The Forgotten Empire of Venice Before the Tourists Arrived  History for Sleep - video Dailymotion

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Step back in time to the golden age of Venice, long before the tourists arrived. In this immersive sleep story, you’ll wander quiet canals, stroll past marble palaces, and watch artisans, merchants, and gondoliers bring the city to life.  Experience the grandeur and mystery of the Venetian Republic — its Doges, secret councils, masked balls, and thriving trade — all told in a soothing, meditative narration designed to help you relax and drift gently into sleep.  Let the gentle rhythm of the canals, the soft glow of lanterns, and the whispers of a forgotten empire lull you into a peaceful night of rest. 🌙✨  #HistoryForSleep #VeniceHistory #AncientCities #SleepStory #RelaxingHistory #BedtimeStoryForAdults #CalmNarration #HistoricalSleepStory #LostCivilizations #ASMRStorytime #PeacefulSleep #MeditativeStory #EuropeanHistory #ImmersiveHistory #LearnWhileYouSleep #SleepMeditation #VenetianEmpire #CanalsOfVenice #SoothingVoice #HiddenHistory

Transcript

00:00:00Hello and welcome to History at Night.

00:00:03Imagine a city with almost no land of its own,

00:00:06no mines and no great army,

00:00:08built on a foundation of mud and salt water,

00:00:11standing in a desolate, windswept lagoon.

00:00:15By all logic, this city should never have survived,

00:00:18let alone thrived.

00:00:20And yet, for a thousand years,

00:00:22this impossible place was one of the richest

00:00:25and most powerful states in the world.

00:00:27This is the story of Venice.

00:00:30So how did they do it?

00:00:32How did this republic of merchants

00:00:34build a vast maritime empire?

00:00:37How did a city with no natural resources

00:00:39become the gateway between east and west?

00:00:43Tonight, we will tell the epic story

00:00:45of the Venetian Republic, La Serenissima.

00:00:49We will explore the genius of its shipbuilders.

00:00:53We will sail with its fleets into the heart of the Crusades.

00:00:56We will follow its merchants

00:00:58as they cornered the world's most lucrative trade

00:01:01in spices and silk.

00:01:04This is a story of incredible ingenuity

00:01:07and political drama.

00:01:09It is also the story of a slow, beautiful decline,

00:01:12of a city that was the envy of the world for centuries.

00:01:16But before we set sail,

00:01:19please take a moment to like the video and subscribe.

00:01:22It's a simple and wonderful way to support the channel

00:01:25and it means a great deal to me.

00:01:28I'm also always curious to know

00:01:30where in the world

00:01:31and at what time you're joining me tonight.

00:01:34So I'd really love to hear from you in the comments.

00:01:38And now settle in.

00:01:40Let the noise of the modern world fade away

00:01:42and let us travel back to a time

00:01:44of marble palaces,

00:01:46silent gondolas

00:01:48and the scent of eastern spices.

00:01:51The story of Venice begins

00:01:52not with a grand design

00:01:54but with a desperate flight.

00:01:57In the 5th century AD

00:01:58the mighty Western Roman Empire

00:02:00was crumbling.

00:02:02The prosperous world of northern Italy

00:02:04was being torn apart by barbarian invasions.

00:02:08The most terrifying of these were the Huns

00:02:10who swept down from the east

00:02:12under their leader Attila

00:02:13leaving ruin in their wake.

00:02:15As their cities burned

00:02:17the Roman citizens of the region

00:02:19the Veneti

00:02:19had to flee for their lives.

00:02:22They sought refuge

00:02:23in the one place

00:02:24a horse-mounted army

00:02:25could not follow.

00:02:27This was the vast and desolate lagoon

00:02:29on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

00:02:32It was not a paradise.

00:02:33It was a hostile maze of mudflats

00:02:36saltwater marshes

00:02:37and small shifting islands.

00:02:40But it offered one singular virtue

00:02:42safety.

00:02:43The shallow, confusing waterways

00:02:45were a natural fortress.

00:02:47The first Venetians were refugees.

00:02:50They were fishermen

00:02:51saltpan workers

00:02:52and farmers who had lost everything.

00:02:55On these small muddy islands

00:02:57they began to build

00:02:58a new kind of settlement.

00:03:00Their new community

00:03:01was based not on the soil of the earth

00:03:03but on the salt of the sea.

00:03:05But how do you build

00:03:07a city of stone

00:03:08on a foundation of mud?

00:03:10The Venetians developed

00:03:12an ingenious method.

00:03:14They drove thousands

00:03:14of long sharpened wooden piles

00:03:16deep through the soft mud.

00:03:18They pushed them down

00:03:19until they hit a layer

00:03:20of hard-packed clay below.

00:03:23This created a dense

00:03:24underwater forest.

00:03:26A solid and stable foundation.

00:03:27On top of these pilings

00:03:30they would lay thick

00:03:31platforms of timber.

00:03:33Only then could they begin

00:03:34to construct the stone foundations

00:03:36of their houses,

00:03:37churches and palaces.

00:03:39They were, quite literally,

00:03:41building a city

00:03:42on top of an upside-down forest.

00:03:45This unique and challenging environment

00:03:48forged a new kind of people.

00:03:50Their roads were canals.

00:03:52Their wagons were boats.

00:03:53Their lives became oriented

00:03:56entirely towards the sea.

00:03:58This daily struggle

00:03:59with the water

00:04:00taught them pragmatism

00:04:02and resourcefulness.

00:04:04The city that was born from fear

00:04:05was not destined

00:04:06to remain a humble refuge.

00:04:09It was poised

00:04:09to use its unique position

00:04:11to become a power

00:04:12in its own right.

00:04:14As the small settlements

00:04:16of the lagoon

00:04:16grew into a single,

00:04:18thriving city

00:04:19the Venetians

00:04:20faced a new challenge.

00:04:22They were officially

00:04:23part of the distant

00:04:24Byzantine Empire

00:04:25but in reality

00:04:26they were independent.

00:04:28They needed a leader

00:04:29to unite them.

00:04:31However,

00:04:32their history was one

00:04:33of fleeing the brutal tyrants

00:04:34and warring lords

00:04:36of the mainland.

00:04:37Their deepest fear

00:04:38was recreating

00:04:39the very system

00:04:40of one-man rule

00:04:42that they had escaped.

00:04:44Their solution

00:04:45to this dilemma

00:04:46was a political masterpiece,

00:04:48a system of government

00:04:49that would ensure

00:04:50their stability

00:04:50for a thousand years.

00:04:53In the 8th century

00:04:54they created

00:04:55the office

00:04:55of the Doge.

00:04:57The title came

00:04:58from the Latin word

00:04:59dux

00:05:00meaning leader.

00:05:02The choice was deliberate.

00:05:03He was to be a leader

00:05:04but not a monarch,

00:05:06a prince

00:05:07but not a king.

00:05:08Critically,

00:05:09he was elected

00:05:10for life

00:05:10by the city's

00:05:11most powerful families.

00:05:13He was not born

00:05:14into the role.

00:05:15The office

00:05:16was a symbol

00:05:17of the state's continuity

00:05:18but its power

00:05:19was limited

00:05:20from the very beginning.

00:05:22The true power

00:05:23in Venice

00:05:23lay with the wealthy

00:05:24merchant families.

00:05:26Their fortunes

00:05:26were built

00:05:27on maritime trade.

00:05:29Their greatest fear

00:05:30was that an ambitious

00:05:31Doge

00:05:32could seize

00:05:33absolute power.

00:05:34A single ruler

00:05:35could create

00:05:36a hereditary dynasty,

00:05:38disrupting the commercial

00:05:39enterprise of the city

00:05:40for his own

00:05:41personal glory.

00:05:43The entire

00:05:44Venetian political system,

00:05:45therefore,

00:05:46evolved into a complex

00:05:47and ingenious machine

00:05:49designed to prevent this.

00:05:51The government

00:05:52was a republic

00:05:52but it was not a democracy.

00:05:55It was a rigid

00:05:56merchant oligarchy.

00:05:58The foundation

00:05:59of this system

00:06:00was the Great Council.

00:06:02This was an assembly

00:06:03made up of the members

00:06:04of all the noble families

00:06:05of Venice.

00:06:07The Great Council

00:06:07was the ultimate

00:06:08source of authority.

00:06:10It elected the members

00:06:11of all the other

00:06:12smaller councils

00:06:14that ran the city.

00:06:15The Doge himself

00:06:16became a kind of

00:06:17constitutional monarch,

00:06:20bound by an elaborate

00:06:21oath of office.

00:06:23The checks on his power

00:06:24were almost paranoid

00:06:25in their thoroughness.

00:06:26He could not name

00:06:27his own successor.

00:06:29His sons were forbidden

00:06:30from holding public office

00:06:31during his reign.

00:06:33His official mail

00:06:33had to be opened

00:06:34and read by state censors

00:06:36before he was allowed

00:06:37to see it.

00:06:38He could not even leave

00:06:39the city of Venice

00:06:40without the permission

00:06:42of his own councils.

00:06:43To further protect

00:06:45the state from

00:06:46internal threats,

00:06:47the Venetians created

00:06:48one of history's

00:06:49most famous

00:06:50and feared institutions,

00:06:52the Council of Ten.

00:06:54This was a small

00:06:55secretive committee

00:06:56that acted as

00:06:57a state security service.

00:06:59It was tasked

00:06:59with rooting out

00:07:00treason and conspiracies.

00:07:03Its agents

00:07:04were everywhere.

00:07:05Citizens were encouraged

00:07:06to anonymously

00:07:07denounce their neighbours

00:07:08by slipping messages

00:07:10into stone letterboxes

00:07:11placed around the city,

00:07:13the infamous

00:07:14Boce di Leone

00:07:15or Lion's Mouths.

00:07:17The Venetian system

00:07:18was a paradox.

00:07:19It was a republic

00:07:20built on a foundation

00:07:21of profound,

00:07:23institutionalised mistrust.

00:07:25Yet this complex web

00:07:26of checks and balances

00:07:28was incredibly successful.

00:07:30While the rest of Europe

00:07:31was constantly torn apart

00:07:33by the ambitions

00:07:34of feudal kings,

00:07:35Venice enjoyed a stability

00:07:37that was the envy

00:07:38of the world.

00:07:40This stability

00:07:40allowed it to focus

00:07:42its entire energy

00:07:43on a single passion,

00:07:45the accumulation of wealth

00:07:47and the building

00:07:47of a great maritime empire.

00:07:50For the first few centuries

00:07:52of its existence,

00:07:54Venice was not

00:07:54fully independent.

00:07:56It lived in the long shadow

00:07:57of the greatest power

00:07:58in the Christian world,

00:08:00the Byzantine Empire.

00:08:02This was the

00:08:02Eastern Roman Empire.

00:08:04It ruled from its magnificent

00:08:06and fabulously wealthy capital,

00:08:08Constantinople.

00:08:09Venice was officially

00:08:11a Byzantine duchy.

