Venice Triumphant: The Horizons of a Myth

by Élisabeth Crouzet-Pavan

Winner of the Prix du Budget of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-LettresSelected as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2003 by Choice Magazine Perhaps more than in any other city, Venice has been shaped by its environment. The lagoon on which it was built isolated the city's inhabitants from mainland Europe, forcing them to look seaward for their survival and to establish a maritime empire that generated incalculable wealth, making Venice the envy of Renaissance Europe. In Venice Triumphant , Elisabeth Crouzet-Pavan provides a rich, multilayered history of Venice from Roman times to the sixteenth century. Instead of employing a rigidly chronological framework, she looks at the history of Venice thematically, focusing on the relationship between the city and its unique physical milieu in a way that emphasizes complexity and continuity. Central to Crouzet-Pavan's discussion is her concept of l'imaginaire , literally translated as "the imaginary" and here meaning the many symbolic terms Venetians created to describe and understand the peculiar space they inhabited and, by extension, themselves. One key example of l'imaginaire is Venetians' use of the term "the continent" to refer, somewhat dismissively, to Italy, Germany, and other lands beyond the lagoon in order to emphasize their own distinctive maritime identity. As Crouzet-Pavan shows, this sense of exceptionalism impacts every aspect of Venetian its art and architecture; its involvement with mainland politics; its commercial, civic, and political institutions; and the shape of daily life in its homes, alleys, and courtyards. Elegantly translated by Lydia G. Cochrane, Venice Triumphant offers a bold new perspective on the world's most beautiful―and remarkable―city.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

424 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2002

Reviews

[Chambermusic79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elisabeth Crouzet-Pavan's essay describes Venetian society in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, focusing on five topics: the lagoon, the commercial empire, the mainland, social geography and social networks. The author deals with every issue paying particular attention to its evolution through time; yet, her synthesis creates a very consistent picture of the town. Crouzet-Pavan belongs to the Annales school, and so she focuses on the constant interplay between historical events, the economic background and cultural imagery. The usual problem with general essays on Venice is that they tend to mirror and replay its stereotypes; on the contrary, Crouzet-Pavan is great at showing to what extent the myth of Venice coincides with reality, and how and why it came into existence. For instance, she emphasises the role of Venice's early relationship to the mainland, often neglected in favour of isolationism and long-distance trade. I also liked the anthropological approach, focusing on people, space and meanings; the author is particularly good at sketching different interests and points of views (nobility, "citizens", workers, outcasts), showing how they interacted to form a collective identity. Crouzet-Pavan is wonderfully well-informed and readable, without sounding too academical; her book is geared to both scholars (as a general review of extant scholarship) and general readers (possibly with some background readings). I would strongly suggest it to anyone interested in the history of Venice. [I must specify that I read the Italian translation, "Venezia trionfante : Gli orizzonti di un mito", published by Einaudi.]

[Sean Mccarrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be quite honest, I could not stand reading this book. The cover and title reminded me of a 1990s travel guide. There is so little originality in publishers in modern times (though this book was written in 1999 and things are getting a bit better). The subject matter itself was well worn enough to be like ice on the road during a winter's day. The author seemed to slide all over the place, from economics, to religion, to everyday life, with no discernible progression or pattern. It was hard to keep track of and eventually I gave up.
Initially, it was my hope that this would be an Annales School review of Venetian history, especially given the geographic information in the initial text. However, soon it became clear that there would be no rhyme or rhythm to this books format. Books like these are an unfortunate expenditure of time. In retrospect, I should have judged a book by its cover.