“Who hath taken this counsel against the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth.”
— Isaiah

Festivals, Pageantry, and the Outbreak of War (1214)

The Easter of 1214, falling in a year of general peace and prosperity in Italy, was celebrated with great splendour. The people of Treviso sent invitations throughout the surrounding lands, especially to the Venetians, and never had a more magnificent spectacle been witnessed.

The procession of the Trade Guilds drew an immense crowd, among whom were 2,600 noble gentlemen and 3,600 gentlewomen, attended by squires, pages, and ladies-in-waiting. At the heart of the celebration stood a Castle of Love, erected in the Piazza with portcullis and turrets complete. It was richly adorned inside and out with precious tapestries and sumptuous ornaments, and within its walls were placed the fairest dames and damsels, clothed in silk and resplendent with jewels.

It was ordained that the castle should be contested per amore by three companies of noble youths. The Trevisans, calling out:

“Madama Beatrice, Madama Fiordelice! ora pro nobis!”

sought to win surrender through gallantry. The Paduans, more practical, hurled sweets, pasties, tarts, and roast chickens into the castle so that the ladies might eat and be favourably disposed. The Venetians, however—showing a subtler understanding of human nature—cast in nutmegs, ginger, cinnamon, sweet-smelling spices, and discreetly, some ducats and other coins.

The fair garrison, impressed by this gentilezza, promptly capitulated. Great rejoicing followed, and the standard of Saint Mark was raised upon the ramparts. This proved intolerable to the Paduans, who tore down the banner and broke it to pieces. An undignified scuffle ensued, and the festival of peace ended in open war.

The Paduans, aided by the Trevisans, ravaged Venetian territory, advancing as far as Chioggia and threatening the fortress of Bebbe. Swift action by the Podestà of Chioggia, who summoned the militia without awaiting orders, saved the day. The attackers were routed, and four hundred prisoners, including two hundred nobles, were taken to Venice.

The Paduan captives were humiliated—legend says that ten were offered to any Venetian who brought a white hen—and were later released without ransom through the mediation of the Patriarch of Aquileia. The people of Chioggia were relieved of a tribute of twenty pairs of hens owed to the Doge, and their Podestà was richly rewarded.

The Long Rule of Ziani and the Expansion of Venetian Power

For twenty-five years, with one brief exception, Ziani presided over the destinies of the Republic. Venetian commercial influence expanded steadily, and valuable treaties were concluded with Germany, Hungary, Aleppo, Egypt, and Barbary.

Sanudo records that during this reign lived two of the most saintly men of Christendom: Francis of Assisi and Dominic of Spain. According to tradition, Saint Francis, returning from beyond the seas, came to Venice and found birds gathered in great numbers among the marsh trees. Standing among them, he recited the offices and commanded them to be silent. They obeyed, remaining still until he granted them leave to depart.

He stayed in an oratory on an island now known as San Francesco del Deserto, which today still shelters a small community of friars. To this day it recalls one of the gentlest and most luminous souls known to history.

The Election of Giacomo Tiepolo and the Limits of Ducal Power

The choice of Ziani’s successor gave rise to an unprecedented situation. The votes of the electoral college were equally divided between Marino Dandolo and Giacomo Tiepolo. For five days scrutiny followed scrutiny, yet no decision emerged. At last the Senate appealed to chance. Lots were cast, and on 6 March 1229, fortune favoured Giacomo Tiepolo.

During the interregnum, the aristocracy seized the opportunity to strengthen its authority and further limit the power of the Doge. Two new bodies were created:

• The Correctors of the Ducal Promissione, charged with revising the coronation oath at the death of each Doge.
• The Inquisitors of the Dead Doge, empowered to hear complaints, examine accounts, and pass judgment on the conduct of the late ruler.

As a result, the Promissione sworn by Tiepolo was more stringent than ever. He was forbidden to correspond freely with foreign princes, barred from ecclesiastical interference, and required to pay taxes. Even the number of his cooks was regulated. He swore to accept no gifts except rosewater, flowers, sweet-smelling herbs, and balsam.

Reform, Law, and the Eastern Question

A great work of legal codification and reform followed. The navigation laws, in particular, became a model of humane legislation.

Attention soon turned once more to the East. As the Latin Kingdom weakened, Venice strengthened her position in Constantinople, gaining the arsenal in return for naval assistance. When the child Baldwin II inherited the throne, John of Brienne, an aged crusader, was appointed emperor during his minority.

Despite commanding fewer than two hundred knights and four hundred foot soldiers, John of Brienne—then eighty years old—led a daring charge that scattered an overwhelmingly larger enemy force. Venetian aid proved decisive: a fleet of twenty galleys destroyed the Greek armada at the Dardanelles, securing Constantinople once more.

Relics, Loans, and the Crown of Thorns

After the death of John of Brienne, the Empire faced financial ruin. A desperate measure was taken: the Crown of Thorns, awarded to the emperor after the sack of Constantinople, was mortgaged to the Venetian Bailo for 14,000 perperi.

When payment failed, the relic was legally forfeited. A Venetian banker temporarily redeemed it, but news of the transaction reached Louis IX of France, who dispatched envoys to secure the relic for Paris. The Crown arrived briefly in Venice in September 1238, before being redeemed and taken to France.

King Louis himself, barefoot and clad in a simple shirt, joined the solemn procession through Paris. The Sainte-Chapelle, a jewel of Gothic architecture, was built to house the sacred treasure.

Venice, Italy, and the Papal Alliance

Throughout Tiepolo’s reign, Venetian commerce flourished. Trieste renewed her allegiance, and treaties were signed with Ravenna, Padua, Ragusa, and distant eastern powers. Venetian magistrates were sought after throughout Italy for their integrity and competence.

When Pope Gregory IX sought allies against Frederick II, Venice joined the league—but only at a price. Military expeditions were launched, Ferrara was subdued, and Venetian trading privileges carefully restored.

The Holy Inquisition and the Authority of the State

Under Marin Morosini, a cautious compromise was reached regarding the Holy Inquisition. While Venice permitted the pursuit of heresy, it strictly limited ecclesiastical power. Lay officials, the Savii all’Eresia, attended every session, held veto power, and ensured that state authority prevailed over clerical excess.

No extraditions were permitted, confiscated property passed to heirs, and the finances of the Holy Office remained under civil control. Thus Venice defended both the purity of the faith and the liberties of her citizens.

A Peaceful Reign

Morosini’s short rule was remembered as a time of peace and prosperity. As the chronicler Da Canale wrote:

“So long as he was Doge, the Venetians were doubly blest. Rich and poor alike increased their substance. His ships sailed freely beyond the seas without escort, and the sea itself was free of robbers.”

In these years, Venice stood secure—powerful in commerce, cautious in faith, and unmatched upon the sea.