00:08:13It was a distant

00:08:14and semi-autonomous province,

00:08:16a small part of a vast

00:08:17and ancient empire.

00:08:19This connection

00:08:20shaped the city's

00:08:21early character.

00:08:23Venice was a city

00:08:24of two worlds.

00:08:25It was geographically

00:08:26in the west,

00:08:27but its culture,

00:08:27art and politics

00:08:28all looked to the east.

00:08:30The breathtaking golden mosaics

00:08:32that began to adorn

00:08:33St. Mark's Basilica

00:08:34were created

00:08:35by Byzantine masters.

00:08:37Or in the Byzantine style.

00:08:40This deep connection

00:08:41to Constantinople

00:08:42gave the Venetians

00:08:44unique access

00:08:44to the most sophisticated

00:08:46markets

00:08:46and trade routes

00:08:48in the world.

00:08:49The Venetians

00:08:49were shrewd

00:08:50and pragmatic subjects.

00:08:52They used their relationship

00:08:53with the empire

00:08:54to their own advantage.

00:08:56Their growing navy,

00:08:57the best in the region,

00:08:58often served

00:08:59as a mercenary fleet

00:09:00for the Byzantine emperor.

00:09:02The emperor

00:09:03frequently needed help

00:09:05to fight off

00:09:06Norman and Arab threats

00:09:07in the Mediterranean.

00:09:10Venice provided

00:09:10this vital naval support,

00:09:12but it always came

00:09:13at a price.

00:09:15The most important payment

00:09:16came in the year

00:09:171082.

00:09:19The Byzantine emperor,

00:09:21Alexios I Komnenos,

00:09:23was desperate for

00:09:23Venetian help

00:09:24against an invasion.

00:09:26In return for the service

00:09:27of their fleet,

00:09:28he issued an imperial decree

00:09:30known as a golden bull.

00:09:32This decree granted

00:09:33Venetian merchants

00:09:34staggering trading privileges

00:09:36throughout the Byzantine empire.

00:09:38They were allowed

00:09:38to trade completely tax-free

00:09:40in most of the empire's

00:09:42major ports,

00:09:43including Constantinople itself.

00:09:45They were even given

00:09:46their own district

00:09:47and docks in the capital.

00:09:49This was a massive

00:09:50economic coup for Venice.

00:09:52It gave them a huge

00:09:53competitive advantage

00:09:54over their rivals,

00:09:55like Genoa and Pisa,

00:09:57but it also slowly began

00:09:59to cripple the Byzantine economy.

00:10:01The empire was now deprived

00:10:03of huge amounts

00:10:04of tax revenue.

00:10:06The relationship

00:10:06began to change.

00:10:08The Venetian servants

00:10:09were now becoming richer

00:10:11and more powerful

00:10:12than their Byzantine masters.

00:10:15Over the next century,

00:10:17this imbalance led

00:10:18to growing tension

00:10:19and resentment.

00:10:21The people of Constantinople

00:10:23grew to hate

00:10:23the arrogant and wealthy

00:10:24Venetian merchants,

00:10:26who now dominated

00:10:27their city's commerce.

00:10:28This hostility

00:10:30sometimes erupted

00:10:31into violent riots

00:10:32and massacres.

00:10:34The old alliance

00:10:35had curdled

00:10:35into a relationship

00:10:36of deep mutual suspicion

00:10:38and bitter economic rivalry.

00:10:41By the end of the 12th century,

00:10:43the bond was completely broken.

00:10:45Venice was no longer

00:10:46a servant,

00:10:47but a powerful

00:10:48and independent competitor.

00:10:51The Venetians

00:10:52saw the weakening

00:10:52Byzantine empire

00:10:54as both a commercial threat

00:10:55and an immense opportunity

00:10:57for plunder.

00:10:59They knew the secrets

00:11:00of Constantinople's wealth

00:11:02and they knew

00:11:03the weaknesses

00:11:03of its defences.

00:11:06This long

00:11:07and complicated

00:11:07history of service,

00:11:09economic domination

00:11:10and bitter resentment

00:11:12is the crucial backstory

00:11:13for the shocking events

00:11:15that were to come.

00:11:17As Venice grew in power

00:11:19and distanced itself

00:11:20from its old master,

00:11:21the Byzantine empire,

00:11:23its leaders knew

00:11:24the city needed

00:11:25a new spiritual heart.

00:11:27A great power

00:11:28required a great patron saint,

00:11:30one whose prestige

00:11:31could rival

00:11:32the apostles of Rome

00:11:33and Constantinople.

00:11:36Their current patron

00:11:37was a minor Byzantine figure,

00:11:39a constant reminder

00:11:40of their former subservience.

00:11:43To be truly independent,

00:11:45Venice needed a relic

00:11:46of the highest order.

00:11:48And so they set their sights

00:11:50on the body of St. Mark

00:11:51the Evangelist himself.

00:11:52There was just one problem,

00:11:54The sacred remains

00:11:55of St. Mark

00:11:56were housed in a shrine

00:11:57in Alexandria, Egypt,

00:11:59a city then under the control

00:12:00of the Muslim Caliphate.

00:12:02In the year 828 AD,

00:12:06two Venetian merchants,

00:12:07Buono da Malamoco

00:12:09and Rustico da Torcello,

00:12:11embarked on an audacious

00:12:12and sacrilegious mission.

00:12:15Their goal was a holy theft,

00:12:17an act of pious larceny,

00:12:19to bring the Evangelist

00:12:20home to their city.

00:12:20The two merchants

00:12:22sailed to Alexandria.

00:12:24Through a combination

00:12:25of bribery and persuasion,

00:12:27they convinced the keepers

00:12:28of the shrine

00:12:28to let them take

00:12:30the saint's body.

00:12:31They claimed they were

00:12:32saving the holy relic

00:12:33from potential desecration

00:12:35by the local rulers,

00:12:37giving their heist

00:12:38a veneer of religious duty.

00:12:40Their greatest challenge,

00:12:41however,

00:12:42was smuggling the body

00:12:43past the Caliph's

00:12:44customs officials

00:12:45at the port.

00:12:46It was here

00:12:48that the merchants

00:12:49displayed the cunning

00:12:50and pragmatism

00:12:51that would come

00:12:52to define their republic.

00:12:53They placed the saint's body

00:12:55in a large basket

00:12:56and covered it

00:12:57with layers of pork

00:12:58and cabbage leaves.

00:13:00As the story is told,

00:13:02when the Muslim officials,

00:13:03who consider pork

00:13:04to be unclean,

00:13:06came to inspect the cargo,

00:13:07they recoiled in disgust.

00:13:09They waved the ship through

00:13:10without a proper search.

00:13:12The daring plan

00:13:13had worked perfectly.

00:13:14The arrival of saint Mark's body

00:13:16in Venice

00:13:16was a moment

00:13:17of profound transformation.

00:13:19The entire city

00:13:20erupted in celebration.

00:13:22No longer a cultural province

00:13:24of Byzantium,

00:13:25Venice was now

00:13:26a major pilgrimage destination.

00:13:29Its sacred authority

00:13:30could rival that of Rome itself.

00:13:32The magnificent,

00:13:33golden saint Mark's basilica

00:13:35was commissioned to be

00:13:36the new, permanent home

00:13:37for the evangelist's remains,

00:13:40becoming the spiritual

00:13:41and political heart

00:13:42of the Venetian state.

00:13:44With their new patron saints

00:13:45came a new, powerful symbol.

00:13:48The traditional icon

00:13:49for Saint Mark the evangelist

00:13:51is a winged lion.

00:13:53Venice immediately

00:13:54adopted this as its own.

00:13:57The Lion of Saint Mark,

00:13:58often depicted holding a book,

00:14:00became the official symbol

00:14:02of the Republic.

00:14:03It was stamped on coins,

00:14:05flown on the banners

00:14:06of their warships

00:14:07and carved into the gates

00:14:08of every city they conquered.

00:14:10The theft of a saint's body

00:14:13was the ultimate declaration

00:14:15of Venetian ambition.

00:14:17It was a sacred act of larceny

00:14:19that severed their old ties

00:14:20and laid the divine foundation

00:14:22for the independent empire to come.

00:14:25Venice now had a stable government

00:14:26and a divine protector.

00:14:28It also possessed a growing naval power,

00:14:31a fleet strong enough

00:14:32to be hired as mercenaries

00:14:34by the Byzantine emperor himself.

00:14:36But what was the source

00:14:38of this incredible maritime might?

00:14:40The answer,

00:14:41the true physical heart

00:14:43of the Republic,

00:14:44was forged in a single,

00:14:45vast and highly secret location.

00:14:48Tucked away in the eastern corner

00:14:50of the city,

00:14:51behind high red brick walls

00:14:52and guarded towers,

00:14:54lay the Venetian arsenal.

00:14:56It was not merely a shipyard.

00:14:58It was the largest

00:14:59and most efficient

00:15:00industrial complex in Europe,

00:15:02centuries ahead of its time.

00:15:04The genius of the arsenal

00:15:06was its revolutionary approach

00:15:08to production.

00:15:09In an age where ships

00:15:10were typically built

00:15:11one at a time,

00:15:13the Venetians pioneered

00:15:14the principles

00:15:15of the modern assembly line.

00:15:18The process began

00:15:19with the mass production

00:15:20of standardised,

00:15:22interchangeable parts.

00:15:24Within the arsenal's

00:15:25sprawling complex,

00:15:26dedicated workshops

00:15:27were filled with

00:15:29highly skilled workers

00:15:30known as the Arsenalotti.

00:15:32They did nothing

00:15:33but produce

00:15:34identical components,

00:15:36oars, rudders,

00:15:37masts

00:15:38and vast quantities

00:15:39of rope.

00:15:40These parts were then

00:15:41stored by the thousands

00:15:42in massive warehouses,

00:15:45ready for use

00:15:45at a moment's notice.

00:15:47The assembly of a ship

00:15:48took place

00:15:49along a production canal

00:15:50that flowed

00:15:51through the heart

00:15:51of the complex.

00:15:53A bare, pre-built hull

00:15:54would be towed

00:15:55into the canal

00:15:56at one end.

00:15:58As it moved

00:15:58down the waterway,

00:15:59it would stop

00:16:00at a series of stations.

00:16:01At each stop,

00:16:03a different guild

00:16:04of specialised

00:16:05Arsenalotti

00:16:05would swarm the vessel.

00:16:07They fitted it

00:16:08with the specific parts

00:16:09they had mastered.

00:16:11One team would install

00:16:12the rowers' benches.

00:16:13Another would step

00:16:15the mast

00:16:15and rig the sails.

00:16:18In the final stages,

00:16:19the ship would be armed,

00:16:20first with crossbows

00:16:21and later with the

00:16:22powerful new technology

00:16:23of cannons,

00:16:25cast in the Arsenal's

00:16:26own foundries.

00:16:27This system was so

00:16:28astonishingly efficient

00:16:30that it was said

00:16:31a visiting dignitary

00:16:32in a famous demonstration

00:16:34witnessed a new war galley

00:16:36being fully assembled

00:16:38and armed

00:16:38in the time it took him

00:16:40to eat a leisurely dinner.

