People:

Society

Art Merchants - The shops of Renaissance artists were usually small, and dealt mainly in religious decorations for churches and homes. Artists were not considered visionaries as they are today, but were treated merely as craftsmen, just like carpenters and blacksmiths. The production of art was usually cooperative.

The head of the shop was the master, who received commissions and oversaw the assembly of the painting. He was expected to be a businessman and turn a profit, usually creating copies of whatever religious paintings were in vogue at the time.


Banks - With the advent of double entry bookkeeping, which allowed bankers to keep track of their clients' deposits and withdrawals, and the proliferation of many different types of Italian currency into the pool of circulation, banks became an essential part of everyday Renaissance life.

Banks technically couldn't make money on their money, because the Catholic Church forbade the charging of interest, but in practice this restriction wasn't followed by bankers, or even the Vatican, which participated in the banking system and required banks to pay the Pope "gifts" in proportion to the amount of money he had deposited with them. As long as it isn't called "interest", God won't notice, right?


Blacksmiths - Every Renaissance community needed a blacksmith. Swords, locks, pans, knives, nails and armour were all made from metal and all needed to be shaped. In addition, architectural ironwork flourished during the Renaissance as blacksmiths began to apply their practical craft towards making art.


Caravan Travel - Travel in the Renaissance was not the disgusting ordeal it is today. Instead, it was merely terrifying. The countryside was filled with bandits, causing most travellers to move in armed groups called caravans. Anxious voyagers usually sewed valuables and gold into the soles of their shoes or the lining of their jackets.

Guides called Vetturini were sometimes hired to help plot the route of the caravans and book rooms at local inns, but those carriers were often working with the bandits, just like travel agents today.


Carnival Performers - The world famous Carnival of Venice began in 1296, as a public holiday on the day before Lent. It soon became a time for masquerades, parties, theatrical performances, parades, street dances, egg throwing, flirtation, and general hijinks, like, you know, killing animals in public to amuse the crowd, or rolling pigs in carts down the hill and into the river.

All in all, Carnival was an important predecessor along the road to reality TV.


Courtesans - Prostitution was one of the most popular occupations for Renaissance women, whose only other options in most cases were staying with their families or living in a convent. Italian society supported prostitution, and many brothels were regulated by the government. At the end of the 15th Century, cities started to pass laws against prostitution, forcing courtesans to wear specific outfits and separating them from respected society.


Doctors - Diagrams of the human body and the printing press influenced Renaissance medicine greatly, which had in turn been influenced by Arabic medicine during the Middle Ages.

By the 15th Century, science had already begun its slow climb toward becoming more relevant than spirituality in the field of healthcare. However, many people stubbornly clung to old ways, visiting local mystics instead of doctors.

After the plague ravaged Europe in 1350, many doctors dressed in special plague gear to treat patients. To prevent contamination, they wore a cape coated in wax, and a primitive gas mask in the shape of a beak.


Fast Travel Station - Venice is situated on a series of islands surrounded by a lagoon, requiring travellers arriving or departing to take a traghetti (ferry). Traghetti come in all sizes, from the small ferries that shuttle people around the city to large ships that carry passengers to and from the mainland.

Traghetto stations were run by guilds, which enacted all kinds of laws to make sure that only the most connected members had the lucrative privilege of working at a station.

Each station has its own rules, which could range from allowing only people 40 years of age and older to work there, to forcing pilots to only carry 10 passengers per ship.


Heralds - Proclamations, local news, news, market days and advertisements were all called out by heralds, since many Renaissance Italians could not read. Special laws had to be put in place to protect them from the crowd, due to extreme displays of unhappiness following the announcement of tax increases.


Mercenaries - Mercenaries were highly mobile in Renaissance Italy, moving from contract to contract. Professional captains called Condottieri, usually paid for by cities, recruited men for a fixed amount of time. Many of the for-hire soldiers who served in Italy weren't even Italian, coming from places like Germany, Switzerland and Hungary.

In their perpetual struggle to dominate Italy, the Italian states hired mercenaries to wage war against their Italian neighbours, and the soldiers, many of whom had no code of honour, would often rape and sack freely.

When the state that was bankrolling them ran out of money, the soldiers would disband, frequently to be hired to destroy the very city they had just fought to defend.

Some mercenaries were honourable, fighting for a cause they believed in, but men such as these were few and far between. Where they existed, however, they were much sought after.


Tailors - Among Renaissance merchants, tailors belonged to the new middle class and were paid well for clothing the rich in the latest fashions. Many were able to get close to their wealthy clients due to the intimacy of their job, and create lasting ties.


Thieves - Renaissance thieves were usually wanderers who could vanish at the first sign of trouble, making it hard for guards to track them.

