 5123
1797
ID: 5124
Venice given to Austria - Treaty of Campo Formio transfers Venice to Habsburgs, begins Austrian occupation
ID: 5124
1800
ID: 671
Pope Pius VII elected during conclave in Venice under Austrian protection
ID: 671
1866
ID: 5125
Venice joins Kingdom of Italy - after Austrian defeat in Austro-Prussian War, Venice votes to join unified Italy
ID: 5125