00:16:42At the peak of its power,

00:16:44Venice could outfit

00:16:45and launch

00:16:45a fully equipped warship

00:16:47in a single day.

00:16:48This incredible speed

00:16:50gave the Republic

00:16:50a strategic advantage

00:16:52that no rival could match.

00:16:54In times of war,

00:16:56they could generate

00:16:56a massive fleet

00:16:57almost instantly,

00:16:59stunning their enemies

00:17:00with the sheer scale

00:17:01and speed of their mobilisation.

00:17:03The Arsenalotti

00:17:04who worked here

00:17:05were an elite

00:17:06and privileged class.

00:17:08They were state employees

00:17:09with guaranteed

00:17:09lifelong jobs,

00:17:11pensions

00:17:11and even housing

00:17:13for their families.

00:17:14In return for this security,

00:17:16they were fiercely loyal

00:17:17and sworn to secrecy.

00:17:19They were the guardians

00:17:20of the state's

00:17:21most vital military

00:17:22and industrial secrets.

00:17:23The Arsenal was a fortress

00:17:25not just against enemy fleets

00:17:27but against the prying eyes

00:17:29of rival powers

00:17:30desperate to steal the secrets

00:17:32of Venice's industrial might.

00:17:35The Arsenal was far more

00:17:36than a shipyard.

00:17:38It was the physical manifestation

00:17:39of Venetian ingenuity

00:17:41and pragmatism.

00:17:43It was the factory

00:17:44that allowed a small city

00:17:46built on mud and salt water

00:17:48to project immense naval force

00:17:50across the Mediterranean.

00:17:51The political stability

00:17:53of the Doge's palace

00:17:55provided the will

00:17:56but the industrial might

00:17:58of the Arsenal

00:17:59provided the weapon.

00:18:01The power forged

00:18:02in the dark halls

00:18:03of the Arsenal

00:18:03was put on magnificent display

00:18:05for the entire world to see.

00:18:08This happened

00:18:08on one special day

00:18:10each year,

00:18:11the Feast of the Ascension.

00:18:13On this day,

00:18:14the city celebrated

00:18:15its most important

00:18:16and unique state ceremony.

00:18:19It was a ritual

00:18:20that perfectly captured

00:18:21the soul of the Republic.

00:18:22It was called

00:18:23the Marriage to the Sea.

00:18:25The centrepiece

00:18:25of the festival

00:18:26was the Doge's state barge,

00:18:28the Bussentor.

00:18:29This was no war galley.

00:18:31It was a floating palace,

00:18:33a breathtaking masterpiece

00:18:34of Venetian craftsmanship.

00:18:37The ship was immense,

00:18:38a double-decked vessel

00:18:39propelled by the Arsenal's

00:18:41most skilled oarsmen.

00:18:43Its entire surface

00:18:44was covered in elaborate

00:18:45mythical carvings,

00:18:47all heavily gilded

00:18:48with pure gold leaf.

00:18:50When the Bussentor

00:18:51was brought out

00:18:52of its special shelter,

00:18:53it was said to look

00:18:54like a golden mountain

00:18:55floating on the water.

00:18:57On the morning

00:18:58of the festival,

00:18:58the Doge would board

00:18:59the Bussentor.

00:19:01He was dressed

00:19:01in his finest ceremonial robes,

00:19:04along with the highest officials

00:19:05and foreign ambassadors.

00:19:07From there,

00:19:08he led a grand procession

00:19:09of hundreds of boats

00:19:11out into the lagoon.

00:19:13It was a spectacle

00:19:13of incredible pomp

00:19:15and civic pride.

00:19:16The entire city

00:19:17would turn out

00:19:18to watch the golden barge,

00:19:20followed by a flotilla

00:19:21of brightly decorated gondolas

00:19:23and private yachts,

00:19:25the air filled with music,

00:19:27the pealing of church bells

00:19:29and the cheers

00:19:30of the Venetian people.

00:19:31The procession's destination

00:19:32was the Lido Inlet.

00:19:35This was the point

00:19:35where the calm waters

00:19:37of the lagoon

00:19:37meet the open expanse

00:19:39of the Adriatic Sea.

00:19:41Here,

00:19:42the flotilla would fall silent

00:19:43and the Doge would perform

00:19:45the ancient and sacred ritual.

00:19:48He would take

00:19:48a consecrated golden ring.

00:19:51He held it aloft

00:19:51for all to see.

00:19:53Then he would recite

00:19:54the solemn,

00:19:54unchangeable Latin vow

00:19:56desponsamis te mare

00:19:58in signum veri perpetuice domini,

00:20:01which means

00:20:01we marry you,

00:20:03our sea,

00:20:03as a sign of true

00:20:04and perpetual dominion.

00:20:06With those words,

00:20:07he would drop the golden ring

00:20:08into the waves.

00:20:10The act was a yearly renewal

00:20:12of the sacred contract

00:20:13at the heart

00:20:15of the city's existence.

00:20:16It was a prayer

00:20:17for the safety

00:20:18of their sailors

00:20:19and the prosperity

00:20:20of their trade.

00:20:22But it was also

00:20:23a powerful statement

00:20:24of political reality.

00:20:26It declared to the world

00:20:27that the Adriatic

00:20:28was Venice's territory.

00:20:31It announced

00:20:31that the sea

00:20:32was their private highway

00:20:33and that they were

00:20:34its undisputed master.

00:20:36For the Venetians,

00:20:38this was no mere metaphor.

00:20:39Their city was born

00:20:40from the water,

00:20:41protected by the water

00:20:42and made rich by the water.

00:20:45The sea was their farm,

00:20:47their fortress

00:20:47and their entire reason

00:20:49for being.

00:20:50To be married

00:20:51to the sea

00:20:51was to state

00:20:52the fundamental truth

00:20:54of their world.

00:20:55This magnificent ceremony

00:20:57was the ultimate expression

00:20:58of the Venetian soul.

00:21:01It was a golden spectacle

00:21:02that proclaimed the source

00:21:04of all their power

00:21:05and glory.

00:21:06At the dawn

00:21:07of the 13th century,

00:21:09Pope Innocent III

00:21:10declared the Fourth Crusade

00:21:11a new holy war

00:21:13to sail to the Holy Land

00:21:14and reclaim Jerusalem.

00:21:16The feudal lords of France

00:21:18and the Holy Roman Empire

00:21:19answered the call.

00:21:21They assembled

00:21:22a magnificent army

00:21:23of knights and soldiers.

00:21:25But to strike

00:21:26at the heart

00:21:26of Muslim power

00:21:27in Egypt

00:21:28they needed a fleet.

00:21:30There was only one city

00:21:31in the world

00:21:31that could provide it,

00:21:33Venice.

00:21:33The leader of Venice

00:21:35at this time

00:21:36was one of the most

00:21:37remarkable figures

00:21:38of the Middle Ages.

00:21:40His name was

00:21:40Doge Enrico Dandolo.

00:21:42He was an old man

00:21:44well into his 90s

00:21:45and he was blind.

00:21:47Yet his mind

00:21:47was as sharp

00:21:48as any man

00:21:48half his age

00:21:49and his ambition

00:21:51for the glory of Venice

00:21:52was boundless.

00:21:53The crusader envoys

00:21:54arrived and made

00:21:55their request.

00:21:56They needed a fleet

00:21:57to transport

00:21:5833,000 men

00:21:59and 4,500 horses.

00:22:02Dandolo

00:22:03and the Venetians

00:22:04drove a hard bargain.

00:22:06They agreed to suspend

00:22:07all their normal

00:22:07commercial activities

00:22:09for over a year.

00:22:10They would dedicate

00:22:11the entire industrial

00:22:12might of the arsenal

00:22:13to this one

00:22:14massive project.

00:22:16The price for this service

00:22:18was a staggering

00:22:1885,000 silver marks.

00:22:21The crusaders agreed

00:22:22and Venice went to work.

00:22:25In the summer of 1202

00:22:27the crusader army

00:22:28arrived at the Lido of Venice.

00:22:30A crisis

00:22:31immediately erupted.

00:22:33The army was far

00:22:34smaller than promised.

00:22:36Thousands of knights

00:22:37had taken different routes

00:22:38or dropped out.

00:22:40As a result

00:22:40they could only pay

00:22:41a fraction

00:22:42of the enormous

00:22:43agreed upon price.

00:22:45The situation

00:22:46was a disaster

00:22:47for both sides.

00:22:49A massive

00:22:50armed foreign army

00:22:51was now trapped

00:22:52on an island

00:22:52in the lagoon

00:22:53unable to fulfil

00:22:55its holy vow.

00:22:56And Venice

00:22:57was on the brink

00:22:57of bankruptcy

00:22:58its expensive

00:23:00new fleets

00:23:00sitting idle

00:23:01in the harbour.

00:23:02It was in this

00:23:03moment of crisis

00:23:04that the blind

00:23:04doge Dandolo

00:23:05revealed his cunning

00:23:06genius.

00:23:08He made a proposal

00:23:08to the desperate

00:23:10crusaders.

00:23:11They could

00:23:12he suggested

00:23:12pay off the rest

00:23:14of their debt

00:23:14not in silver

00:23:15but in service.

00:23:17Their first target

00:23:18he announced

00:23:19would not be Egypt.

00:23:21It would be

00:23:21the Christian city

00:23:22of Zara

00:23:23a trading rival

00:23:24of Venice

00:23:25on the Dalmatian

00:23:25coast.

00:23:27The crusaders

00:23:28were aghast.

00:23:29They had taken

00:23:30a sacred oath

00:23:31to fight

00:23:31the enemies

00:23:31of Christ.

00:23:33Now they were

00:23:33being asked

00:23:34to attack

00:23:34a fellow

00:23:35Christian city

00:23:36for the commercial

00:23:37benefit of Venice.

00:23:39Many protested

00:23:40this blatant hijacking

00:23:41of their holy mission.

00:23:43Some abandoned

00:23:43the crusade

00:23:44in disgust

00:23:45but the majority

00:23:45trapped in debt

00:23:47and desperate

00:23:48reluctantly agreed.

00:23:50To seal the deal

00:23:51the aged

00:23:52Enrico Dandolo

00:23:53performed a masterful

00:23:54act of political

00:23:55theatre.

00:23:57During a great

00:23:57mass in St. Mark's

00:23:58Basilica

00:23:59he declared

00:24:00that he

00:24:00despite his age

00:24:02and blindness

00:24:02would personally

00:24:04take the cross

00:24:05and lead the crusade.

00:24:07The great fleet

00:24:07paid for

00:24:08with Venetian silver

00:24:09and crusader

00:24:10desperation

00:24:11finally set sail.

00:24:13Dandolo's

00:24:14great gamble

00:24:15had paid off.