Black market business in Renaissance Italy was booming. Muggings in the major cities were fairly common, as were murders. Often, strollers were attacked in the dead of night, killed, robbed, and then rolled into the nearest river or canal. Even if a thief merely stole, rather than killed, the penalties if caught were often unduly harsh. Torture was common. Thieves were put in stocks and sometimes even publically executed.

In order to avoid punishment, thieves often created bonds of trust amongst each other. Each was supposed to tell the rest his dirty secrets, which meant that each thief potentially held his comrades' lives in his hands.

Contacts

Agostino Barbarigo - Date of Birth: 1420
Profession: Doge of Venice

Doge from 1486 until his death in 1501, Agostino Barbarigo helped create a coalition to expel Charles VIII of France from Italy, gaining territory on the Italian mainland in the process.

However, it seems that Venetian doges can't seize territory in one place without losing it in another. Venice entered into war with Turkey in 1499, leading to the disastrous sea battle of Zonchio which destroyed the Venetian navy. Taking advantage of the loss, the Turks seized Lepanto, Modone and Corone, all stops along the way to the Orient.

Agostino died a disappointment to Venice. Moreover, after his death, he was charged with receiving bottles of wine as gifts and reselling them tax free "beneath the staircase of the prisons", by the Inquisitors of the Great Council.

Now, that's a leader: if you can't keep your territory, at least keep your prisoners happy!


Alvise da Vilandino - Date of Birth: 1441
Profession: Baggage Handler

A Venetian native, Alvise worked as a baggage handler for several years, until, convinced of Venice's superiority, he enlisted in the navy. In 1500, he was tasked with defending the fortress of Modon from the Turks.

After a heavy night of drinking, Alvise awoke to Turkish cannon fire bombarding the town. Panicking while running across the deck, he tripped, hit his head and drowned.

When it became clear Venice had lost the battle, he was accused of negligence by the ship's captain and erased from the logs of the navy.

Annetta - Date of Birth: 1457
Profession: Servant

The Auditore family's live-in servant, Annetta had one of the few respectable jobs allowed lower-class Renaissance women. Rich families seldom had more than one or two servants. Most were young, sometimes children. Many hoped their masters would help raise their standing, but, usually, turnover was rapid.

Ultimately, very little is known about Annetta's life. She passed on without making a mark on history.


Antonio - Date of Birth: 1443
Profession: Leader of the Gilda dei Ladri di Venezia (Venetian Thieves Guild)

Antonio was born at the very bottom of Venetian society. Records indicate that his father was a cobbler while his mother was a live-in maid for the Bellini family.

Teaching himself to read and write between apprenticeship sessions with his father, Antonio applied to the University of Padua, but was denied due to his low social rank. Documents found in several Italian archives indicate he applied to other schools around Italy as well, and was denied at all of them. Around 1465, he drops out of the record books, only to re-emerge four years later in connection with a robbery of a notable Venetian estate that happened to be owne by the rector of the University of Padua.

In a statement recorded by the city guard, before Antonio mysteriously escaped from prison, he said: "hardwork is not enough to gain superiority in Venetian society. If one truly wants more, one has to take it!"


Bartolomeo d'Alviano - Date of Birth: 1455
Profession: Condottiero

Born in the town of Alviano in Central Italy, Bartolomeo grew up to be a clever and resourceful soldier. After spending several years in Venice, he joined the Orsini family in1496 to fight against Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), who was attempting to seize Orsini territory.

The Pope's men had the upper hand, narrowing Bartolomeo's resources down to three fortresses, but Bartolomeo continued to hold out. Smelling victory, Cesare Borgia, the Pope's son, cut off his supplies. Then, when all looked lost, Carlo Orsini rode over the hill with his army, joining Bartolomeo to defeat the Pope's men and even wounding Cesare in the face.

In 1503, Bartolomeo was hired by Ferdinand II of Spain to help the Spanish army defeat the French and seize the Kingdom of Naples. The following year, he defeated Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor, taking Trieste and Gorizia. Impressed, Venice elected him to the office of Governor General.

Everything was coming up roses for Bartolomeo, until the disastrous Battle of Agnadello in 1509, when he disobeyed orders to avoid combat and directly attacked the French army.

The battle was lost, Bartolomeo was captured and wounded by the French, and the Venetians lost Lombardy, a province it had taken them "eight hundred years to conquer".

Furious, Venice refused to help Bartolomeo despite his claim that the French Commander had stolen "a priceless Venetian artefact" which he was attempting to rescue.

Bartolomeo was kept in French prison until 1513. But, the French, as we all know, are very forgiving. He was sprung from jail to fight for them, managing to defeat the Swiss with only 300 men in 1515.

Later that same year, once restored to his former glory as General of the Venetian Army, he was killed besieging Brescia.

Venice welcomed his body home with a grand ceremony and buried him in the church of Santo Stefano.


