Outline of Venetian History

Ok, this is in no way meant to be definitive or complete, but it should 
cover most of the basics. I suppose the easiest way to do this is in 
outline form, and then work out from there. I will run this from 
1095-1300 and focus mainly on Venice, but try to get the big events in as 
well. Items marked with a "*" are of special interest to those building 
the MUSH.

1095 -- Pope Urban II calls for a crusade to restore Asia Minor to the 
Byzantines and to save the Holy lands from the Turks.

1099-97 -- Venice gets interested in aiding and sends out a small fleet 
to aid the crusaders. In what will become characteristic fashion for 
other crusades, the Venetians fight first not with the forces of Islam, 
but with the Pisans. The Venetian fleet then begins to bargain with the 
crusaders, getting the best possible deal, before eventually being 
minimumly involved. Venetians more or less fade from being an active 
presence crusading, and concentrate on hoarding holy relics, of which 
quite a few are collected. 

Late 11th -- Unversity at Bologna founded

1100 -- William II of England dies and is replaced on the throne by his 
brother, Henry I aka Beauclerc.

1106 -- Henry IV dies and is replaced on the throne of the Holy Roman 
Empire by Henry V, last of the Salic House.
	Year of many natural disasters. There is first a tremendous 
flood, as the water on the lagoon rises and actually totally covers a few 
of the smaller islands. It turns out that floods are rather common events. 
Later that year there is a large fire which sweeps through Venice. 
	* -- Because in part because of this, after this date building 
with wood is actively discouraged and only really happened in the poorest 
of quarters.

1108 -- Louis VI, called "The Fat" replaces his father, Philip I(The 
fair) on the throne of France.

1110 -- Venice sends another fleet to the Holy Lands, which again barters 
its help for a better trade situation, and brings back to Venice even 
more holy relics. It does little there.
	The Arsenal is built, and over the next 10 years expands rapidly. 
The Arsenal is unique, a huge shipbuilding complex that 
allows Venice to build more ships, more quickly then any other place in 
the world.
	* -- There is a description of the Arsenal some years later in 
Dante's Inferno.

1125 -- Lothair, Duke of Saxony ascends the throne in Germany. 

*1128 -- Venice has some street lighting, as candles and lanterns at the 
various shrines about the city are subsidiized by the government. Thinks 
just keep gettiing brighter.

1130 -- Disputed papal election leads to two rival popes(not too unusual 
a circumastance): Innocent II, who thanks to St, Bernard of Clairvaux 
soon had most of Western Christendom supporting him, and Anacletus who is 
forced to turn to Roger II de Hauteville, Count of Sicily for support. 
Roger, Robert Guiscard's nephew, demands a royal crown as compensation  
for his support, and thus the Kingdom of Sicily is born, much to the 
dismay of both the Venetians and the Byzantines. Sicilian privateers had 
been harassing both for years already.

1134 -- Lothair is crowned Emperor of Rome.

1135 -- Stephen is crowned King of England, House of Blois.

1137-39 -- Various forces move to attack Sicily with little success. The 
Western Emperor Lothair II dies returning across the Alps and less than 
eight weeks later the anti-Pope Anacletus dies as well. In '39, Innocent 
II is captured by Roger as he rides south before an army of his own, the 
terms of his release being that he confirm Roger's title.
	Louis VII ascends the throne in France, replacing his father.
	Conrad III, Duke of Swabia, replaces Lothair. House Hohenstaufen.

1143 -- The Byzantine Emperor John Comnenus dies of a scratch from one of 
his poisoned arrows and is succeeded by his son, Manuel Comnenus who 
tries to sue for peace with the Sicilians. Manuel marries the 
sister-in-law of the Emperor-Elect Conrad.

1146 -- St. Bernard of Clairvaux launches the 2nd crusade which is a 
major failure.

1148 -- A Sicilian fleet, responding to increased tensions between the 
two lands, attacks the Byzantine Empire and takes Corfu. Venice grows 
alarmed and aids Byzantium, but jokes about Manuel's dark complexion  
sour relations between the two countries. Corfu eventually falls back 
into Byzantine hands after an extended siege. However, the Sicilian 
fleet, commanded by the Sicilian Emir of Emirs, George of Antioch, sails 
to the very gates of Constantinople. The war ends with Roger still secure 
in  Sicily.