00:24:16He had successfully

00:24:17diverted the entire

00:24:18fourth crusade

00:24:19onto a new

00:24:20unforeseen

00:24:21and controversial

00:24:23path

00:24:23replacing its

00:24:24sacred purpose

00:24:25with the cold

00:24:26hard logic

00:24:27of Venetian ambition.

00:24:30And so

00:24:30in the autumn

00:24:31of 1202

00:24:32the great crusader

00:24:33and Venetian fleet

00:24:35appeared before

00:24:36the harbour

00:24:36of Zara.

00:24:38When the people

00:24:38of the city

00:24:39saw the massive

00:24:39armada

00:24:40they were terrified.

00:24:42They were devout

00:24:43Catholics

00:24:43they hung crucifixes

00:24:45and banners

00:24:45of the Pope

00:24:46from their city walls.

00:24:48They pleaded

00:24:48with the crusaders

00:24:49not to attack

00:24:50their fellow Christians

00:24:51the Pope himself

00:24:52had explicitly

00:24:54forbidden the act.

00:24:56He had threatened

00:24:56the entire army

00:24:57with excommunication

00:24:59but the leaders

00:25:00of the crusade

00:25:01were trapped

00:25:02by their debt

00:25:02and the blind

00:25:04doge Dandolo

00:25:04was relentless.

00:25:06For Venice

00:25:07this was business.

00:25:08The siege began.

00:25:10After a brief

00:25:11and brutal assault

00:25:12the city of Zara

00:25:13fell to the crusader

00:25:14army.

00:25:15The knights

00:25:15and soldiers

00:25:16having now paid

00:25:17a portion of their

00:25:18debt in service

00:25:18entered and

00:25:19sacked the city.

00:25:20It was a grim

00:25:22prelude

00:25:22to what was to come.

00:25:24The army

00:25:25wintered

00:25:25in the conquered city.

00:25:27It was during

00:25:27this cold

00:25:28and tense winter

00:25:29that the destiny

00:25:30of the crusade

00:25:31was changed forever.

00:25:33A new player

00:25:33arrived.

00:25:34He was a young

00:25:35exiled

00:25:35Byzantine prince

00:25:37named Alexios Angelos.

00:25:39He made the crusader

00:25:40leaders

00:25:40a breathtaking offer.

00:25:42He asked them

00:25:43to sail to

00:25:43Constantinople

00:25:44and help him

00:25:45take the throne.

00:25:46In return

00:25:47he would pay

00:25:48their entire debt

00:25:49to Venice.

00:25:49He would also

00:25:50finance their

00:25:51onward journey

00:25:52to Egypt

00:25:53and submit

00:25:53the orthodox church

00:25:54to the authority

00:25:55of the pope.

00:25:57For the French

00:25:57and German knights

00:25:58this was a tempting

00:25:59justification.

00:26:01They could restore

00:26:02a rightful heir

00:26:03and unite the church

00:26:04all while solving

00:26:05their financial crisis.

00:26:07For the Venetians

00:26:08it was the opportunity

00:26:10of a lifetime.

00:26:13Constantinople

00:26:13the queen of cities

00:26:15was the wealthiest

00:26:16metropolis in the world.

00:26:17It was also

00:26:19Venice's greatest

00:26:20commercial rival.

00:26:21The chance to place

00:26:22a friendly

00:26:23indebted emperor

00:26:24on its throne

00:26:24was a prize

00:26:26for which

00:26:26Enrico Dandolo

00:26:27was willing to risk

00:26:28everything.

00:26:29In the summer

00:26:30of 1203

00:26:31the crusader fleet

00:26:33arrived

00:26:33before the immense

00:26:34legendary walls

00:26:35of Constantinople.

00:26:37The citizens

00:26:38of the world's

00:26:38greatest Christian capital

00:26:40were stunned

00:26:41to see a fellow

00:26:41Christian army

00:26:42at their gates.

00:26:43The initial assault

00:26:45was successful.

00:26:46the usurper

00:26:47on the throne

00:26:48fled.

00:26:49The young prince

00:26:50Alexios

00:26:50was installed

00:26:51as co-emperor

00:26:52but the triumph

00:26:53was short-lived.

00:26:55The new emperor

00:26:55quickly discovered

00:26:56that the city's

00:26:58treasury

00:26:58was empty.

00:27:00He was unable

00:27:01to pay the vast sums

00:27:02he had promised.

00:27:04Tensions exploded.

00:27:06The crusader army

00:27:07camped outside the walls

00:27:08felt betrayed.

00:27:10They watched

00:27:10as a popular uprising

00:27:11overthrew their puppet

00:27:13emperor

00:27:13who was brutally

00:27:14murdered.

00:27:16With no hope

00:27:16of payment

00:27:17the crusaders

00:27:18made a fateful decision.

00:27:20They would take

00:27:21their payment

00:27:21by force.

00:27:22In April of 1204

00:27:24they unleashed

00:27:25a full-scale assault.

00:27:27The Venetian fleet

00:27:28played a crucial role.

00:27:29Their ships

00:27:30acted as floating

00:27:31siege towers

00:27:31allowing them

00:27:32to storm the sea walls.

00:27:34After a desperate

00:27:35battle

00:27:36the defences

00:27:37were breached.

00:27:38The crusader army

00:27:39poured into

00:27:40the wealthiest city

00:27:41in Christendom.

00:27:43What followed

00:27:43was one of the most

00:27:44shameful events

00:27:45in medieval history.

00:27:46It was the great

00:27:47sack of Constantinople.

00:27:49For three days

00:27:50the city

00:27:50was subjected

00:27:51to an orgy

00:27:52of looting

00:27:53destruction

00:27:53and murder.

00:27:55Palaces

00:27:55and churches

00:27:56were stripped

00:27:57of their priceless

00:27:58holy relics

00:27:59and ancient treasures.

00:28:01The great library

00:28:02was burned.

00:28:03Magnificent bronze

00:28:04statues were torn down

00:28:06and melted for coin.

00:28:08Venice played

00:28:08a shrewd

00:28:09and calculated game

00:28:10in the division

00:28:11of the spoils.

00:28:12The French knights

00:28:13took land

00:28:14but Venice

00:28:15took the prizes

00:28:15that mattered most

00:28:16for a maritime empire.

00:28:18They looted

00:28:19the famous

00:28:19four bronze horses

00:28:21a future symbol

00:28:22for St. Mark's Basilica.

00:28:24They took control

00:28:26of three-eighths

00:28:26of Constantinople itself

00:28:28and they claimed

00:28:29a string of

00:28:30strategic ports

00:28:31and islands

00:28:32throughout the

00:28:33Byzantine Empire

00:28:34including the

00:28:35crucial island

00:28:36of Crete.

00:28:37The fourth crusade

00:28:39never reached

00:28:39the holy land.

00:28:40It had instead

00:28:42shattered the

00:28:43ancient Christian

00:28:44Byzantine Empire.

00:28:45It had also

00:28:46enriched Venice

00:28:47beyond its wildest dreams.

00:28:50With the wealth

00:28:50of Constantinople

00:28:51in their vaults

00:28:52and its most

00:28:53strategic ports

00:28:54under their control

00:28:55Venice was no longer

00:28:56just a powerful

00:28:57city-state.

00:28:58It was now

00:28:59a true empire

00:29:00the undisputed

00:29:01master

00:29:02of the eastern

00:29:03Mediterranean.

00:29:04In the chaotic

00:29:05aftermath

00:29:06of the sack

00:29:07of Constantinople

00:29:08the French

00:29:09and German

00:29:09crusader lords

00:29:10scrambled to

00:29:11carve out

00:29:12feudal kingdoms

00:29:12for themselves.

00:29:14They claimed

00:29:15vast tracts

00:29:15of land

00:29:16from the

00:29:16fallen Byzantine

00:29:17Empire.

00:29:19The Venetians

00:29:19however

00:29:20played a much

00:29:21more calculated

00:29:22and strategic

00:29:22game.

00:29:23They had no

00:29:24interest in

00:29:25governing large

00:29:25rebellious inland

00:29:26populations

00:29:27or managing

00:29:28feudal estates.

00:29:30Their ambition

00:29:30was not for

00:29:31land

00:29:32it was for

00:29:32the sea itself.

00:29:34From the spoils

00:29:35of the fallen

00:29:35empire

00:29:36they meticulously

00:29:37crafted a new

00:29:38kind of empire

00:29:38one perfectly

00:29:40suited to a

00:29:41republic of

00:29:41merchants.

00:29:43The

00:29:43Stato de Mar

00:29:44the state

00:29:45of the sea.

00:29:47While the

00:29:47other crusaders

00:29:48claimed their

00:29:48share in

00:29:49territory

00:29:49Venice claimed

00:29:50its share

00:29:51in trade

00:29:52routes.

00:29:53Their strategy

00:29:54was to create

00:29:54a long

00:29:55unbroken

00:29:56chain

00:29:56of fortified

00:29:58ports and

00:29:58islands

00:29:59that would

00:29:59act as

00:30:00stepping stones.

00:30:01It was a

00:30:02maritime highway

00:30:03stretching all

00:30:04the way

00:30:04from the

00:30:05Venetian lagoon

00:30:06to the

00:30:07Black Sea.

00:30:08It was a

00:30:08string of

00:30:09pearls

00:30:09where each

00:30:10pearl was a

00:30:11strategic

00:30:11harbour,

00:30:13a naval

00:30:13base and

00:30:14a commercial

00:30:15outpost.

00:30:16This would

00:30:17guarantee the

00:30:17safety and

00:30:19supremacy of

00:30:19Venetian shipping.

00:30:21From the

00:30:21partition of

00:30:22the Byzantine

00:30:22empire Venice

00:30:24acquired a

00:30:24series of

00:30:25key locations.

00:30:26They secured

00:30:27the most

00:30:27important ports

00:30:28along the

00:30:29coast of

00:30:30Greece.

00:30:31They took

00:30:31control of

00:30:32the Cyclades

00:30:32islands in

00:30:33the Aegean.

00:30:34But their

00:30:35greatest prize

00:30:35was the

00:30:36massive and

00:30:37strategically

00:30:37vital island

00:30:38of Crete.

00:30:40Known to the

00:30:40Venetians as

00:30:41the Kingdom

00:30:41of Candia,

00:30:42Crete became

00:30:43their most

00:30:43important overseas

00:30:44colony.

00:30:46Its position

00:30:46allowed them

00:30:47to dominate

00:30:48the shipping

00:30:48lanes of

00:30:49the entire

00:30:50eastern

00:30:50Mediterranean.

00:30:52It served

00:30:52as a crucial

00:30:53naval base

00:30:53and a source

00:30:54of valuable

00:30:55goods for

00:30:55centuries.

00:30:57This was

00:30:57not an

00:30:57empire of

00:30:58settlement.

00:30:59It was a

00:30:59commercial and

00:31:00military machine.

00:31:01Each island

00:31:02and port in

00:31:03the Stato

00:31:03Damar

00:31:04served a

00:31:04specific

00:31:05purpose.

