Venice in the 16th Century Venice in the 16th Century Author Alyssa Hubbert Supervising Editor Kate McPherson Editor Kate McPherson Copy Editor Leah Hamby Senior Encoder Leah Hamby Encoding and Metadata LEMDO Team Copyright Holder (Content) Kate McPherson Copyright Holder (XML and interface) University of Victoria Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Mitacs Globalink Research Internship Utah Valley University

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Early Modern England Encyclopedia

By Alyssa Hubbert, inspired by Michael Best’s Shakespeare’s Life and Times, Internet Shakespeare Editions

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Located amidst a splattering of islands near the northern end of the Adriatic Sea, Venice was a wealthy empire and a world power in the early modern period. Through a long history of territorial turmoil, it remained a location of keen interest, influence, and strength during the period, famed for its power and also its beauty. The history and attractiveness of Venice in 16th century English life led to it becoming a prominent setting for early modern drama, including Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and Othello.

Population & Location

Venice’s location allowed extensive travel and trade with other surrounding areas, bridging Europe with the Near East. Additionally, its population was filled with travelers, merchants, and residents from around the Mediterranean, as well as people from the Italian peninsula. Population Size: ~150,000–190,000 people Community: Italians, Turks, Greeks, Jews, English, Spanish Main trade commodities: luxury foods, ships and naval supplies, spices, timber

Government & Politics

Venetian government in the 16th and 17th centuries was vastly different from neighboring cities and countries. It was a completely independent republic ruled by permanent councils and headed by the Doge, an aristocratic leader elected from among these councils. The councils met regularly to determine the shape and formation of the Venetian Empire. Even amidst various political and economic changes, the government of Venice remained peaceful, effective, and relatively stable.

Economy: Wealth & Trade

Venice faced a great historic decline starting in the 15th century, one that continued into the 16th and 17th centuries. After much dispute with Turkey, as well as internal upheaval, Venice began to be targeted by several European nations, including France and Spain, whose empires were growing. This turmoil resulted in the gradual decline of Venetian economic power, political influence, and territory.

However, Venice did begin to rise in popularity due to its cultural and other lifestyle attractions, particularly its trade in luxury goods, gambling, and prostitution. Additionally, it maintained its status as a region of wealth and a location of heavy trade up until the 17th century.

Economic Losses: Territory (connection to East, Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa) Political influence Economic reach and influence

Lifestyle & Cultural Interests

Due to trade routes, Venice became a hub of cultural and social change starting in the 14th century. Surges of sophisticated visual art, food, dress, music, and other cultural elements became even more prominent during this time and offered a wide variety of cultural attractions that remain heavily present today. Additionally, the unique design of the city as a series of islands connected by canals made it a popular place for travelers and merchants in the late Middle Ages and beyond. Even in the early modern period, Venice suffered from some over-tourism.

Renaissance cultural components present in Venice: Roman influence on architectural design of buildings Towns planned around inclusion of statues, sculptures, fountains, and bodies of water Domed buildings

Popular Early Modern Venetian Artists:

Titian Tintoretto Veronese Jacopo Bassano
Key Print Sources Chojnacka, Monica. Women, Men, and Residential Patterns in Early Modern Venice. Journal of Family History, vol. 25, no. 1, 2000, pp. 6–25. De Vivo, Filippo. Information and Communication in Venice: Rethinking Early Modern Politics. Oxford University Press, 2009. Holmes, George, and Michael Mallett. Politics and Society 1250–1600. Oxford History of Italy, Oxford University Press, 1997, p. 57.
Key Online Sources Bayer, Andrea. Sixteenth Century in Venice and the Veneto, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1 Oct. 2006, https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/sixteenth-century-painting-in-venice-and-the-veneto. Best, Michael. The settings: Venice and Belmont. Shakespeare’s Life and Times. Internet Shakespeare Editions. University of Victoria. https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/plays/the%20merchant%20of%20venice/mersettings.html. Accessed 16 Oct. 2018. Cessi, Roberto, et al. Venice. Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 Dec. 2017. https://www.britannica.com/place/Venice/History. Rutter, Carole. Shakespeare’s Venice. Knowledge Center Archive. University of Warwick. December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20250422232952/https:/warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/knowledge-archive/arts/shakespearesvenice/.