Caterina Sforza - Date of Birth: 1463
Profession: Countess of Forli, Noble

A countess by marriage, Caterina was notorious far before she ever arrived in Forli. Raised in the Court of Milan, she received a classical education while tutored in the art of war by her father, the Duke. At court, Caterina also acquired a passion for alchemy and hunting.

In 1473, when she was 10-years-old, Caterina became engaged to Girolamo Riario, the Pope's nephew. They consummated their marriage when she was 14.

Once in Rome, she was heralded as one of the most outgoing nobles at court, while her husband had a reputation for being one of the most ruthless. With the premature death of the Pope's brother, Girolamo gained even more power, securing the titles of Lord of Imola and Forli.

When the Pope died, looters sacked Rome, destroying Caterina's residence. Unafraid, despite being 7 months pregnant, Caterina rode on horseback to Castel Sant'Angelo and defended the Vatican with cannon fire and soldiers.

In 1484, she moved with her family to Forli. Paid off by someone with a grievance against her husband, the Orsi Brothers killed Girolamo in 1488. As a result, Caterina became the ruler of Forli and Imola.

She wasted no time, winning the favour of nearby rulers, revising the tax system and training the militia herself. Although she advocated peace, when those around her were hurt she dealt fierce vengeance, frequently killing enemies' wives and children in punishment. While Forli was under attack by Cesare Borgia, the Pope's son, she sent the Pope a letter that had been rubbed with plague sores.

Ultimately, Forli and Caterina fell to Cesare Borgia in 1499. Caterina was captured and sent to Rodrigo Borgia in Rome, who kept her imprisoned for a year and is rumoured to have raped her alongside his son. When she emerged from the Vatican, her hair had turned white.

Exiled to Florence, Caterina died of pneumonia in 1509.


Claudia Auditore - Date of Birth: 1461
Profession: Student, Noble

The third child of Giovanni and Maria Auditore, and the first girl in the family. Claudia seems to have been a bit of a spoiled brat. It looks like her parents had to raise her dowry by 1000 florins after she scared away all her potential suitors.

A report from her school indicates she once attacked another girl for looking at her boyfriend... and knocked her out cold.

On the plus side, she's Ezio's sister, so you should be safe.


Cristina Vespucci - Date of Birth: 1459
Profession: Student, Noble

Cristina Vespucci was a well-known Florentine beauty and a favourite of painters, most notably of Botticelli, who used her as a model for several of his paintings. Records kept by her father's guards indicate Ezio visited her frequently and that he was "unbelievably dexterous", as the guards were never able to catch him trespassing.

In addition to her looks, Cristina also seems to have been somewhat responsible for jumpstarting the career of her cousin, the namesake of a rather famous landmass. At a dinner party attended by Cristina and, among other illustrious guests, Lorenzo de' Medici, she was reputed to have been in conversation with Lorenzo and Manfedo Soderini about her cousin's brilliance as a sailor.

Well, apparently, she exaggerated his importance slightly to impress Lorenzo, and Lorenzo, charmed by her beauty, agreed to hire him. "Try Amerigo out. I bet after several years you'll name your shipping company after him", she is reported to have joked.

Biggest understatement of the century.


Ezio Auditore - Date of Birth: 1459
Profession: Student, Noble

In a diary entry from 1474. Maria Auditore, one of the great Florentine chroniclers and Ezio's mother, describes her son as "competitive, stubborn and loud mouth, but so passionate that it is impossible to fault him for anything". Complaints to the city guard by several noble patricians seem to suggest he was also something of a womanizer.

Tutored by the great banker Giovanni Tornabuoni, Ezio's school records cease around age 17, at which point, his name is connected with some terrible crime.

it is impossible to discern what it could be from the records, there's very little here, but afterward Ezio drops out of history entirely, as if he never existed.


Federico Auditore - Date of Birth: 1456
Profession: Student, Noble

Ezio's older brother, and the eldest of the Auditore, Federico entered the Medici bank as a clerk when he was 19. However, the bank logs indicate that he mostly dicked around rather than actually working.

One entry goes into detail. On September 17, 1475, a bag of gold florins went missing: "After panic struck the bank, the elder Auditore approached Francesco Sassetti, and with a smile revealed the location of the bag, which had been hidden on the rooftop! If he weren't the son of Giovanni Auditore, I'd speak to Lorenzo de' Medici and have him put in the stocks!"

Unsurprisingly, Federico was removed from the bank's payroll shortly after his 20th birthday.


Giovanni Auditore - Date of Birth: 1436
Profession: Banker, Advisor, Noble

Giovanni Auditore was once of the pivotal figures in 15th Century Florentine banking. In charge of overseeing the Medici bank branches across Italy, he kept the Medici machine running while Lorenzo was busy with the government. Extending his reach out into the international operation, it was Giovanni who first noticed the problems with the Lyon bank, causing him to alert Francesco Sassetti, which saved the branch.