00:31:06They were

00:31:07safe harbours

00:31:07where Venetian

00:31:08merchant galleys

00:31:09could rest,

00:31:10resupply and

00:31:11shelter from

00:31:12storms and

00:31:12pirates.

00:31:14They were

00:31:14naval stations

00:31:14where squadrons

00:31:15of Venetian

00:31:16warships could

00:31:17be based.

00:31:18This allowed

00:31:18them to

00:31:19police the

00:31:19sea lanes and

00:31:20project power

00:31:21far from

00:31:22home.

00:31:23And they

00:31:23were commercial

00:31:23centres where

00:31:25Venetian

00:31:25merchants would

00:31:26collect local

00:31:26goods to be

00:31:27funnelled back

00:31:28to the markets

00:31:28of Venice.

00:31:30Life in these

00:31:30colonies was

00:31:31typically overseen

00:31:32by a Venetian

00:31:33governor.

00:31:34He was a

00:31:35nobleman sent

00:31:36from the city

00:31:36to rule over

00:31:37the local,

00:31:38mostly Greek,

00:31:39population.

00:31:40It was often

00:31:41a pragmatic,

00:31:42business-like

00:31:42form of rule.

00:31:44It was more

00:31:44concerned with

00:31:45collecting taxes

00:31:46and ensuring

00:31:47the smooth flow

00:31:48of trade than

00:31:49with changing

00:31:49the local

00:31:50culture.

00:31:51The Stato

00:31:52Damar was

00:31:53the ultimate

00:31:53expression of

00:31:54the Venetian

00:31:55worldview.

00:31:56It was an

00:31:57empire designed

00:31:57by merchants

00:31:58for merchants.

00:32:00Every island

00:32:01and every

00:32:02harbour was

00:32:02chosen not

00:32:03for its

00:32:03size but

00:32:04for its

00:32:04strategic and

00:32:06commercial

00:32:06value.

00:32:08This network

00:32:08of naval

00:32:09bases and

00:32:09trading posts

00:32:10was the

00:32:11hardened

00:32:11skeleton that

00:32:12supported their

00:32:13vast commercial

00:32:14body.

00:32:15It allowed

00:32:15them to

00:32:16control the

00:32:16flow of

00:32:17wealth from

00:32:17the east

00:32:17back to

00:32:18the heart

00:32:18of their

00:32:19city,

00:32:19with

00:32:20unparalleled

00:32:20efficiency

00:32:21and security.

00:32:23They had

00:32:23built their

00:32:24city on the

00:32:24water,

00:32:25and now

00:32:26they had

00:32:26built their

00:32:27empire on it

00:32:27as well.

00:32:29The Venetian

00:32:30empire of

00:32:30ports and

00:32:31islands was

00:32:32designed to

00:32:32funnel the

00:32:33riches of

00:32:33the east

00:32:34to the west.

00:32:35But one

00:32:35Venetian's

00:32:36journey went

00:32:37far deeper,

00:32:38beyond the

00:32:39familiar trade

00:32:39routes, to

00:32:40the very

00:32:41source of

00:32:41those riches.

00:32:42His name

00:32:43was Marco

00:32:44Polo, and

00:32:45his story would

00:32:46become the

00:32:46most famous

00:32:47travelogue in

00:32:48history.

00:32:49The adventure

00:32:50began in

00:32:501271.

00:32:52Marco, then

00:32:53just a 17

00:32:54year old boy,

00:32:55set out from

00:32:55Venice with

00:32:56his father and

00:32:57uncle.

00:32:58They were

00:32:58merchants, and

00:32:59this was an

00:32:59ambitious trading

00:33:00mission.

00:33:02Their journey

00:33:02was not a

00:33:03swift voyage

00:33:03by sea, but

00:33:04a long, arduous

00:33:06trek overland,

00:33:07following the

00:33:08legendary network

00:33:08of paths known

00:33:09as the Silk

00:33:10Road.

00:33:12For three and a

00:33:12half years they

00:33:13travelled, crossing

00:33:14the mountains of

00:33:15Anatolia, the

00:33:17deserts of Persia, and

00:33:18the towering Pamir

00:33:19mountains, the

00:33:21roof of the

00:33:21world.

00:33:23Finally, they

00:33:24arrived at their

00:33:24destination, the

00:33:26opulent, almost

00:33:27mythical court of

00:33:28Kublai Khan, the

00:33:29Mongol Emperor of

00:33:30China.

00:33:32The Khan was a

00:33:32sophisticated and

00:33:34curious ruler, and

00:33:35he was fascinated by

00:33:36these strange men from

00:33:38a distant land.

00:33:39He took a particular

00:33:40liking to the young

00:33:41Marco Polo.

00:33:43He found him to be

00:33:44intelligent and a

00:33:45keen observer.

00:33:46For the next 17

00:33:47years Marco Polo did

00:33:49not just trade, he

00:33:50became an honoured

00:33:51emissary and official in

00:33:53the Khan's vast and

00:33:54powerful empire.

00:33:56He travelled all over

00:33:57China on the Khan's

00:33:58business, seeing

00:33:59wonders that no

00:34:00European had ever

00:34:02witnessed before.

00:34:03He saw cities of

00:34:04immense size, far

00:34:06grander than anything

00:34:07in Europe.

00:34:09He saw the burning of

00:34:10black stone, or coal

00:34:11for heat.

00:34:12He saw the use of

00:34:13paper money, a

00:34:14concept completely

00:34:15alien to the West.

00:34:17He witnessed the

00:34:18workings of the

00:34:19efficient Mongol

00:34:20postal system, and

00:34:21heard tales of the

00:34:22distant islands of

00:34:23Japan.

00:34:24After 24 years away

00:34:26from home, the Polos

00:34:27finally received the

00:34:28Khan's permission to

00:34:29return.

00:34:31Their journey back was

00:34:32just as perilous, this

00:34:33time by sea, through the

00:34:35South China Sea and

00:34:36across the Indian

00:34:37Ocean.

00:34:38When they finally

00:34:39arrived back in Venice

00:34:40in 1295, they were

00:34:42almost unrecognisable,

00:34:44dressed in tattered

00:34:45Mongol clothing.

00:34:47Legend says that at

00:34:48first, their own family

00:34:50did not believe it was

00:34:51them.

00:34:51To prove their story,

00:34:53they cut open the

00:34:54seams of their rough

00:34:55clothes, and a river

00:34:56of priceless jewels,

00:34:58rubies, sapphires and

00:34:59diamonds, hidden from

00:35:01pirates and bandits,

00:35:02poured out onto the

00:35:03table.

00:35:04Marco Polo's incredible

00:35:06adventure had one final

00:35:07ironic twist.

00:35:09A few years after his

00:35:10return, Venice was at

00:35:12war with its great

00:35:13rival Genoa.

00:35:14Marco, now a wealthy

00:35:16man, commanded his own

00:35:17galley in the Venetian

00:35:19fleet at the Battle of

00:35:20Curzola in 1298.

00:35:22The Venetians were

00:35:23crushed and Marco Polo

00:35:25was captured and thrown

00:35:26into a Genoese prison.

00:35:27It was there, in that

00:35:29prison cell, that he met

00:35:30a writer of romances

00:35:31named Rusticello da

00:35:33Pisa.

00:35:34To pass the time, Marco

00:35:35Polo dictated the entire

00:35:37story of his incredible

00:35:39journey to his cellmate.

00:35:41The resulting book, The

00:35:43Travels of Marco Polo,

00:35:44became an instant

00:35:45sensation.

00:35:47Though many at the time

00:35:48dismissed it as The

00:35:49Million Lies, a

00:35:50collection of fantastic

00:35:52fables, it was the

00:35:53first detailed and

00:35:55realistic account of

00:35:56the Far East that

00:35:58Europe had ever seen.

00:36:00It would inspire future

00:36:01generations of

00:36:02explorers, including

00:36:03Christopher Columbus

00:36:04himself, and would

00:36:06forever cement the

00:36:07legacy of a Venetian

00:36:08merchant who had

00:36:10journeyed to the end

00:36:11of the world and back.

00:36:13Venice had built an

00:36:15empire, and its

00:36:16merchants like Marco

00:36:17Polo had journeyed to

00:36:19the ends of the earth, but

00:36:20the great rivalry with

00:36:21Genoa, their powerful

00:36:23twin, on the other side

00:36:24of Italy, was not yet

00:36:26settled.

00:36:27One final brutal war was

00:36:29needed to decide the

00:36:30true master of the

00:36:31Mediterranean.

00:36:33This was the war of

00:36:34Chioggia, the last and

00:36:35most desperate struggle

00:36:37between the two lions of

00:36:38the sea.

00:36:39The war began in 1378.

00:36:42In a brilliant and

00:36:43daring move, the

00:36:44Genoese fleet achieved

00:36:46what no enemy had ever

00:36:47done before.

00:36:48They sailed into the

00:36:49Venetian lagoon itself.

00:36:51They smashed through the

00:36:52city's outer defences and

00:36:54captured the strategic

00:36:55port of Chioggia at the

00:36:57southern end of the

00:36:59lagoon.

00:37:00For the first time in its

00:37:01history, Venice was

00:37:02directly threatened, its

00:37:04own waterways occupied by

00:37:06a hostile fleet.

00:37:07This was the Republic's

00:37:09darkest hour.

00:37:10The enemy was at the

00:37:11very gates of the city.

00:37:13The Genoese fleet

00:37:14established a blockade,

00:37:15cutting Venice off from

00:37:16the sea, its only source

00:37:18of food and wealth.

00:37:20The city began to

00:37:21starve.

00:37:22The Genoese admiral, full

00:37:23of confidence, sent a

00:37:25message to the Venetian

00:37:26doge.

00:37:27He declared he would not

00:37:28grant peace until he had

00:37:29tamed the line of St.

00:37:30Mark itself, a promise of

00:37:32total conquest.

00:37:34In this moment of

00:37:35desperation, the

00:37:36Venetians mounted one of

00:37:37the most remarkable

00:37:38comebacks in naval

00:37:40history.

00:37:41They rallied every ship and

00:37:42every man they had left.

00:37:43They freed their best

00:37:45admiral, Vettor Pisani,

00:37:47from prison to lead them.

00:37:50He proposed a supremely

00:37:51audacious gamble, to

00:37:53blockade the blockaders.

00:37:55Under the cover of night,

00:37:56the Venetian fleet sailed

00:37:57south.

00:37:58They reached the narrow sea

00:37:59channels that led out of

00:38:01the Chioja lagoon, the

00:38:03only escape route for the

00:38:04Genoese fleet.

00:38:05There, they sank old,

00:38:07heavy ships, filled with

00:38:09stone, completely sealing the

00:38:11exits.

00:38:11The entire Genoese fleet,

00:38:13the victors of a moment

00:38:14ago, was now trapped inside

00:38:16the very harbour they had

00:38:17just conquered.

00:38:19The situation was completely

00:38:20reversed.

00:38:21The siege of Venice became

00:38:22the siege of Chioja.

00:38:24For six gruelling months,

00:38:26the Venetians held their

00:38:27position, cutting off all

00:38:28food and supplies to the

00:38:30trapped Genoese sailors.

