GOING BACK TO OUR ROOTS
On 25 March 2021, we celebrate a very special birthday: Venetia is 1600 years old. No typo, because Venetia is the original name of “Venice”, offcially used until the late 18th century.
Can there be a better time than this special birthday to lift a few untold stories? Not about the city debating how and if she will survive. Not the city besieged by tourists, and then, desolate during all those months of the coronavirus lockdown. On her 1600th birtday, we could as well pause and travel back to Venetia. Let’s get started with the founder legend!
You may have heard that in the 5th century, the inhabitants of Altino, following the onslaught of the “barbarian invasions”, took refuge in the Lagoon. That’s just part of the story, the original text of the best-known founder legend tells moch more!
The birthday legend of Venetia was passed on by Marin Sanudo (1466-1536), an official historian of the Republic of Venice. His book on “De Origine, situ e magistratibus Urbis Venetiae” was re-published in 2017 by a Venetian research center on medieval history, Centro Cicogna.
Marin Sanudo bases his book on Chronicon Altinate, a collection of ancient documents, which the historians of the Republic used to learn about the past and write up the story of Venice. The earliest manuscripts kept at the State Archive seem to be written between the 11th and 13th century, immensely helpful in uncovering the missing links between history and legend.
1) The precise location of Venice and the port of Venice
L’anno 421. Li Heneti .. udendo i nuovi tumulti, che succedevano per l’Italia di Ataulfo Re de Visigoti il quale successe doppo Alarico, et similmente nella Francia, Spagna e Lamagna, quelli di altri barbari, senza aspettare l’ultima rovina .. doppo la distruzione d’Aquileia si risolsero di fabricare nelle lagune Adriatiche verso la foce del fiume Brenta, un luogo fermo, e sicuro che era in Riva Alta. Dove fatto, insieme un supremo Consiglio, determinarono una elettione de primi, tra loro, i quali havessero carico di edificare una Città di Porto, la quale servisse per refugio delle genti sparse per l’isole vicine, et in luogo di molte et deboli terre una Città sicura, e sola tenesse, nella quale per guardia del predetto Porto (in occasione di guerra) dovesse un’armata tenere.
A city was built in the Lagoon, near the mouth of the river Brenta, in a safe place near the port. It served as refuge for the population of the Lagoon islands,estuary and mainland, protecting the port at the same time.
Continue reading in our Venetia - Venetian Heritage Package.