Renaissance Padua as Kunstwerk: Policy and Custom in the Governance of a Renaissance City

Kohl, Benjamin G. (2014) Renaissance Padua as Kunstwerk: Policy and Custom in the Governance of a Renaissance City. In: Venice and the Veneto during the Renaissance: the Legacy of Benjamin Kohl. Reti Medievali E-Book (21). Firenze University Press, Firenze, pp. 187-196. ISBN 978-88-6655-663-3

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Abstract

One of the thorniest issues in the recent historiography of Venice’s mainland empire is the quality and justice of its governance. Michael Knapton has depicted the Terraferma cities — Vicenza, Verona, and especially Padua — as dominated by the Dominante, which governed harshly, and taxed heavily for the benefit of the capital, while others have viewed the mainland state as a patchwork of jurisdictions, with Venice retaining local custom and leadership wherever these served the interests of the central government. This paper argues that Venice’s policy was in large measure the affirmation of custom, using the ancient institutions of the commune of the mainland cities as the basis for its rule, and confirming the remnants of the signorial élites as its new aristocratic governing class, which filled the offices of local government, especially the councils and judiciary. Fifteenth-century Padua prospered under this arrangement.

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	Edited by Monique O’ Connell. - Nella sezione: "Government and Society in the Terraferma". - This article was originally presented in April 2010 at the Renaissance Society of America’s annual meeting in Venice, as part of a series of panels organized by John Easton Law and Gabriele Neher in honor of Michael Mallett entitled “Michael Mallett Remembered”. This was the last conference that Ben attended, and while he intended the paper as an early version of an article considering the impact of Venetian rule on Padua, his June 2010 death meant that he was not able to complete the article. The present piece was lightly edited by Monique O’Connell, with the main interventions being the formatting of the notes, the addition of section titles and some bibliographic references, and minor adjustments to the language to accommodate the change from an oral to a written format.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Middle Ages; 15th century; Padua; Venice; Politics; Institutions
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D111 Medieval History
Depositing User:	dr Vincenzo De Luise
Date Deposited:	13 Apr 2019 14:15
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2024 11:26
URI:	http://www.rmoa.unina.it/id/eprint/5004

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