00:38:31It became a brutal war of

00:38:33attrition.

00:38:34Finally, starving and with no

00:38:36hope of rescue, the once

00:38:38mighty Genoese fleet was

00:38:39forced into a humiliating and

00:38:41total surrender.

00:38:43The victory was absolute.

00:38:45The war of Chioja had broken

00:38:47the back of Genoese sea

00:38:48power forever.

00:38:49While Genoa would remain a

00:38:51financial centre, its

00:38:52challenge for maritime

00:38:53supremacy was over.

00:38:56Venice now stood alone, the

00:38:58undisputed master of

00:38:59Mediterranean trade.

00:39:01Having vanquished its greatest

00:39:02rival in a war it had almost

00:39:04lost, the Republic was now

00:39:06truly free to enter its golden

00:39:08age.

00:39:08Venice now stood alone as the

00:39:11master of the Mediterranean.

00:39:13Its victory over Genoa had

00:39:15secured its trade routes.

00:39:17Its empire of ports and

00:39:18islands was a perfectly

00:39:20designed machine.

00:39:21This machine was created for a

00:39:23single purpose, to control the

00:39:26most valuable and profitable

00:39:27trade on earth.

00:39:29In medieval and Renaissance

00:39:31Europe, true wealth was not just

00:39:33gold, it was spice.

00:39:35Pepper, cloves, cinnamon and

00:39:38nutmeg were commodities of

00:39:39almost unimaginable value.

00:39:42They were preservatives for

00:39:43meat, essential ingredients in

00:39:45medicine and the ultimate status

00:39:47symbol for the rich.

00:39:49Their origins in the far-off spice

00:39:51islands of the east were a

00:39:53complete mystery to most

00:39:54Europeans.

00:39:56This made them seem magical and

00:39:58exotic.

00:39:58A small sack of peppercorns could

00:40:01be worth more than a man's entire

00:40:03lifetime of wages.

00:40:05A pound of nutmeg was often

00:40:07valued more highly than a pound of

00:40:09gold.

00:40:10For centuries, Venice positioned

00:40:12itself as the sole gatekeeper of

00:40:15this incredibly lucrative trade.

00:40:17The journey of the spices was a long

00:40:20and perilous one.

00:40:21They were carried by Arab and Indian

00:40:23sailors across the Indian Ocean.

00:40:25They were then moved by long camel

00:40:27caravans across the deserts of

00:40:29Arabia.

00:40:30They finally arrived at the great

00:40:32Mediterranean ports of Alexandria in

00:40:35Egypt and Aleppo in Syria.

00:40:38It was here, at the threshold of

00:40:40Europe, that the Venetians were

00:40:41waiting.

00:40:43Through a combination of advantageous

00:40:45diplomatic treaties with the sultans

00:40:48of Egypt, the raw power of their navy

00:40:50and their network of strategic island

00:40:53colonies, Venice established a virtual

00:40:56monopoly.

00:40:57No other European power could effectively

00:40:59buy spices at their source.

00:41:02The lifeblood of this trade was the

00:41:04great Venetian merchant galley.

00:41:06These massive, primarily sail-powered

00:41:08ships, often travelling in protected

00:41:10convoys, would arrive in Alexandria laden

00:41:14with the goods of Europe, like Flemish

00:41:16wool and German iron.

00:41:18They would exchange these for the precious

00:41:20cargo from the east.

00:41:22Then began the triumphant journey home.

00:41:24Their holds filled with the fragrant,

00:41:27priceless dust that was the foundation of

00:41:30the Republic's fortune.

00:41:31The arrival of a spice convoy in Venice was

00:41:34a moment of city-wide celebration.

00:41:36The ships would unload their cargo at the

00:41:38bustling markets of the Rialto.

00:41:41The air filled with the exotic scents of

00:41:43the Orient.

00:41:45Here, under the watchful eyes of state

00:41:47inspectors, every sack of pepper was

00:41:50weighed, taxed and sold to the merchant

00:41:52houses of the city.

00:41:54From the warehouses of Venice, the spices

00:41:56were then distributed to the rest of the

00:41:58continent.

00:42:00The immense profits from this monopoly funded

00:42:02the splendour of the city.

00:42:04It paid for the magnificent marble palaces

00:42:07that lined the Grand Canal.

00:42:09It paid for the breathtaking artworks of

00:42:11Titian and Veronese.

00:42:13It paid for the powerful war fleets that were

00:42:15built in the arsenal.

00:42:17The city of Venice, a glittering jewel on the

00:42:20water, was a city built on a mountain of

00:42:22spice.

00:42:24Venice was now at the peak of its wealth.

00:42:27Its maritime empire funneled the riches of

00:42:29the East into its coffers.

00:42:31But this success created a new and dangerous

00:42:33vulnerability.

00:42:35For centuries, the Republic's only real

00:42:38threats had come from the sea.

00:42:40This was a challenge they had mastered.

00:42:43Now a new danger was growing on their very

00:42:45doorstep. Powerful and aggressive states were

00:42:48consolidating on the Italian mainland.

00:42:52The greatest of these was the Duchy of Milan, ruled

00:42:55by the ambitious and expansionist Visconti family.

00:43:00Their goal was to conquer all of northern Italy.

00:43:03The leaders of Venice realised that their lagoon was

00:43:05no longer a perfect defence.

00:43:08A powerful enemy, controlling the shore, could cut off

00:43:11their vital food supplies.

00:43:14They could also sever the land trade routes that ran

00:43:16from Venice over the Alps into the rest of Europe.

00:43:20The sea had made them rich, but the land could make

00:43:22them starve.

00:43:24This new threat sparked a fierce political debate within

00:43:27the Doge's palace.

00:43:29One faction of nobles, the traditionalists, argued that

00:43:32Venice was a creature of the sea.

00:43:34They warned that getting involved in the treacherous and

00:43:37expensive land wars of Italy would be a disastrous

00:43:40mistake.

00:43:41It would betray the city's true nature.

00:43:44The other faction, the expansionists, argued that they

00:43:47had no choice.

00:43:47To remain secure, Venice had to control its own backyard.

00:43:52It needed to forge a deep, defensive buffer zone on the mainland.

00:43:56After a long struggle, the expansionist party won the debate.

00:44:00In the early 15th century, under the leadership of Doge Francesco Foscari, Venice made a radical

00:44:07shift in its grand strategy.

00:44:09It began a long and costly series of wars to conquer the territory behind it.

00:44:15This was the birth of the Stato da Terra, the state of the land.

00:44:19The campaign of conquest was swift and successful at first.

00:44:23Through a combination of skilful diplomacy and decisive military action, Venice took control

00:44:29of a series of nearby cities.

00:44:31They captured Padua, then Vicenza and finally the great city of Verona.

00:44:37This expansion gave them control of the major rivers and the fertile farmlands of the Veneto

00:44:42region.

00:44:43For the first time, Venice had secured its own food supply.

00:44:47This was a monumental change for the Republic.

00:44:50Venice was no longer just a maritime empire.

00:44:52It was now a major Italian land power as well.

00:44:56This new land empire would bring the city great security and new resources.

00:45:01But it would also embroil Venice in a century of brutal, complex and expensive land wars.

00:45:08This was a very different kind of conflict from the naval battles they had mastered and

00:45:12it would demand a new kind of soldier to fight it.

00:45:16Venice had committed itself to a new future, one of conquest on the Italian mainland.

00:45:22But the Republic of Merchants faced a serious problem.

00:45:25Its citizens were sailors and shipbuilders, not professional land soldiers.

00:45:31To fight its wars on the terra firma, Venice, like the other great Italian states, turned to

00:45:36the masters of Renaissance warfare, the condottieri.

00:45:40A condottiero was a professional mercenary captain.

00:45:44He did not fight for patriotism or a king.

00:45:47He fought for a contract, the condotta.

00:45:50This contract specified his pay, the number of troops he would provide and the duration

00:45:55of his service.

00:45:57These captains were entrepreneurs of violence.

00:46:00They ran their own private armies, complete with heavily armoured cavalry and infantry.

00:46:05They were often minor nobles who saw warfare as a path to wealth, power and fame.

00:46:11This system created a unique style of warfare.

00:46:14It was a business.

00:46:15A condottiero's most valuable assets were his experienced soldiers and his expensive

00:46:21warhorses.

00:46:22He was often reluctant to risk these assets in bloody, decisive battles that could wipe

00:46:28out his army and his livelihood.

00:46:31Warfare often became a slow, complex game of manoeuvre, long sieges and strategic skirmishes.

00:46:38The goal was to outsmart your opponent and capture territory with minimal losses.

00:46:44Betrayal was also common.

00:46:47A captain might switch sides in the middle of a war if a rival state offered him a better

00:46:51contract.

00:46:53The pragmatic Venetians used these mercenaries because they had to, but they deeply distrusted

00:46:58them.

00:46:59The Republic's greatest fear was that a successful and popular general could become a military

00:47:05dictator.

00:47:07He could use his army to overthrow the state, as had happened in other Italian cities.

00:47:13Because of this, Venice constantly monitored its own generals.

00:47:18They sent political officials to watch over them in the field and report back to the dreaded

00:47:22Council of Ten.

00:47:24The most famous and tragic example of this mistrust is the story of the great general

00:47:29Francesco Busone, known as Carmanola.

00:47:33He was a brilliant condottiero, originally in the service of Venice's great rival, Milan.

00:47:39Venice hired him away with a massive contract and he won several major victories for the Republic.

00:47:45He became a celebrated hero, but the state soon began to suspect his loyalty.

00:47:51They questioned his lack of aggression in later campaigns, suspecting he was secretly in contact

00:47:58with his former employers in Milan.

00:48:00In 1432 the Venetian government acted with chilling precision.

00:48:04They invited their celebrated general back to the city, supposedly to discuss future strategy.

00:48:11Carmanola was welcomed with great honour at the Doge's palace.

00:48:14But as he entered a side chamber, the doors were locked behind him.

00:48:18He was arrested by order of the Council of Ten.

00:48:21After a secret trial for treason, he was found guilty.

00:48:25He was led out into the Piazzetta San Marco, between the two great columns, and publicly beheaded.

00:48:32The story of Carmanola was a brutal and unmistakable message to all who would serve the Republic.

00:48:39Venice would use the Condottieri to conquer its land empire.

00:48:43But it would never, ever trust them.

00:48:46This was the violent and paranoid world of Renaissance land warfare.

00:48:51It was the price Venice had to pay to forge and defend its Stato da Terra, its empire on the land.

00:48:58But the story of Venice is one of constant contrast.

00:49:01While its hired generals fought grimly on the dusty plains of Italy, the city they were protecting

00:49:06was being transformed by a river of gold flowing from the east.

00:49:11This incredible wealth didn't just fund wars, it created a unique and magnificent way of life.

00:49:18The great spice convoys brought unimaginable wealth into Venice.

00:49:22This wealth transformed the city, funding its art and architecture.