Such great talent was well rewarded by Il Magnifico. Giovanni developed a close friendship with Lorenzo de' Medici, becoming one of his closest advisors. Successful negotiations to secure the Pope's support of the Medici bank in 1471 were carried out by Giovanni.

Relieved and grateful, Lorenzo paid for Giovanni's palazzo as a gift.


Giuliano de' Medici - Date of Birth: 1453
Profession: Noble

The playboy to his brother Lorenzo's statesman, Giuliano de' Medici was well known for his famous jousting tournaments, his handsome physique and his illegitimate child.

When Guiliano was killed in the Pazzi Conspiracy, his son Giulio was considered legitimate due to a loophole in Canon law that allowed marriages to occur privately between two people, meaning that his parents could have agreed that they were married without telling anyone about it. Watch out Catholics - your mistresses have more power than you think.

Once legitimately a Medici, this child of a tradesman's daughter went on to become Pope Clement VII.

Get this: Clement VII was Pope during the Sack of Rome in 1527, during which he was taken prisoner in Castel Sant'Angelo. He escaped his captors disguised as... a tradesman.

Son of a tradesman's daughter escapes poor past to become Pope, only to become a tradesman once more. Oh, the irony.


La Volpe - Date of Birth: ?
Profession: Thief

There is almost no trace of La Volpe (The Fox) in the history books. The name's obviously a pseudonym, but for whom is anyone's guess. What small data is available seems to be almost mythical.

La Volpe is reported to have robbed the Pope's carriage without any of his guards noticing, including the Pope, who was sitting inside the carriage. One night in 1467, he was seen on the rooftops of the Palazzo della Signoria, the Palazzo Medici and Santa Croce, all at the same time. Some claim that he's immortal, never aging, while others say that his violet eyes can see through buildings, perusing the contents inside.


Leonardo da Vinci - Date of Birth: 1452
Profession: Painter, Inventor, Designer, Architect, Scientist, Engineer

The illegitimate son of a notary and a peasant woman, Leonardo da Vinci was raised in Tuscany. Like many destined to be superstars, he had no surname, Vinci being the town in which he was born.

At age 14, he was apprenticed to a Florentine painter, Verrocchio, who taught him chemistry, drafting, painting, sculpting and modelling. When he was 20, Leonardo established his own workshop, and then travelled across Italy, eventually painting his grand masterpieces "The Last Supper" in 1498 and "The Mona Lisa" in 1503-1507.

During his travels, Leonardo studied the world with unquenchable curiosity, recording his observations in mirror writing within his notebooks. He created designs for a helicopter, tank, solar power and a calculator, among others. He was also an engineer, designing garrisons, cannons, and movable barricades.

Despite this epic list of accomplishments, Leonardo was hounded by his patrons for his chronic procrastination. Pieces frequently took years longer than he anticipated and many were never finished at all.

Leonardo also had a tumultuous love life. Accused of sodomy in 1476, he was most likely homosexual. Salai, his assistant, was accused of stealing and spending too much money on clothes, but was also probably Leonardo's lover. Leonardo painted several pictures of Salai, including his famous "St. John the Baptist", and left "The Mona Lisa" to him when he died in 1519.


Lorenzo de' Medici - Date of Birth: 1449
Profession: Ruler of Florence

Simultaneously keeping the dream of the Florentine Republic alive while leaving the people with very little legitimate power, Lorenzo de' Medici deftly ruled Renaissance Florence during its Golden Age.

Lorenzo's grandfather, Cosimo, built the Medici Bank, creating one of the most powerful financial institutions in Europe and becoming fabulously rich in the process.

Considered the smartest of Cosimo's grandchildren, Lorenzo was already being sent on diplomatic missions as a child. Although his father was inept and sickly, his mother was a poet. She introduced Lorenzo to many of the prominent artists of the day, instilling him with a love of art and culture.

In 1469, when he was only twenty, Lorenzo became the head of the Medici family, at which point he quickly gained control of the Florentine government through friends in the city council, payoffs, strategic marriages and threats. But Florence prospered with Lorenzo as its puppeteer. A peace was made between the warring states of Italy and several masterpieces of Renaissance art by the likes of Botticelli and Michelangelo were made under his care.

Ultimately, Lorenzo was happier writing poetry and shadow governing than directing his family's bank. During his lifetime, several branches of the bank collapsed and the Medici assets were wasted on frivolities such as jousting tournaments.

Lorenzo died in 1492. Nearly broke, he was unable to prevent the popular backlash against his rich lifestyle and the mad monk Savonarola's rise to power.


Maria Auditore - Date of Birth: 1432
Profession: Writer, Noble

"I grow tired of these walls that surround me and am bored with safety. Now, is the time to make a decision: I will go out there and see what my life may truly be."

Maria wrote those words when she was 16, a week before she met Giovanni Auditore.