1152 -- Conrad III dies while on the 2nd Crusade, his nephew, Frederick 
Barbarossa ascends the throne.

1154 -- Adrian IV becomes the first English Pope.
	St  Mark's is completed at about this time and is built to show 
that Venice is a leader in the Christian world.
	Henry II comes to the Throne of England.
	Frederick Barbarossa begins to incorporate as much of Northen 
Italy as he can. He conquers and destroys Tortona, an ally of Milan.
	Split between Western and Eastern churches is formalized.

1155 -- Frederick makes his way to Rome, where despite uncordial 
relations with the Pope and a unfriendly citizenry, he is coronated Emperor.

1156 -- Pope Adrian and King William of Sicily make peace.

1159 -- The Pope and representatives of King Willian meet with 
representatives of Milan, Crema, Brescia and Piacenza who swera the 
initial pact that was to become the Lombard League.
	Pope Adrian dies in September, after having first excommunicated 
Frederick and a papal schism that is to last 18 years is engineered by 
Frederick as he places his lackey Victor IV on the Throne of Peter to 
contend with Alexander III. 
	Venice is forced to choose sides, breaking what had been until now a 
record of studied neutrality and sides with Alexander. This causes 
Frederick to goad Padua, Verona and Ferrara into attacking Venice. Not 
really a major war, neither side too interested in fighting.

1163 -- Venice joins with Padua and Vicenza to form pact to yield no more 
to Frederick than to Charlemagne.  
	* -- The Patriarch of Aquileia attacks Grado, at the behest of 
Frederick. Grado is the seat of the Patriach of Grado(later to be more 
closely associated with and even sometimes titles, Venice) and their 
dispute over lands and primacy has a long and twisted history. In this 
case, a Venetian fleet speeds to the rescue and actually capture the 
Patriarch of Aquileia himself and release him only after he agrees to 
pay the Republic a tribute of a dozen pigs -- one for each member of his 
cathedral chapter -- every year on the Wednesday before Lent. These 
pigs are then chased about the Piazza, by the Ventians on the following day, 
the Giovedi Grasso. This tension between the two Patriarchs continues to 
be a factor.

1167 -- Frederick captures Rome and the Vatican forcing Alexander into 
exile. He declares himself Patrician of Rome, but is unable to enjoy it 
for his troops are struck down with a pestilence and forced to retreat. 
Many at the time believe that the pestilence was divine punishment for 
his actions.
	12/1 -- The Lombard League, consisting of 15 leading Northern 
Italian Cities is founded. Venice is a founding member, and this marks 
the first time she has really involved herself in mainlain politics.

1171 -- The Genoese settlement at Galata -- the district of 
Constantinople on the further side of the Golden Horn -- is attacked and 
destroyed. The Venetians are blamed by Manuel Comnenus and he gives the 
order to arrest all citizens of the Republic now in Byzantine territory 
and to confiscate their property. In the capital alone 10,000 Venetians 
were captured. There is no evidence that the Venetians had anything to do 
witht he attack, and this was confirmed when the Genoese themselves 
declared that the Venetians had had nothing to do with the attack.
	Venice calls for war, and sends out a large fleet to 
Constantinople. However, they are stopped on the way, and enticed to wait 
for a peace mission by the emissaries of Manuel. They spend most  of the 
winter in fruitless discussions until a plaque breaks out and destroys 
much of the Venetian war fleet. The ambassadors sent to Constantinople 
are rebuffed and the fleet skulks home.

1172 -- The fleet returns to Venice, bringing the plague with them.  The 
Doge, Vitale Michiel, who had been in charge of the fleet, gathers a general 
assembly, relates what has happened, and then, as he leaves, is assassinated. 

1172-73 -- Venetian government is changed and becomes less of a pure 
republic as the power of the "arengo" or general council is weakened, and 
forms which will promote a more oligarchical form of government are 
introduced.

1175 -- After again having their attempts at peace rejected by Manuel, 
the Ventians make a 20 year peace treaty with King William II(The Good) 
of Sicily.
	Western and Central Europe are divided into 500 bishoprics under 
one united heirarchy, but conflicts between secular and church 
authorities were frequent. At about this time begins the German 
Investiture controversy.

1176 -- Frederick Barbarossa is defeated at Legano by the Lombard League.