00:49:26It also shaped the daily life on its unique watery streets.

00:49:31And no symbol is more connected to the life of the city than its most famous vessel, the gondola.

00:49:37For centuries, the canals of Venice were its roads.

00:49:41Everything and everyone moved by boat.

00:49:43The gondola evolved as the perfect vehicle for this unique environment.

00:49:48Its design is a work of subtle genius.

00:49:51It is long and slender to navigate the narrowest canals.

00:49:55It has a flat bottom to clear the shallow waters.

00:49:58And most cleverly, its hull is asymmetrical, built with a slight curve.

00:50:04This asymmetry is what allows a single gondolier, standing at the stern with a single oar, to

00:50:10propel the boat in a straight line.

00:50:13The gondoliers themselves were a powerful and respected part of Venetian life.

00:50:17They were members of a historic and tightly controlled guild.

00:50:22They knew the secrets of the city's labyrinthine canal network better than anyone.

00:50:27They were the city's taxi drivers, its confidants, and the silent witnesses to its many secrets.

00:50:34During the height of the Renaissance, the gondola became a symbol of status.

00:50:38Wealthy, noble families competed fiercely to own the most lavishly decorated boat.

00:50:45They adorned their gondolas with rich, colourful fabrics, intricate carvings, and gleaming gold

00:50:51leaf.

00:50:52The canals were filled with these magnificent, floating displays of private wealth, a stark

00:50:58contrast to the republic's ideal of public modesty.

00:51:02The state decided to put a stop to this ostentatious competition.

00:51:06In 1562, the Venetian government passed a sumptuary law.

00:51:11This was a law designed to curb extravagant spending.

00:51:14It decreed that all gondolas, with the exception of a few ceremonial state boats, must be stripped

00:51:20of their decorations and painted a uniform, simple black.

00:51:25This law perfectly encapsulated the Venetian mindset.

00:51:29It enforced a public image of sober republican equality, forcing the city's powerful nobles

00:51:36to conceal their immense wealth behind a veil of uniformity.

00:51:41The black gondola became an icon.

00:51:43It was a symbol of the unique culture of Venice, a city of outward modesty that hid a world of

00:51:50private luxury.

00:51:53This law, controlling even the colour of a boat, was a perfect example of the Venetian

00:51:58state's power over the public and private lives of its citizens.

00:52:03And this obsession with control extended from the canals into the most sacred and dangerous

00:52:08realm of all – religious belief.

00:52:12Across Renaissance Europe, the Catholic Church had a powerful and feared tool for enforcing

00:52:16its doctrine.

00:52:18It was called the Inquisition, a special court tasked with finding and punishing heresy – beliefs

00:52:23that contradicted the official teachings of the Church.

00:52:27But the Republic of Venice, as always, did things its own way.

00:52:31While it was a devout Catholic state, it famously insisted on running its own state-controlled

00:52:37Inquisition.

00:52:39The reason for this was pure pragmatism.

00:52:42The Venetian state was built on international trade.

00:52:45Its city was a cosmopolitan melting pot.

00:52:48It was filled with foreign merchants, including German Lutherans, Orthodox Greeks and Jews.

00:52:55An overly zealous Rome-controlled Inquisition could have triggered diplomatic incidents.

00:53:00It could have disrupted the vital trade relationships that were the lifeblood of the city.

00:53:06For Venice, commercial stability was just as important as religious purity.

00:53:11The Venetian system was unique.

00:53:13The tribunal itself was composed of religious figures.

00:53:17This included the Papal Nuncio and the Patriarch of Venice.

00:53:21But there was a crucial difference.

00:53:23Three lay observers were required to be present at every trial.

00:53:29These were Venetian noblemen appointed by the state, known as the Savi Alerasia.

00:53:35These observers had no vote in the verdict, but their presence ensured that the state monitored

00:53:40all proceedings.

00:53:42The interests of the Republic were always protected.

00:53:45They could suspend a trial if they felt it was politically motivated or damaging to Venice.

00:53:51As a result, the Venetian Inquisition was generally considered less brutal.

00:53:55It was more pragmatic than its counterparts in Spain or Rome.

00:53:59Its focus was on public repentance and conformity, not on mass executions.

00:54:05While it did prosecute people for heresy, its methods were always tempered by the state's

00:54:10need for stability.

00:54:12They were especially concerned with the city's large German merchant community.

00:54:17They feared the spread of Protestantism could become a source of political unrest.

00:54:22This independent streak led to constant tension with the Papacy in Rome.

00:54:27The Pope saw Venice's state-controlled Inquisition as a challenge to his authority.

00:54:32This was part of a larger pattern for the Republic.

00:54:35Venice consistently prioritised its own state interests over the demands of the Church,

00:54:41a stance that was unique among the Italian states.

00:54:44The Venetian Inquisition is a perfect example of the Republic's unique character.

00:54:50It was a city that managed to be both deeply pious and fiercely independent.

00:54:54It found a way to balance the demands of faith with the practical necessities of running a

00:55:00global commercial empire.

00:55:02Even in the sacred and terrifying matter of heresy, the final loyalty of Venice was to

00:55:07the state, and to the stability of the Republic.

00:55:11But that hard-won stability, so carefully guarded from within, was about to face its greatest

00:55:17ever threat from the outside.

00:55:19Venice's golden age of commercial supremacy was not destined to last forever.

00:55:25Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, a formidable new power rose in the East, the

00:55:31Ottoman Empire.

00:55:33The fall of Constantinople to the Sultan in 1453 was a seismic shock to the Venetian world.

00:55:40It placed a mighty and aggressive empire in direct control of their vital trade routes to the Black Sea.

00:55:46What followed was a century of relentless, draining warfare.

00:55:53One by one, Venice's valuable ports and islands in the Aegean, its Stato d'Armar, came under attack.

00:56:00The Republic found itself in a constant, incredibly expensive struggle to defend its maritime empire

00:56:07from the might of the Ottomans.

00:56:09This long conflict reached a breaking point in 1570.

00:56:13The Ottomans launched a massive invasion of the rich and strategically vital Venetian-held

00:56:19island of Cyprus.

00:56:21Venice, knowing it could not face the full might of the Ottoman navy alone, sent desperate

00:56:26pleas across Europe for a new crusade.

00:56:30In response, a holy league of Christian powers was formed.

00:56:34The fleets of Spain, the Papal States and other Italian states joined with Venice to confront

00:56:39the Turkish menace.

00:56:40The result was the largest naval battle fought in the Western world since antiquity, the Battle

00:56:47of Lepanto.

00:56:49In the autumn of 1571, the two colossal fleets met in the Gulf of Patras off the coast of Greece.

00:56:56The sight must have been breathtaking.

00:56:57On one side, over 200 Ottoman galleys, their oars churning the sea.

00:57:03On the other, the combined Christian fleet of a similar size, a forest of masts and banners.

00:57:11This would be the last great battle in history to be fought primarily by ore-powered galleys.

00:57:17At the heart of the Venetian fleet were six revolutionary new warships.

00:57:21They were called Galleuses.

00:57:23These were massive hybrid ships, taller than a normal galley.

00:57:28They were packed with a formidable number of cannons, acting as floating fortresses.

00:57:33As the battle began, the Venetian galleuses were towed in front of the main Christian line.

00:57:38They unleashed a devastating barrage of cannon fire.

00:57:42This smashed the Ottoman formation, before the main fleets even clashed.

00:57:47What followed was a brutal, chaotic and incredibly bloody clash.

00:57:51For hours, the two fleets grappled in a swirling battle.

00:57:55The sea was filled with the crash of ramming ships and the roar of cannons.

00:58:00Galleys would lock together.

00:58:03The fighting became a desperate, hand-to-hand struggle on the blood-slicked decks.

00:58:08The Christian fleet slowly gained the upper hand.

00:58:11Their superior firepower made the difference.

00:58:14Venetian and Spanish soldiers boarded the Ottoman flagship.

00:58:18In a climactic struggle, they captured the vessel and killed the Ottoman admiral.

00:58:23The sight of their admiral's banner falling sent a wave of panic through the Turkish fleet.

00:58:27The battle turned into a rout.

00:58:30The victory at Lepanto was absolute and overwhelming.

00:58:33The Ottoman fleet was annihilated.

00:58:36Thousands of Christian galley slaves were freed from their oars.

00:58:40News of the victory was met with ecstatic celebration across Europe.

00:58:45For Venice, it was a moment of immense triumph and pride.

00:58:48It was their last great heroic victory on the world stage.

00:58:53However, the triumph was short-lived.

00:58:56The Holy League soon fell apart due to political infighting.

00:59:00Venice, left to face the Ottomans alone, was eventually forced to cede the island of Cyprus

00:59:05in a treaty.

00:59:07The great victory at Lepanto was a glorious military achievement, but it could not reverse

00:59:12the long, slow tide of history that was now running against the Republic.

00:59:17The true threat to Venice's future was not an Ottoman fleet, but a new map of the world,

00:59:23being drawn by the daring explorers of a rival nation.

00:59:28At the end of the fifteenth century, Venice's wealth was built on its absolute monopoly on

00:59:33the spice trade.

00:59:35All of Europe had to buy its pepper and cinnamon from Venetian merchants at a high price.

00:59:40But for decades, the Kingdom of Portugal, under the guidance of figures like Prince Henry

00:59:45the Navigator, had been systematically investing in a different path.

00:59:50They sponsored voyages that pushed further and further down the unknown coast of Africa.

00:59:56They developed new, more resilient ships, like the Caravel, designed to withstand the harsh

01:00:02Atlantic Ocean.

01:00:04Their goal was singular and obsessive, to find a direct sea route to the Indies and to break

01:00:09the Venetian monopoly forever.

01:00:12In 1488, the explorer Bartolomeo Dias finally rounded the Cape of Good Hope, proving that the

01:00:18Indian Ocean could be reached.

01:00:21The path was open.

01:00:23A decade later, in the summer of 1497, a determined Portuguese captain, named Vasco da Gama, set

01:00:30out from Lisbon with four small ships to complete the mission.

01:00:35His journey was an epic of survival.

01:00:37He battled ferocious storms on the open Atlantic, lost many of his crew to scurvy, and fought his

01:00:43way past hostile traders in Africa who saw him as a rival.

01:00:48Finally, after ten gruelling months at sea, his battered fleet dropped anchor in the port

01:00:53of Calicut, India in May of 1498.

01:00:56He had done it.

01:00:58For the first time, a European navigator had sailed from Europe to India.

01:01:03The news of da Gama's successful return travelled slowly, first as a rumour whispered in the

01:01:09marketplaces, then as a terrifying confirmed fact in diplomatic letters.

01:01:15When the news was finally made public in Venice, it was met with horror.

01:01:19The Venetian diarist Girolamo Priuli wrote that it was the worst news the Republic could

01:01:24ever have received.

01:01:26The far-sighted merchants of the city understood the devastating implications.

01:01:32Their entire economic model was now obsolete.