Born into the powerful banking family, the Mozzi, Maria is one of the most famous historical sources of the time period due to her multi-volume diary, which has been translated by several notable scholars and is on display at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

With funding from her parents, Maria opened up a bakery in the courtyard of her family palazzo, which she transformed into an artistic gathering place. It was there that she met "a man with such conviction I found myself rooted to the spot, unable to look anywhere else". That man was Giovanni Auditore.

Maria and Giovanni were married in 1450. Maria's diary entries continue for the next few decades, describing her patronage of several up-and-coming artists and her trials as a mother, at which point she abruptly abandons her writing, to the disappointment of historians everywhere.


Mario Auditore - Date of Birth: 1434
Profession: Condottiero, Noble

One of the several condottieri patrolling the Tuscan countryside, Mario Auditore played a significant role in the Mattle of Anghiari, altering Micheletto Attendolo to the appearance of several dust clouds over the road which signalled a surprise advance by Milanese troops. Thanks to Mario, the Milanese attack was foiled and the Florentines won the battle.

Although Mario sided with Florence in Anghiari, for most of his career he defended the interests of his hometown Monteriggioni, derailing Florentine attempts to seize Tuscan territory.

While Mario's younger brother, Giovanni, moved to Florence in 1454 to pursue a career in banking, Mario stayed at the family's villa in Monteriggioni, stating in a letter to Giovanni that he "preferred fighting like a man, to filling out balance sheets".


Niccolò Machiavelli - Date of Birth: 1469
Profession: Philospher, Writer, Politician

"Unarmed prophets have always been destroyed, whereas armed prophets have succeeded".

These cynical words were written by Niccolò Machiavelli, one of the greatest minds of the Renaissance. Considered a pioneer of Realist philosophy, he believed that all men are evil and will act upon their vicious nature, if given the chance.

The third son of a Florentine attorney, Machiavelli was tutored by his father in grammar, rhetoric and Latin. In 1494, he entered government service as a clerk and an ambassador. Made a member of the Florentine diplomatic council, he was sent to the courts of France, Spain and Rome between 1499 and 1512.

From 1503 and 1506, Machiavelli was put in charge of the Florentine militia and the city's defence. He recruited citizens for his militia, preferring men who had a stake in Florence's continued success to dispassionate mercenaries. His strategy seemed to work in 1509, when Florence defeated Pisa.

Machiavelli continued to participate in Florentine government after the Medici family was chased out. But, when the Medici returned, they arrested and tortured him. He was accused of conspiring against them.

Unable to find any wrongdoing, the Medici exiled Machiavelli. He retired to his estate in Santa Andrea, where he wrote his famous works "The Prince", "The Discourses on Livy" and "The Florentine Histories".

Machiavelli died in 1527. His place of burial remains unknown.


Paola - Date of Birth: 1438
Profession: Madame of La Rosa Colta

There isn't much information about Paola in the history books, but the Florentine archives reveal that she was orphaned at age 8 when her parents were killed at sea. Left with a choice between joining a nunnery and prostitution, she began a life on the streets.

At 16, she vanishes from the records, only to reappear at age 20 when she was arrested for murdering a city guard. On an interesting note, Giovanni Auditore represented her in court, winning the case on a self defence plea.

Released from prison, Paola went on to start her own brothel to protect many other unfortunate women of the street.


Petruccio Auditore - Date of Birth: 1463
Profession: Student, Noble

The youngest of the Auditore children, Petruccio was described as "having a weak constitution" by Giovanni Auditore in a letter to Lorenzo de' Medici soon after the boy's birth.

Apparently, he didn't improve with time. Petruccio was pulled from school due to illness when he was 12 and, according to records from the family doctor, was confined to bed. No other data exists after that, so it is probable that he eventually succumbed to his illness.


Poliziano - Date of Birth: 1454
Profession: Scholar, Poet

Somewhat of a prodigy, Poliziano learned Latin and Greek at age 10, and by 18 had already become a published author. Lorenzo de'Medici hired him to act as the tutor for his children and made sure he received a post at the Studio Fiorentino.

Unfortunately, Poliziano must not have been everyone's favourite instructor. He dies of arsenic poisoning in 1494, probably murdered by Piero de'Medici, his former student.


Rosa - Date of Birth: 1460
Profession: Thief

The child of an unknown Venetian nobleman and a prostitute, Rosa grew up on her own in the streets of Venice. In 1475, she attempted to pickpocket the leader of the Venetian Thieves Guild and was caught red-handed. But, Antonio, instead of reporting her to the police, took her on as a pupil.

He kept several logs of her training, noting that her ability to leap up from the street to seemingly unreachable windowsills "was unprecedented".

In terms of her social skills, her vocabulary was "colourful to say the least". Apparently, she could also hold her own in a fight. Antonio writes that "the last of my thieves who tried to kiss her escaped with most of his mouth intact".