1177 -- Pope Alexander III and Frederick Barabarossa meet in Venice for 
peace talks. The resultant agreement is named the Treaty of Venice, and 
ends 17 years of excommunication for Frederick. The Pope stays in Venice 
for 5 months, during which he is attended to by all sorts of princes and 
their large retinues.
	Venice gets from the Emperor -- Free passage and safe conduct 
into the Empire and while there freedom from the rolls.
	Venice gets from the Pope -- The Patriarch of Grado(read Venice) 
gets dominion over the Lagoon, Istia and all of Dalmatia, giving Grado 
legal weight in their battle against Aquileia.
	*Acension Day, where a golden ring is thrown into the ocean by 
the Doge symbolizing the marriage of Venice to the sea, is attended by 
the Pope.
	*Nuns are mentioned at being at S. Zaccaria the Orchard, also 
called the brolo.

1180 -- Manuel Comnenus dies after a long illness and plunges Byzantium 
into a succession struggle. His son, Alexius, takes the throne under the 
regence of his mother Mary of Antioch, the first Latin ever to rule in 
Constantinople.

1182 -- Manuel's cousin, Andronicus, overthrows the Regent Mary, and 
ursurps the thron of Byzantium. Three years of brutality and terror follow.

1184 -- Henry of Hohenstaufen, heir to the Western Empire is betrothed to 
Constance of Sicily, Aunt to the childless King William. Venice begins to 
get worried seeing the Germans might have the throne of Sicily.

1185 -- The oligarchy ruling Venice gets still more codified as 
the manner in which the Doge is elected drifts off into the arcane realm.
	Andronicus of Byzantium is killed in a revolt and torn to pieces 
by the mob. Issac II Angelus was installed on the throne.

1187 -- Venetians conclude very beneficial treaty with Constantinople, 
whereby they receive Imperial protection in return for becoming the ship 
yards of the Empire. The Byzantine fleet thus becomes totally dependant 
on Venice, and let their own ships rot away.
	Saladin shatters the army of the King of Jerusalem and takes the 
city. Acre also falls.
	Pope Urban II dies of shock and his replacement, Gregory VII, calls 
for a crusade, the third such call.

1189 -- The Easter fleet sets sail from Venice carrying "an inchoate and 
heterogenous army from all parts of Italy."
	A multi-national force develops -- The English, French, Danish, 
Flemish, German and Sicilian nobility all take part.  Four sovereigns 
also take part, though two, Frederic Barabarossa and William the Good of 
Sicily, die before getting to the Holy Land.
	The two remaining monarchs -- Richard Coeur de Lion and Philip 
Augustus lead the soldiers of the Cross better than previous crisades, 
but do little actual good.  Their greatest achievement being the 
recapture of Acre....and the subsequent massacre of 3,000 prisoners 
Saracen prisoners as ordered by Richard.
	Venice as in prior crusades starts out big, and then fades to 
the back after recapturing their quarter in Acre.

1193 -- Enrico Dandalo becomes Doge at about age 85. He is blind.
	Saladin dies.

1194 -- The German Emperor, Henry VI, becomes King of Sicily as well. 
Venice rather worried because Henry's ambitions mean not much good for 
them especially given the weak condition of the Eastern Empire.

1195 -- Isaac II deposed and his brother, Alexius III, takes the throne of 
Constaninople.

1197 -- Emperor Henry and his wife both die, and leave their young son, 
Frederick, in the care of the Pope Innocent III. 
	Phillip of Swabia takes the throne. He was brother to Henry. He 
is opposed Otto IV of House Welf.

1199 -- Richard Coeur de Lion dies and leaves Pope Innocent III with no 
secular rivals in Europe. He starts to gather the forces for the 4th Crusade.
	John Lackland is coronated King of England.

1201 -- Knights organizing the 4th Crusade ask for Venice's help and 
terms are agreed upon to get the army of the Corss to Egypt, which has 
been designated as the "weak" link. Venice has just concluded a trade 
agreement with Egypt.

1202 -- St John's Day -- Knights show up with only a third of the 
expected men to find a magnificent fleet ready for them. The Knights do 
not have the money and are eventually persuaded to sack Zara as payment. 
They do so.
	Innocent III excommunicates them all when he hears of this, but 
later modifies it just to include the Venetians.

1203 --  The crusaders are convinced to help Alexius IV of Constantinople 
take back the throne from his uncle in return for further monies and 
troops. Fleet sails on Constantinople and takes it. Alexius IV and III 
are enthroned as co-emperors.