01:01:35The Portuguese could ship spices directly to Lisbon for a fraction of the cost, shattering the

01:01:40foundation of Venetian wealth.

01:01:43The Republic did not surrender its position without a fight.

01:01:46They tried diplomacy, attempting to forge an alliance with the Sultan of Egypt to fight

01:01:51the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean.

01:01:54They even considered one of the most audacious engineering schemes of the age to dig a canal

01:02:00at Suez to get their own fleet into the Red Sea.

01:02:03But it was too late.

01:02:05The world had fundamentally changed.

01:02:08Venice had not been defeated in a great battle.

01:02:11It had simply been bypassed.

01:02:14The world's centre of economic gravity was shifting from the familiar waters of the

01:02:18Mediterranean to the vast, open expanses of the Atlantic.

01:02:23The Great Age of Discovery had ironically become the cause of Venice's long, slow and irreversible

01:02:29decline.

01:02:31The foundation of Venice's immense wealth was crumbling.

01:02:35But the city would not collapse into ruin.

01:02:38Instead, faced with a world that no longer needed it as a marketplace, the Republic began

01:02:43a magnificent and final transformation.

01:02:46It decided that if it could no longer be the world's most powerful city, it would become

01:02:51its most beautiful, most captivating and most entertaining one.

01:02:57As its political power slowly faded throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, its cultural power

01:03:03exploded.

01:03:04Venice became the essential destination on the Grand Tour.

01:03:08This was a rite of passage for wealthy young men from across Europe, especially from Britain.

01:03:14They journeyed to the continent to complete their education, and Venice was their playground.

01:03:19They came seeking not its commercial power, but its artistic treasures, its beautiful music and its legendary reputation for sophisticated and decadent freedom, far from the rigid social rules of their home countries.

01:03:34The ultimate expression of this new identity was the famous Carnival of Venice.

01:03:40It was not a short festival, but a months-long season of public celebration and masquerade balls that took over the entire city.

01:03:49The central feature was the mask.

01:03:52Behind a simple papier-mâché mask, a nobleman could mingle with a commoner, and a commoner

01:03:58could feel like a king.

01:04:00The anonymity of the mask dissolved the city's rigid social structures.

01:04:05It created an atmosphere of intrigue, romance, and illicit adventure in the labyrinthine streets.

01:04:13This was the era when Venice became the undisputed capital of pleasure.

01:04:18The city opened the Western world's first public and legal gambling house, the Redotto.

01:04:24Here, under the watchful eyes of the state, masked aristocrats and wealthy travellers would risk entire fortunes in silent, high-stakes games of chance.

01:04:35It was also the golden age of the famous Venetian courtesans, highly educated and cultured women who were celebrated in art and poetry.

01:04:44And it was the birthplace of public opera, with magnificent theatres attracting the best singers and composers in the world.

01:04:52This final era was also a last brilliant golden age for Venetian art and music.

01:04:58It was the city of the composer, Antonio Vivaldi.

01:05:02His vibrant and energetic concertos, many written for the all-female orchestra at the city's orphanage, became the soundtrack to this gilded age.

01:05:12It was also the city of the great view-painter, Canaletto.

01:05:16His breathtakingly detailed and sun-drenched paintings of the Grand Canal and St Mark's Square were the ultimate souvenirs for the Grand Tour travellers.

01:05:26His work was so precise and evocative that it defined the world's image of Venice for centuries to come.

01:05:33As the 18th century drew to a close, Venice was a city of breathtaking beauty.

01:05:39It was also a city of profound political stagnation.

01:05:43The Republic was a living museum, a capital of pleasure.

01:05:47But its military was a shadow of its former self.

01:05:51Its ancient, oligarchic government was ill-equipped to deal with the violent new forces that were about to be unleashed upon Europe.

01:05:59That new force was the French Revolution.

01:06:01Its instrument was a brilliant and utterly ruthless young general, named Napoleon Bonaparte.

01:06:08In 1796, Napoleon's revolutionary army swept into northern Italy.

01:06:14It shattered the old Austrian-led order in a series of lightning-fast victories.

01:06:19The Republic of Venice, clinging to its long-held tradition of neutrality, desperately tried to stay out of the conflict.

01:06:27But in this new age of revolutionary warfare, there was no room for neutrality.

01:06:32Napoleon, having conquered the surrounding lands, accused Venice of being secretly hostile to France.

01:06:39He marched his armies to the very edge of the lagoon.

01:06:42For the first time in over a thousand years, a hostile army stood at the shores of Venice.

01:06:48Napoleon issued a stark ultimatum to the Doge and the Great Council.

01:06:52They must dissolve their ancient government and establish a new, democratic municipality, aligned with France.

01:07:00If they refused, his army would be an Attila for the Venetian state.

01:07:05The threat was clear.

01:07:07Surrender or face total destruction.

01:07:09The final agonising debate took place within the Doge's palace.

01:07:13The ruling families of Venice were assembled in the Great Council chamber.

01:07:19Their faces were pale with fear.

01:07:21They knew the reality of their situation.

01:07:24Their small army was no match for Napoleon's hardened veterans.

01:07:28Their city was indefensible against modern artillery placed on the shore.

01:07:33They were faced with an impossible choice.

01:07:35They could make a heroic but suicidal last stand,

01:07:39which would see their magnificent city burned and looted,

01:07:42or they could accept a quiet, humiliating surrender that might at least preserve Venice itself.

01:07:49On May 12, 1797, the last Doge of Venice, Ludovico Marnin, addressed the council with tears in his eyes.

01:07:58He told them that the republic was finished.

01:08:00He urged them to accept the French terms.

01:08:03As the vote was being taken, the sound of a few musket shots from outside sent a wave of panic through the chamber.

01:08:09Believing a revolt had begun, or that the French were already attacking,

01:08:14the noblemen voted in a rushed and undignified scramble.

01:08:18The thousand-year-old Republic of Venice did not end with a roar of defiance.

01:08:23It ended with a whimper of fear.

01:08:25The final moments were filled with a profound and quiet sadness.

01:08:29Doge Ludovico Marnin returned to his private apartments.

01:08:32A few days later, French troops entered Saint-Marc Square, the first time a foreign army had ever occupied the city.

01:08:49They looted its treasures.

01:08:51They took the four great bronze horses from the basilica and shipped them to Paris as spoils of war.

01:08:58The magnificent golden Bucintour was publicly broken apart and burned for its gold.

01:09:04The surrender to Napoleon in 1797 marked the end of the thousand-year-old Republic of Venice.

01:09:12The great political and military power was gone forever.

01:09:16For the next several decades the city itself became a prize,

01:09:20passed between the empires of France and Austria before finally joining a newly unified Italy in 1866.

01:09:28But while the Venetian state was dead, the city and the idea of Venice remained.

01:09:33Its true legacy was no longer in its fleets or its colonies, but in the profound and lasting mark it had left upon the world.

01:09:42That legacy can still be found in the very language of modern finance and commerce.

01:09:47As the pioneers of international trade and early capitalism, the Venetians gave us many of the words we still use today.

01:09:54The word bank comes from the Italian banker, the simple bench a merchant would use in the square to conduct his business.

01:10:01Accounting terms like debit and credit were perfected in the ledger books of Venetian merchants.

01:10:09And the word quarantine comes directly from their public health policy of isolating ships for quaranta giorni,

01:10:16or 40 days, a practice born from their constant struggle with the plagues that arrived on their trading ships.

01:10:24The most visible legacy, of course, is the city itself.

01:10:27To walk through Venice today is to walk through a living museum.

01:10:31To stand in St. Mark's Square is to be in the grand reception room of the Republic,

01:10:37surrounded by the glittering, Byzantine-influenced mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica

01:10:42and the seat of a thousand years of government in the Doge's Palace.

01:10:47From the palace, you can cross the famous Bridge of Sighs into the grim state prisons.

01:10:52You can still see the high, red-brick walls of the arsenal and imagine the thousands of workers who once launched a fleet in a day.

01:11:00You can stand on the iconic Rialto Bridge, the commercial heart of the empire.

01:11:06It is a city whose every stone tells a story.

01:11:09But to see the true scale of Venetian power, you must travel to its former colonies.

01:11:13The trail of the Lion of St. Mark is carved into stone across the Mediterranean.

01:11:19At the farthest reach of their influence, the massive Venetian walls of Nicosia on Cyprus stood as the final eastern outpost.

01:11:27From there, the heart of their Aegean power was the crown jewel of their overseas empire, the island of Crete.

01:11:35In the beautiful port city of Hania, the entire old harbour is a complete Venetian creation.

01:11:41While in the capital, Heraklion, the colossal walls and seaside fortress are a testament to the centuries Venice spent defending its most precious colony.

01:11:53Moving back towards Venice, the Greek island of Corfu served as the heavily armed gateway to their home waters,

01:11:59its magnificent old and new fortresses still dominating the city.

01:12:05The trail continues north up the Adriatic coast into modern-day Croatia and Montenegro.

01:12:11The breathtaking fortifications of Kotor and the defensive works of Zadar,

01:12:16the very same city of Zara from our story, showcase their absolute dominance of this coastline.

01:12:23These great fortresses of the sea are so significant that they are part of a grand UNESCO World Heritage Site

01:12:29called the Venetian Works of Defence.

01:12:32This same site also honours the fortifications of Venice's powerful land empire, the Stato da Terra.

01:12:40On the Italian mainland, the powerful walls of Bergamo still loom over the modern city,

01:12:45a four-mile circuit of massive stone bastions and monumental gates encircling the entire historic hilltop town.

01:12:53At Pescara del Garda, the Venetians transformed an island at the mouth of a river into a formidable pentagonal fortress,

01:13:02its powerful ramparts rising directly from the waters of the lake.

01:13:06And on the eastern frontier stands the incredible fortress city of Palma Nova,

01:13:12a perfect nine-pointed star designed by the most brilliant military architects of the Renaissance,

01:13:19a stunning and complete example of a utopian city built as an ideal military machine.

01:13:26It is a final powerful testament to Venice's need to fight and build on both land and sea.

01:13:33These are not just beautiful tourist sites, they are the enduring stone and marble echoes of a city that once commanded the sea,

01:13:41the powerful footprints of the line of St. Mark, still visible to any traveller who knows where to look.

01:13:46In the end, Venice's greatest legacy is its story.

01:13:51It is the story of a community born from fear, in a place with no natural advantages,

01:13:57that used its ingenuity, its political stability and its ruthless focus on the sea,

01:14:03to become one of the most powerful and influential states in the world.

01:14:08The Lion of St. Mark no longer rules a great maritime empire,

01:14:13but the spirit of the impossible city built on water, the most serene republic,

01:14:19continues to endure as a timeless testament to human resilience and ambition.

01:14:25And so, our story of Venice comes to a close.

01:14:28It has been a true pleasure to be your guide through the history of this unique and beautiful republic.

01:14:35Thank you for listening. Until our next journey into the past, I wish you a calm and peaceful night.

The Forgotten Empire of Venice Before the Tourists Arrived History for Sleep

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