#Venice

The “Chronicon Altinate”

The "Chronicon Altinate" is one of the central medieval sources to early Venetian history, used extensively since it was written.

Michele di Robilant

Italy’s ‘hidden island gem’ with £25 flights, 28°C temperatures and fascinating history

Main sources for early Venice

A summary of the main primary sources for the early history of Venice, and where to find them.

Liber Pontificalis — John III

The "Liber Pontificalis" on how a Byzantine general invited the Lombards to come and possess Italy, if they pleased.

Did Narses invite the Lombards?

Why did the Lombards decide to invade Byzantine Italy in 568? A popular story was the Byzantine general Narses, who had just retaken Italy for the empire, invited them. Was Narses a traitor to the emp…

The Lombard Invasion

The Lombard invasion of Byzantine Italy in 568 was a pivotal event in Venetian history, as it kicked off the movement towards a distinct Venetian society, culture and, ultimately, state.

Pliny the Elder on Venetia

Excerpts related to "Venetia" and the "Veneti" from the "Naturalis Historia" by Pliny the Elder (1st century)

The invasion of Venetia — Paul the Deacon

The Lombard invasion of Venetia in 568 — from "Historia Langobardorum" by Paul the Deacon.

Alboin and Rosamund — Paul the Deacon

A royal marriage and its tragic end, between Alboin, king of the Lombards, and Rosamund, a Gepid princess.

Gentildonne — Noblewomen — Grevembroch 1-136

"Gentildonne" (Noblewomen) from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.

The Justinian plague — Paul the Deacon

An account of the bubonic plague in Italy — also called the Justinian plague — from "Historia Langobardorum" by Paul the Deacon.

What Venice Still Has to Teach Us

Venice's thousand-year success offers a powerful lesson in balancing competing forces and the dangers of institutional rigidity in a changing world.