Original scientific paper
Venice and Constantinople: Latin Byzantinism
Ortalli Gherardo
Abstract
In his analysis of Veneto-Byzantine relations, the author highlights the Byzantine residues in the rituals and titles which survived in Venice until its fall in 1797. The author underlines that the Venetian attitude to the Byzantine Empire cannot be interpreted exclusively in terms of a dialectical relationship between two distinct entities. As a Byzantine province, Venice remained part of the Empire for a long time after its birth, with the consequent advantages of links with an economically and politically powerful area. Between the Early Middle Ages and the XII century, Venice became largely autonomous and then achieved full independence. Common interests were thus replaced by competition and conflict. The Fourth Crusade and the capture of Constantinople in 1204 marked the overturn of the former relationships and the beginning of a phase described as «Venetocracy». The author’s standpoint is that the above developments cannot properly be explained solely as the result of opposition between two different realities: Venice and Byzantium. We need to think rather of an evolving process taking place within the Byzantine commonwealth, of which Venice was a functioning part. The Latin Byzantinism of Venice and the Greek accent of Byzantium itself gradually affirmed themselves and grew apart to the point where even memory of the common matrix was lost. However, Latin Byzantinism was deeply incorporated in the genetic code of the Venetian state, and even at the fall of the Most Serene Republic practices rooted in Byzantine tradition were still in use, whereas elsewhere they had long disappeared.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
11045
URI
Publication date:
23.5.2004.
Visits: 3.697 *