Teodora - Date of Birth: 1450
Profession: Madame of La Rosa della Virtù

Although Teodora abandoned her family name when she entered the Church, Venetian tax records indicate that she grew up in the Contanto family. Her parents owned a jewellery store, and Teodora was apprenticed to her mother as a shop girl.

A visitor to the shop in 1462 wrote: "Bought a pair of diamond earraings today for Margarita, at Contantos' shop around the corner. A charming young girl helped box them. When she handed me the earrings, our fingers touched. I had to leave the shop at once. Oh Lord, I wish I'd never married".

Court records indicate that by the time Teodora turned 17, she was doing far more than touching. On the 26th of November, 1467, she engaged in adultery with a married man, and his wife alerted the Venetian courts. As was common in these sorts of situations, her parents reacted by sending her to a nunnery to live the rest of her life in prayer and silence.

Teodora entered Santa Maria degli Angeli in 1467, determined to do penance for her crime. But, in 1473, she deserted the Church, leaving a statement nailed to the front door. In it, she wrote that life in the cloisters was sterile and "earthly", and that only in "partnership with another" could one "truly enter the arms of God".

Teodora opened La Rosa della Virtù the same year. According to the poet Pietro Bembo, who was a frequent customer, her bordello was "the church for a new sect of Catholicism".

Locations:

Venice

Arsenale di Venezia - First built as a naval depot for private ships, the Arsenal was rebuilt and enlarged in 1320. From that point on, it was used by the Venetian state to construct and maintain its ships. Famously, at the peak of production, shipbuilders were able to produce an entire ship in a day. The impressive front gate (the Porta Magna) went up in 1460, in the Classical revivalist style.

It looks like Silvio Barbarigo was not the first Templar to control the Arsenal. According to my research, the 1320 renovation was paid for with Templar funds and they seem to have had an established base there ever since.


Basilica di San Marco - The Basilica di San Marco was first built in 828 to house supposed relics of St. Mark stolen from Alexandria. The present Byzantine-style basilica was constructed in 1603.

Check out the facade. Many of the decorations were brought back from the Crusades or given as gifts from wealthy merchants. The church was considered the Doge's personal chapel; a passageway inside connects to the Palazzo Ducale next door.


Bottega di Leonardo a Venezia - During his brief stay in Venice, Leonardo da Vinci was a paid military engineer for the Venetian army, and claimed to be working on a painting of the famous Isabella d'Est, for whom he had made a cartoon while visiting Mantua. Despite promising her repeatedly that he was hard at work, no painting ever materialized.

Although many history books claim Leonardo only visited Venice once, it seems that he used his workshop there as a sort of secret retreat, returning to it repeatedly during his life.


Campanile di San Marco - Originally built as a watchtower in the 9th Century, the Campanile di San Marco was later transformed into a bell tower. Each of the five bells has a special purpose: one announces the Senate, another announces midday, a third the opening and closing of the work day, the fourth council meetings, and the fifth and final bell: Executions.


Cannaregio District - Largely a working class area of the city, Cannaregio became the Jewish Ghetto in 1516 and was enclosed by guarded gates to keep the Jews separated from the rest of Venice. FYI, this was the origin of the Venetian term ghetto, which means a "part of the city to which Jews are restricted", not "this couch is so ghetto", as is commonly thought today.


Castello District - The largest district in Venice, Castello grew up around the Arsenal.

If you're looking for soldiers, this is the place to go, or if you're more interested in peace and reflection, there's the church of San Zaccaria to the South.


District of San Polo - The district of San Polo is home to the famous Rialto Bridge and Venice's oldest church, San Giacomo di Rialto, which dates from the 5th Century. It also contains Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, one of the largest churches in Venice.

Merchants flock to San Polo to sell their wares, small wonder the palazzo of Venice's most powerful 15th Century merchant, Emilio Barbarigo, is located here.


Dorsoduro District - A favourite area for artists, Dorsoduro was Venice's festival centre. It contains the Squaro di San Trovaso, where gondolas are constructed, and the Church of Santa Maria della Visitazione.


Gilda dei Ladri di Venezia - Established sometime around 1465, the Venetian Thieves Guild, due to its illegality, had no permanent headquarters.

Although efforts were made by the magistrates to crack down on thievery, accused culprits never seemed to be around when the city guards went searching for them.


La Rosa della Virtù - Located at the crossroads where sex and religion collide, La Rosa della Virtù (The Rose of Virtue) was run entirely by former nuns. The Pope repeatedly attempted to force the Venetian Council to shut down the brothel, but it remained open until a fire in 1516 consumed it.

Although the Church tried to claim divine intervention, jurists found the fire to have been set by a disgruntled biship who wanted to lie with one of the girls for free. Act of God indeed.


Madonna dell'Orto - Erected by the Humilati, a penitential order, in the 14th Century, Madonna dell'Orto was initially dedicated to St. Christopher. When a "miraculous" statue of the Virgin was found in a nearby orchard (Orto in Italian), the church was renamed. The facade was added in 1464.


