Venetian Merchants

Summary of the Venetian Merchants

Initially, Venice took advantage of the salt trade. Later, because the Venetian Republic was located along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, its merchants were well-positioned for maritime trade there and in the Mediterranean. They traded with other European cities, the Byzantine Empire, the Middle East, and North Africa and traveled across the Eurasian landmass to China. Some key industries and trade included:

• textiles,
• book publishing,
• and importing goods such as spices.

The ruler of the Venetian Republic was known as a doge—a chief magistrate. The doge was an elected position but remained a life-long ruler. Venice exhibited considerable independence compared to other cities within reach of the Church of Rome.

Eventually, the Venetian Republic declined due to competition and the discovery of new trade routes to the West Indies and North and South America. In the 19th century, Venice joined Italy during the process of Risorgimento—the unification into a single state.

History of the Venetian Merchants

Before the Middle Ages, international trade across Eurasia thrived across crucial trade routes.

• One of the most important routes was the Silk Road. The Silk Road comprised several trade routes and functioned as a network. This network linked Europe with the Middle East, Central Asia, and China. The Silk Road operated between 130 BCE and 1453. Merchants exported many things from China, for instance, spices and gunpowder. Marco Polo and his family were the most well-known Medieval merchants from Venice to use the Silk Road.

Main Activities of the Venetian Merchants

In the 9th century, the Byzantine Empire exerted significant control over Venice. At one point, in 807, the Byzantines even replaced the Venetian doge with their governor. Soon, however, Venice rose to prominence under the control of the Participazio family.

Venetians built many canals and island reinforcements during his reign, giving that city its modern appearance.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, Venice became one of the key players in Europe. It was a very wealthy city because Venetian merchants controlled trade between Europe and the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean (Levant). Venetian merchants also operated in the Adriatic Sea.

In the 12th century, Venetian merchants received preferential treatment in the Byzantine Empire. Indeed, Marco Polo's father and uncle, wealthy Venetian merchants, resided in Constantinople for a time.

Venetians played a crucial role in the Crusades. During the First Crusade (1095-1099), Venetian ships helped take cities along the coast of present-day Syria. Ordelafo Faliero, the doge of Venice, also led the Venetian fleet to help the Crusaders claim Sidon, located in today's Lebanon.

• The Crusades were the military attempts by the Europeans to reclaim lands that were conquered by the Muslims, especially the Holy Land (Middle East) and the symbol of Christianity, the city of Jerusalem. Some perceived the Crusades as a holy war, whereas others participated in them for practical reasons, such as the forgiveness of sins and debt.

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Fig. 2 - The Conquest of Constantinople by the Crusaders In 1204, David Aubert, Croniques abregies commençans au temps de Herode Antipas, persecuteur de la chrestienté, et finissant l'an de grace mil IIc et LXXVI, 15th century,

The Fourth Crusade

Venetians were also prominent participants in the Fourth Crusade (1204). Their leadership points to Venice's significant political power at this time. Venetian ships were used to travel to Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Christian Empire). Their knights also arrived in Byzantium along with their French counterparts.

Unlike the first three Church-sanctioned Crusades targeting the Muslim Middle East, the Fourth Crusade got derailed into attacking and looting the fellow Christians of Constantinople. This change of plans happened after the son of the overthrown Byzantine Emperor Isaac II, Alexius IV, asked the Venetians for help fighting his uncle, the usurper Alexius III.

Two years earlier, Enrico Dandolo, the doge of Venice, sought to recapture the port of Zara, located in present-day Croatia, from the Hungarian king. The Crusaders succeeded in taking Zara. This military feat led to ex-communication by Pope Innocent III, who called the Fourth Crusade because the King of Hungary belonged to his Church.

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Fig. 3 - Mourzoufle parleying with the Venetian doge Enrico Dandolo, Gustave Doré, 19th century.

The Crusaders set the city on fire, killed its residents, and plundered many relics—important objects linked to saints. Ultimately, the capital of the Eastern Christian Empire fell, and the French founded the Latin Empire of Constantinople. The Venetians put their own Patriarch in charge of religious matters. Other western Europeans took over many critical Greek cities, such as Thessaloniki and Athens. The Latin Empire lasted until 1261 when the Palaiologan Dynasty restored Byzantine rule. However, Byzantium was irreparably weakened as a maritime power due to the Crusader conquest. In 1453, it fell to the Turks.

Famous Venetian Merchants

The most famous Venetian merchants were Marco Polo and his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo.

Marco Polo and the Venetian Merchant Route

Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a traveler, explorer, author, and diplomat.

His father and uncle were wealthy and business-savvy merchants who managed their business out of Constantinople and were involved in trade with the Middle East. They also traveled along the Silk Road routes through Eurasia. When Marco was a teenager, his father and uncle returned to Venice. In 1271, the two men took 17-year-old Marco on a journey across the continent, ultimately leading them to China.

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Fig. 4 - Marco Polo's caravan, Abraham Cresques, Atlas Catalan, 1375.

Arriving in China, Marco Polo spent approximately 17 years at the court of Kublai Khan (1215-1294), the grandson of the famous Mongolian conqueror Genghis Khan. Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty in China. Marco Polo learned the Chinese language and served the Great Khan.

Eventually, Marco Polo returned to Venice in 1295.

The explorer wrote a book about his adventures called the Travels of Marco Polo. At first, a book came out in the form of a manuscript. Whereas some parts of the text may have been somewhat embellished, this account was prevalent and introduced Europeans to East Asia. Being a merchant allowed Marco Polo to carry out such a long journey and describe essential aspects of Chinese culture and products, such as:

• porcelain,
• gunpowder,
• and coal.

Aftermath

By the 17th century, Venetian economic power declined in the Mediterranean region. Some reasons included a downturn in the textile industry, losing the spice trade, and being challenged by the Church in publishing. New trade routes to the West Indies and the Americas contributed to Venetian decline, as did the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). In 1797, the significantly weakened Venetian Republic fell to France and Austria. In the 19th century, Venice became a part of Italy due to its unification process, Risorgimento.