TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL DATES IN VENETIAN HISTORY
Reading edition
A.D.
421 (about) Venice founded by fugitives from Aquileia, Altinum, and Padua. (According to tradition on March 25, 421, at noon.)
975 ... Paulus Lucas Anafestus of Heraclea chosen as first Doge.
975 ... Pepin, son of Charlemagne, attempts to take Venice and is defeated.
828 (about) The body of Saint Mark is brought to Venice, and he is proclaimed protector of the Republic in place of Saint Theodore.
959 (about) The brides of Venice and their dowries are carried off by Istrian pirates.
975 ... The first basilica of Saint Mark is destroyed by fire.
975 ... Pietro Orseolo is acclaimed as Doge of Venice and Dalmatia.
975 ... The Emperor Otho III. visits Venice secretly.
975 ... Venice is ravaged by the plague.
975 ... Venetians defeat the Pisans off Rhodes.
975 ... Defeat of the Turks at Jaffa.
975 ... The Doge Domenico Michiel takes Tyre.
975 ... Venice joins the Lombard League, with Verona, Padua, Milan, Bologna, and other cities.
975 ... Institution of the Great Council, in which membership is open and elective.
975 ... The Emperor Frederick Barbarossa makes submission to Pope Alexander III. at Venice.
975 ... The ceremony of the Espousal of the Sea by the Doge instituted.
1202 (Oct. 8) The Venetian fleet sets out for the Fourth Crusade under the Doge Enrico Dandolo.
1204 (April 12) Constantinople taken by the Venetian and French forces.
975 ... Membership in the Great Council limited to those of legitimate birth.
975 ... Closure of the Great Council, in which membership becomes a privilege of the nobles.
975 ... Conspiracy of Marino Bocconio.
975 ... Conspiracy of Marco Quirini and Bajamonte Tiepolo.
975 ... Permanent institution of the Council of Ten.
975 ... Venice loses half her population by the plague.
975 ... Conspiracy of Marino Faliero.
1379-80 ... War of Chioggia.
1404-54 ... During this time Venice possesses herself, on the mainland, of Padua, Ravenna, Verona, Treviso, Vicenza, Brescia, Bergamo, Feltre, Belluno, Crema, and Friuli.
975 ... Carlo Zeno takes Padua from Carrara.
975 ... League with Florence concluded. Brescia surrenders to the allied forces, the Venetian troops being commanded by Carmagnola.
975 ... Bergamo surrenders to Carmagnola.
1432 (May 5) Carmagnola executed as a traitor to the Republic.
975 ... Erasmo da Narni, nicknamed Gattamelata, is made commander of the Venetian army.
975 ... Bartolommeo Colleoni is commander of the Venetian forces.
1453 (May 29) Constantinople taken by the Turks. Many Venetians are massacred and much Venetian property destroyed.
975 ... Scutari, besieged by the Turks, is successfully defended by Antonio da Lezze.
975 ... Venice annexes Cyprus, leaving Catharine Cornaro the empty title of its Queen.
975 ... League of Cambrai, between the Emperor Maximilian, Pope Julius II., Louis XII. of France, and Ferdinand of Aragon.
1571 (Oct. 7) Battle of Lepanto won by the allied fleets of Venice, Genoa, the Holy See, and Spain, commanded respectively by Sebastiano Venier, Andrea Doria, and Marcantonio Colonna, under Don John of Austria as commander-in-chief.
975 ... Visit of Henry III. of France.
1575-7 ... Venice, swept by the plague, loses one-fourth of her population, Titian among them. Church of the Redentore built to commemorate its cessation.
1577 (Dec. 20) Fire destroys the Hall of the Great Council, with many magnificent works of art.
975 ... Another visitation of the plague, commemorated by the Church of the Salute.
1715-18 ... The Turks wrest from Venice Crete and the Peloponnesus.
975 ... Angelo Emo, the last Venetian leader, humbles the Bey of Tunis.
975 ... Election of the 120th and last Doge, Ludovico Manin.
975 ... The ceremony of the Espousal of the Sea by the Doge takes place for the last time.
1797 (April 18) General Bonaparte, by the treaty of Campo-Formio, cedes to Austria the Venetian provinces between the Po, the Oglio, and the Adriatic, in exchange for Romagna, with Ferrara and Bologna.
1797 (May 12) The Doge Ludovico Manin abdicates, and the Great Council accepts the Provisional Government required by General Bonaparte.
1798 (Jan. 18) The Austrian garrison takes possession of Venice.
1866 (Oct. 19) Austria cedes Venice to Napoleon III., who transfers it to Victor Emanuel II., King of Italy.