Palazzo della Seta - The home of Venice's most powerful merchant, Emilio Barbarigo. Work on Seta (as it is affectionately known by locals), was completed in 1450. The palazzo is the most stand out example of Venetian gothic architecture: dark and imposing, yet light and airy at the same time.


Palazzo Ducale di Venezia - The Palazzo Ducale was constructed from 1309-1424, in the Gothic style, as the residence for the Doge, or, rather, his prison, since Doge was rarely allowed to leave once elected.

The Doge was the highest ranking elder in Venice and served in his position for life. In 1172, the selection of the Doge became entrusted to a committee of 40 (the Forty), whose members were chosen by the Venetian Great Council.

Venice liked to think of itself as a Republic, meaning that the people could participate in the government. When the Doge took office he was introduced to the people with the words: "This is the Doge, if it please you." In fact, members of the Great Council were appointed by the Forty, which in turn chose the Forty. See the problem there?

Candidates for the Great Council were selected from a microscopic pool containing only noble families and although the Doge could nominate anyone to the Council, the Forty and the Council itself had to approve the nomination. Because the general population was largely uneducated, the election rules were purposely complicated, and the Council controlled the guards, Venice followed the historical norm: the people got screwed.


Ponte di Rialto - The oldest, and the most famous, bridge in Venice, the Rialto is the dividing line between the districts of San Marco and San Polo. The bridge is notable not only for the size of its large arch, but also for its main walkway lined with shops and stalls, which was a vibrant strolling and meeting place for the community around it.

Contrast that to today's Rialto, where crowds of tourists fight over cheap knockoffs of Venetian glass while some idiot attempt to spit off the edge of the bridge onto passing boats. Ah, modernity.


Quartier Generale di Bartolomeo d'Alviano - Bartolomeo D'Alviano later went on to grander things later in life, serving as the General of the Venetian Army. This period of Bartolomeo's biography seems to be undocumented in history books, and from the looks of the stable he's using as his headquarters, I can see why.

San Giacomo di Rialto - Originally founded in 421, San Giacomo is believed to be the oldest church in Venice, although the current building was constructed around 1071.

The 15th Century facade is crowned with a magnificent 24-hour celestial clock. During the Renaissance, the church was typically used by the merchants in the nearby market as a place to stop and pray during the workday.

At least, that's what they told their wives.


San Giobbe - One of the earliest examples of Renaissance architecture in Venice, this church was built for the residents of a nearby hospice by the doge buries inside, Cristoforo Moro.

Cristoforo presided over Venice's war with the Turks, until his death in 1471. He had one son, Dante Moro, who he disowned after Dante lost his position as Captain of the Venetian City Guard in 1468.


San Marco District - The heart of Venice, San Marco is the administrative district. Everything circles around Piazza San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale. There are lots of landmarks to see here, including the famous Church of San Marco.


San Pietro di Castello - First built in the 7th Century, San Pietro di Castello was the seat of the Bishop of Venice. Notice how far away San Pietro di Castello is from the Palazzo Ducale? That distance is not accidental, the Venetian Doges wanted to remain independent from the church.

Although San Pietro di Castello itself is nothing remarkable, the tower is the first to be cloaked in Istrian stone from the quarries outside Venice, the same white stone that covers the Palazzo Ducale.


San Zaccaria - First built in the 9th Century, San Zaccaria is dedicated to the father of St. John the Baptist, Zechariah, who is supposedly buried there. Other locations in which St. Zechariah is supposedly buried: the Gandzasar Monastery in Nagorno Karabakh, Yad Avshalom, the Great Mosque of Aleppo and the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

San Zaccaria burned down in 1105, killing more than 100 nuns. The church was rebuilt around 1170 and then later redone with a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance styles.

Ironically, in the Renaissance, it flourished as the nunnery of choice for the daughters of the noblest families in Venice, who obviously didn't know the building's history.


Santa Maria dei Carmini - Built in the 1300s, Santa Maria dei Carmini (Carmini for short) was founded by a group of women who made their livelihood by stitching monastic aprons for the monks in a nearby Carmelite monastery.

Carmelites believed so much in these aprons, or scapulars, that the Carmelite Constitution stated it was a serious fault to sleep without one and saying Mass sans scapular resulted in automatic excommunication. Why? Because in 1251, The Virgin Mary made herself known to Simon Stock of Cambridge, and she told him that those who wore a brown scapular would be granted salvation.

So, 200 years later, a group of women still huddle inside Santa Maria de Carmini, working all their lives to manufacture salvation, distilled in the form of brown aprons.

Santa Maria della Visitazione - Located on the waterfront, Santa Maria Della Visitazione is the second church in Venice with that same name, making it easy to end up at the wrong wedding.