1204 -- Alexius Ducas, seizes the throne in the midst of increasing 
hostilities between the army of the Cross and the inhabitants of 
Byzantium. He announces himself, Alexius V.
	The army of the Cross, due in large part to the urging of the 
Venetians, attack Constantinople, and sack it. Venice takes a full half 
of three quarters of the Byzantine Empire, and gains complete and total 
access to the lucrative Black Sea.
	Count Baldwin of Flanders is declared Emperor of Byzantium, and a 
Venetian monk becomes Patriarch.

1205 -- Pietro Zianni becomes Doge, and the title, "Lord of a Quarter and 
Half a Quarrter of the Roman Empire" is added to his list.
	Copes with all of Venice's new holding by setting up petty 
pricelings in the newly acquired territories -- most of them drawn from 
Venetin noblity. He only retains complete control of areas with strategic 
significance like Corfu, Crete, and Durazzo. They exploit the new 
holdings but do not bite off more than they could chew.
	* -- The Zianni family is rumored to have a golden cow in the 
basement which is the source of their great wealth.

1215 -- King John of England is forced to sign the Magna Carta.
	Frederick II deposes Otto.

1216 -- Henry III takes throne of England after John's death.

1220 -- Frederick II is coronated Emperor is Rome.

1221 -- St. Dominic Dies.

1223 -- Christmas Day -- Major Earthquake, two islands disappear.
	Philip Augustus dies and his son Louis VIII(The Lion) is crowned king.

1226 -- St. Francis is dead.
	St. Louis IX takes the throne of France.

1227 -- Genghis Khan dies.

1229 -- Giacomo Tiapolo is elected Doge after there is an even split 
among electors. Number of electors increased to 41.
	His "promissione" or agreed limits of action, is more like a 
legal contract. A major step in the limitation of the power of the Doge.
	Albigensian crusade is called in France.

1230 -- Both the Franciscans and the Dominicans are in the city of Venice 
and well established.

1233 -- Frederick II comes to Venice in hopes of winning that city to his 
side. He has started to campaign, Venice tries to straddle the fence.
	Venice is now _the_ bridge between east and west.

1239 -- Venice is drawn into the conflict, and allies itself with Genoa 
and Pisa with backing from the Pope against the Ghibelline proxy of 
Frederick, Ezzelino da Romano, a very nasty man. Venice and its allies do 
little, though Venice does take Ferrara. The battles between Guelf and 
Ghibelline continue for many more years.

1241 -- Gregory IX dies at age 100 and is succeeded by Celestine 
IV who dies 18 days later and is replaced by Innocent IV.

1242 -- Giacomo Tiepolo, Doge of Venice produces the Statuto, the 
codification of Venetian laws.

1245 -- Venice signs treaty with Frederick, but this only ratifies a 
situation that had been the case for some time. Venice realizes that the 
Emperor is not a threat to its sovereignity and Frederick never attempts 
to force the issue.

1250 -- Frederick, who has been crowned King of Jerusalem, dies. 
	St. Louis captures Egypt.

1253 -- Renier Zeno is elected Doge. 
	* -- Periodic revolts in Zara are mentioned. A joust is held on 
the Pizza to celebrate his elevation, and the use of pagentry and 
spectacle, described as distinctly Venetian are much in evidence.

1255 -- Genoa and Venice at open war.
	Marco Polo and his family begin their journeys leaving from Venice.

1256 -- Venice joins in the Pope's crusade against Ezzelino da Romano who 
is now trying to unite Northen Itlay for himself. He is widely hated and 
believed to be an ogre.

1259 -- Church bells ring as Ezzelino is killed.

1261 -- Constantinople is taken without a fight by a suprise attack 
launched by Greek general, Alexius Strategopoulos and the Emperor Michael 
Palaeologus who had been in exile in Nicea ascends the throne. Venice is 
the big loser.
	* -- The Crown of Thorns comes to Venice.


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Ok, I hope this is enough history, and on a broad enough canvass to be 
helpful. Anyone who is interested in researching a particular aspect of 
any of the above, please feel free. Just drop me a line and we will 
figure out how to work it in.

As I can over the next week, I will send out little mails about other 
subjects in more detail...the political system of Venice for example. If 
there is something you are greatly interested in..ask, not that I know 
it, but hey, ask anyway :)

Paul/Malabranca/Asid