Venetian Stories podcast

The Lombard invasion of Byzantine Italy in 568 was a pivotal event in Venetian history, as it kicked off the movement towards a distinct Venetian society, culture and, ultimately, state.

The principal primary sources for the earliest period of Venice are not many, but their history is rather messy.

A letter to the people of the lagoons from the Ostrogoth government, from 537.

A short episode on sewage, faeces, pits, tubes, and that kind of sh*t.

Pigs and bulls lose in the alleyways, wooden castles smashed with maces, human towers and funambulists. The Venetian carnival was quite unlike the modern replica.

A tale of pirates, maidens, box-makers, oranges, and ancient promises being kept for centuries, but others not so much.

Venice produced and exported Theriac, an ancient wonder medicine for just about every ailment imaginable. It was a flourishing business for centuries, and an important part of the Venetian economy.

Happy New Year, even if two months early.

The well-known image of the plague doctor with the beaked mask doesn't really have a lot of support in our sources. Did he even exist?

The plague slowly diminished during the 1700s, even if it didn't disappear, and Venice reorganised the Lazzaretti.

During the 1400s, Venice had created defences against the recurring outbreaks of the plague, and they kept Venice mostly safe for the following centuries. Mostly safe.