The church was founded in the 1400s and was dedicated to St. Jerome, the patron saint of libraries and encyclopaedia writers, but then, was rededicated to the Virgin's visit with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, perhaps because visits were usually accompanied by food and are quite simply more fun.


Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari - Built by Franciscan monks, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (The Frari for short) is the second largest church in Venice. Following the guidelines of St. Francis, who advocated poverty, the church has very basic exterior decoration.

It is rumoured that in the 15th Century, the Frari housed a hidden tomb, which has since collapsed.


Santi Giovanni e Paolo - One of the largest churches in Venice, Santi Giovanni e Paolo was built after Doge Jacopo Tiepolo had a dream about white birds flying over the site. He donated the land on which the church was built in 1246 to the Dominicans. The current Italian Gothic church was completed in 1430.

On a stranger note, the church claims to contain the foot of Saint Catherine of Sienna. Born in Siena in 1347, as the last of 25 children, Catherine became an important ambassador for the Pope, whom she liked to call "Daddy".

Ironically, the most startling incident in her life happened after her death, when her followers in Siena attempted to steal her body from Rome. Unable to get the body back out of the city, they lovingly cut off her head and put it in a sack.

When the guards decided to search the sack, her followers prayed to Catherine. The guards saw rose petals inside the sack instead of the head, and let the group go to Siena without taking the bloody sack away from them. And that's why she's a saint.


Santo Stefano - This gothic church was constructed in the 13th Century, then rebuilt in the 14th.

It's notable for being the resting place of a doge (Andrea Contarini) as well as for the fact that Martin Luther once said mass inside.


Scuola Grande di San Marco - The Scuola Grande di San Marco was one of the six large charitable organizations founded in Venice to help citizens afford food, dowries, processions, marriages, burials, and anything else they might need. Notably, membership was open to any citizen in Venice, not just the elite.

Citizenship status was conferred on third generation Venetians or those who had paid taxes for fifteen years, meaning that Venetians were pretty xenophobic, except when you gave them money.

The facade of the building, which was built in 1260,was destroyed in a 1485 fire, causing it to be rebuilt in its current, opulent Byzantine form.


Squero di San Trovaso - This small square is used as a boatyard to build and repair gondolas.

The chief means of transportation within Venice, gondolas are fashioned out of eight different kinds of wood (mahogany, cherry, fir, walnut, oak, elm, larch and lime) and are made of 280 pieces.

The left side of the boat is longer than the right side, allowing the gondolier to pilot from the left without it changing direction, and ensuring that intoxicated gondoliers don't accidentally hit their passengers in the face with an oar while switching sides.

Torre dell'Orologio - Constructed in the late 15th Century as a display of Venice's wealth, the Torre dell'Orologio displays the time of day, the current phase of the moon, and for those of us who believe that all of human behaviour is governed by little shapes in the stars, the dominant sign of the Zodiac.

According to legend, the designers of the clock face were blinded once their work was complete, so they could never duplicate it elsewhere. While this is probably bollocks, the designers did live inside the clock tower for the rest of their lives to maintain it.

The Torre dell'Orologio ended up serving one very important practical purpose; it was used by sailors in the nearby harbour to time their departures with the tides.


Venezia - Likely established sometime around the late 7th Century, Venice's lagoon-locked location was the result of Byzantine settlers attempting to hide from Lombard invaders. By the Middle Ages, the city had grown into a great naval power. Its strategic position at the top of the Adriatic meant that ships taking goods inland had to go through Venice, filling its coffers with money and commerce.

Entering the late Middle Ages, Venice exercised influence over both its neighbouring states and the Church. When the Fourth Crusade rolled around 1202, the crusaders required transport on Venice's ships, which the Venetian Doge, Enrico Dandolo, agreed to on the condition that the crusaders retake the Dalmatian city of Zadar and then capture Constantinople.

When Constantinople fell, the city was sacked by the Venetian fleet, which stole, among other things, four bronze horses as ornaments for the Basilica San Marco. Now, that's what I call a faith-based initiative.

As Venice's wealth grew, so did its fleet. Through sea battles she gained Byzantine territory, Hungarian territory and destroyed the Genoese fleet. Venice's fortunes were so entwined with the seat that every year the Doge would throw a ring into the lagoon while saying in Latin: "We wed thee, sea, in the sign of the true and everlasting Lord". Despite much eye-raising about the godliness of sea-human relations, the Pope sanctioned the marriage.

By the end of the 15th Century, Venice was quite possibly the wealthiest city in the world and the second-largest city in Europe after Paris, but the rest of Europe had had enough. France, Spain, Austria and Hungary joined together in the League of Cambrai, partnering with Pope Julius II to crush Venice.

But Venice was able to weather the storm, ultimately keeping her territories even after several disastrous defeats. But she would never expand again. Turkey attacked in the 18th Century, and Venice began a long decline which ultimately ended in 1797, when Austria took control of the Republic.