Coat of arms of the Republic of Venice, featuring the Lion of Saint Mark.
The Great Council in a voting session at the Doge's Palace, 1648.
The Venetian patriciate (Italian: Patriziato veneziano, Venetian: Patrisiato venesian) was one of the three social bodies into which the society of the Republic of Venice was divided, together with citizens and foreigners. Patrizio was the noble title of the members of the aristocracy ruling the city of Venice and the Republic. The title was abbreviated, in front of the name, by the initials N.H. (Nobilis Homo or Nobiluomo), together with the feminine variant N.D. (Nobilis Domina). Holding the title of a Venetian patrician was a great honour and many European kings and princes, as well as foreign noble families, are known to have asked for and obtained the prestigious title.
The patrician houses, formally recorded in the Golden Book, were primarily divided into Old Houses (Case vecchie) and New Houses (Case nuove), with the former being noted for traditionally electing the first Doge in 697 AD. The New Houses were no less significant, as many became very prominent and important in the history of the Republic of Venice. The families were furthermore divided into several other "categories", including Ducal Houses (Case ducali, whose members had become Doges), Newest Houses (Case nuovissime) raised to the patriciate in 1381, non-Venetian patrician families, and "Houses made for money" (Case fatte per soldo, usually wealthy landowning or bourgeoisie families who contributed to the state during the War of Candia and the Morean War).
Although there were numerous noble houses across Venice's Mainland Dominions and the State of the Sea, the Republic was in fact ruled as an aristocratic oligarchy by about 20 to 30 families of Venice's urban nobility, who elected the Doge of Venice, held political and military offices, and directly participated in the daily governing of the state. They were predominantly merchants, with their main source of income being trade with the East and other entrepreneurial activities, on which they became incredibly wealthy. Some of the most important families, who dominated the politics and the history of the state, include those such as the Contarini, Cornaro, Dandolo, Giustinian, Loredan, Mocenigo, Morosini and the Venier families. Nobles were forbidden by law to marry outside of the nobility, so the families intermarried within themselves, and from a young age followed the cursus honorum of Venetian noblemen, training in the army, the naval fleet, the law, and the affairs of state.
aspect, however, the Venetiannobility had another peculiar character in their mercantile vocation. Contrary to the feudal nobility, in fact, the patriciate...
of distinction between the nobility granted "to the Milanese by their duke" and that granted by "foreigners". The Venetian Patriciate was one of the three...
exclusive to the patrician families enrolled in the Golden Book of the Venetiannobility. The Great Council was unique at the time in its usage of lottery...
nationalism Venetian navy Venetian nobilityVenetian Renaissance architecture Venetian School (art) Venetian School (music) Venetian Slovenia Wars in Lombardy...
The Realm or Kingdom of Candia (Venetian: Regno de Càndia; Italian: Regno di Candia) or Duchy of Candia (Venetian: Dogado de Càndia; Italian: Ducato di...
Chamber of Peers), becoming Patricians of that city, and members of the Venetiannobility. Until 1800, they kept some fiefs between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna...
d'oro of the Venetiannobility, and that he be returned the armour of Henry IV of France, that was kept at Venice. The behaviour of the Venetian government...
hands of a few Venetian officials, who were headed by a governor (Provveditore generale), who changed every three years. The Venetiannobility competed for...
acceptance among the Friulan nobility first and the Venetiannobility later. The Manin, in 1740, were the richest among all noble Venetians and it is written in...
was a prominent family in the Republic of Venice who entered the Venetiannobility in the 14th century. Pietro Venier (died 8 May 1372) who was the Governor...
cross the Venetian Lagoon, turned back for Lombardy. Alviano, having been reinforced by hundreds of volunteers from the Venetiannobility, pursued Cardona...
from Venice in 1783, after writing a vicious satire poking fun at Venetiannobility. In it, he made his only public statement that Grimani was his true...
Doge. Republic of Venice The Quarantia Major Council Minor Council Venetiannobility "Le origini di Venezia". cadeimiracoli.com. Archived from the original...
nobility was an elite hereditary ruling class in Albania, parts of the western Balkans and later in parts of the Ottoman world. The Albanian nobility...
moves within the Great Council, lot maintained cohesiveness among the Venetiannobility, contributing to the stability of this republic. Top magistracies...
Bragadino or Bragadini) were an old aristocratic Venetian family that belong to the Venetiannobility, counted among the Longhi. Tradition relates that...
The House of Morosini was a powerful Venetian noble family that gave many doges, statesmen, generals, and admirals to the Republic of Venice, as well as...
The House of Barozzi was an aristocratic Venetian family that belong to the Venetiannobility. Members of the family became sailors, clerics and men of...
the king emerges from Franco's house in the morning, the assembled Venetiannobility awaiting, he smiles broadly while carefully settling his presumably...
of Corfu's unique history. From 1386 to 1797, Corfu was ruled by Venetiannobility; much of the city reflects this era when the island belonged to the...
(Gino) Morosini of the venetian Morosini family The wedding was a lavish affair attended by many members of the Venetiannobility. The pink wedding gown...
Galileo's position as a professor and his many friendships among the Venetiannobility probably made it unwise for him to figure officially as the children's...
Venetian glass (Italian: vetro veneziano) is glassware made in Venice, typically on the island of Murano near the city. Traditionally it is made with a...
Morean war (Italian: Guerra di Morea), also known as the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War, was fought between 1684–1699 as part of the wider conflict known as...
residue of municipal institutions and the supreme body took the name of Serenissima Signoria. Medieval commune Italian city-states Venetiannobility v t e...
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