Venice & the Crusades (1090-1125)

The Republic of Venice was a sovereign state and maritime republic in parts of present-day <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Italy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Italy</a> which existed for 1100 years from 697 until 1797 CE. Centered on the lagoon communities of the prosperous city of Venice, it incorporated numerous overseas possessions in modern Croatia, Slovenia, <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Montenegro" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Montenegro</a>, <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Greece" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Greece</a>, <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Albania" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Albania</a> and Cyprus. The republic grew into a trading power during the Middle Ages and strengthened this position in the Renaissance. Citizens spoke the still-surviving Venetian language, although publishing in (Florentine) Italian became the norm during the Renaissance. In its early years, it prospered on the salt trade. In subsequent centuries, the city state established a thalassocracy. It dominated trade on the Mediterranean Sea, including commerce between Europe and North Africa, as well as Asia. The Venetian navy was used in the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/First-Crusade" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Crusades</a>, most notably in the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/Fourth-Crusade" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fourth Crusade</a>. However, Venice perceived Rome as an enemy and maintained high levels of religious and ideological independence personified by the patriarch of Venice and a highly developed independent publishing industry that served as a haven from Catholic censorship for many centuries. Venice achieved territorial conquests along the Adriatic Sea. It became home to an extremely wealthy merchant class, who patronised renowned art and architecture along the city's lagoons. Venetian merchants were influential financiers in Europe. The city was also the birthplace of great European explorers, such as Marco Polo, as well as Baroque composers such as Antonio Vivaldi and Benedetto Marcello and famous painters such as the Renaissance master, Titian. The republic was ruled by the doge, who was elected by members of the Great Council of Venice, the city-state's parliament, and ruled for life. The ruling class was an oligarchy of merchants and aristocrats. Venice and other Italian maritime republics played a key role in fostering capitalism. Venetian citizens generally supported the system of governance. The city-state enforced strict laws and employed ruthless tactics in its prisons. The opening of new trade routes to the Americas and the East Indies via the Atlantic Ocean marked the beginning of Venice's decline as a powerful maritime republic. The city state suffered defeats from the navy of the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-the-Ottoman-Empire" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ottoman Empire</a>. In 1797, the republic was plundered by retreating Austrian and then French forces, following an invasion by <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/Napoleons-First-Italian-campaign" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Napoleon Bonaparte</a>, and the Republic of Venice was split into the Austrian Venetian Province, the Cisalpine Republic, a French client state, and the Ionian French departments of Greece. Venice became part of a unified Italy in the 19th century.

Visual Timelines

Republic of Venice Timeline

Republic of Venice Timeline

Foundation of the Republic of Venice

Lombard invaders

Salt Trade

Formation and Growth

First Doge of Venice

Reign of Galbaio

Pax Nicephori

Carolingian entanglement

St Marks find a new home

Venice ceases selling Christian Slaves, sells Slavs instead

Venice develops into a trading center

Maritime Power and Expansion

Venice solves the Narentine pirate problem

Venetian Arsenal

Venice and the Crusades

Pactum Warmundi

Carnival of Venice

Great Council of Venice

Massacre of the Latins

Fourth Crusade

Golden Age of Commerce and Power

Trade agreement with the Mongol Empire

First Venetian–Genoese war: War of Saint Sabas

Second Venetian–Genoese war: War of Curzola

Black Death

Challenges and Rivalries

Third Venetian–Genoese war: War of the Straits

Revolt of Saint Titus

Fourth Venetian–Genoese war: War of Chioggia

Battle of Chioggia

Battle of Nicopolis

Venice expands in the mainland

Venetian Renaissance

Fall of Constantinople

First Ottoman–Venetian War

Book-printing capital of Europe

Venice annexes Cyprus

Second Ottoman–Venetian War

Portuguese Sea Route Discovery to India

Decline and End of the Republic

War of the League of Cambrai

Battle of Agnadello

Battle of Marignano

Third Ottoman-Venetian War

Fourth Ottoman–Venetian War

Battle of Lepanto

Economic Decline of the Venetian Republic

Uskok War

Great Plague of Milan

First Coffee house in Venice

Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War: Cretan War

Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War: Morean War

Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War

Fall of the Republic of Venice

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