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History Walks Venice
@historywalksvenice.com
History walks in Venice - you'll never see this beautiful city in the same way again.

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Venetian Stories podcast — https://venetianstories.com
Venice treacle

When the English gentleman John Evelyn left Venice in 1646, after almost a year in Venice and Padua, he had more stuff than when he had arrived.

From his diary for late March 1646:

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Venice treacle - History Walks in Venice
Venice treacle, or theriac, was an ancient wonder medicine, an antidote for most poisons and a cure for most ailments, including the plague.
historywalksvenice.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:49 AM
The Venetian Stories Podcast
Episode 23 — Venice treacle — the cure-all remedy

Venice produced and exported Theriac, an ancient wonder medicine for just about every ailment imaginable. It was a flourishing business for centuries, and an important part of the Venetian economy.

#Venice #Theriac
Episode 23 — Venice treacle — the cure-all remedy - Venetian Stories
Venice produced and exported Theriac, an ancient wonder medicine for just about every ailment imaginable. It was a flourishing business for centuries, and an important part of the Venetian economy.
venetianstories.com
January 14, 2026 at 8:16 AM
The preparation of Theriac.

These two prints depict elements of the public preparation of theriac at the Testa d'Oro pharmacy in Venice, at the Rialto bridge, which is seen in the background.

#Engravings #Medicine #Theriac #Venezia #Venice
The preparation of Theriac — two prints (1600s) - History Walks in Venice
Two prints, from the 1600s, depicting the production in public of the wonder-medicine theriac, at the Testa d'Oro pharmacy at Rialto.
historywalksvenice.com
January 9, 2026 at 7:39 AM
The Provveditori e Sopraprovveditori sopra Banchi were, in 1524, charged with overseeing the banks operating in Venice, around the markets at Rialto.

Since the Middle Ages, noble families had operated banking activities around the Rialto with insufficient oversight.

#Banking #Venice #SkyStorians
Provveditori e Sopraprovveditori sopra Banchi — ASV Indice - History Walks in Venice
"Provveditori e Sopraprovveditori sopra Banchi" from the L’Archivio di Stato di Venezia: indice generale, storico, descrittivo ed analitico (1937) by Andrea da Mosto
historywalksvenice.com
December 29, 2025 at 7:52 AM
In Venice, there's a statue of a bearded man on the façade of the church of San Zulian, above the entrance.

Yet another saint, one presumes, walking on towards St Mark's.

Well, no! That's Tommaso Ravenna, astrologer & physician, who in the 1500s got rich and famous selling remedies for syphilis.
Thomas Philologus Ravennas - History Walks in Venice
The statue on the façade of the San Zulian church is not a saint, but an astrologer and doctor, who sold remedies for syphilis.
historywalksvenice.com
December 26, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Help with Latin phrases needed.

Esse suum infirmo medicus memorare tenetur.
Mors praevisa parit saepe medelam animae.

What's this supposed to be in English?

The various online translators produce mostly meaningless babble.

#latin #transltion
December 24, 2025 at 6:01 PM
A member of the Pregadi — the Venetian senate — dressed in the traditional toga of important magistrates, with a black stola as a sign of mourning. The Republic of Venice had special rules about how magistrates could dress, even in periods of mourning.

#SkyStorians #Venezia #Venice
Senatore con stola di duolo — Senator with a mourning stole — Grevembroch 1-33 - History Walks in Venice
"Senatore con stola di duolo" (Senator with a mourning stole) from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.
historywalksvenice.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:50 AM
This painting depicts a shoemaker specialised in calcagnette and zoccoli.

There were calegheri, calzolari, scarpéri, zavatteri, zoccolai, pianellai, and scarperut.

All these categories of shoemakers were organised in a single guild, the Scuola dei Calegheri in the Campo San Tomà.

#skystorians
Arte Quadrupla — Quadruple Craft — Grevembroch 4-64 - History Walks in Venice
"Arte Quadrupla" (Quadruple Art) from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.
historywalksvenice.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by History Walks Venice
The well-known image of the plague doctor with the beaked mask doesn’t really have a lot of support in our sources.

Did he even exist?

And if he did, was he Venetian?

#Venice #Podcast #Skystorians #PlagueDoctor
Episode 21 — The Plague Doctor - Venetian Stories
The well-known image of the plague doctor with the beaked mask doesn't really have a lot of support in our sources. Did he even exist?
venetianstories.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:37 AM
The well-known image of the plague doctor with the beaked mask doesn’t really have a lot of support in our sources.

Did he even exist?

And if he did, was he Venetian?

#Venice #Podcast #Skystorians #PlagueDoctor
Episode 21 — The Plague Doctor - Venetian Stories
The well-known image of the plague doctor with the beaked mask doesn't really have a lot of support in our sources. Did he even exist?
venetianstories.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:37 AM
The Piazzetta is the part of the Piazza San Marco closest to the lagoon, around the two columns.

Commonly seen there, in the early 1700s, were a prison ship, a street brawl and noblemen in the broglio, engaging in the less noble side of Venetian politics.

#skystorians #Venezia #Venice
Veduta della Piazzetta di S. Marco — Il Gran Teatro di Venezia — plate 5 - History Walks in Venice
"Veduta della Piazzetta di S. Marco" from the "Gran Teatro di Venezia", published by Domenico Lovisa, c. 1717.
historywalksvenice.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Over the more than a millennium of the Republic of Venice, it issued a wide variety of coins for all sorts of different purposes. Some were for the state budget only, others for daily use in the city, and others again for ceremonial use or restricted to banking.

#skystorians #Venezia #Venice
Venetian coinage - History Walks in Venice
The Republic of Venice issued a wide range of coins, of many, and changing, denominations, including the ducato, scudo, soldo, lira, and many more.
historywalksvenice.com
December 9, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by History Walks Venice
I’m sitting on a bench in SS Giovanni e Paolo. The conversation behind me is fascinating; it sounds like a tour guide who really knows his stuff. He’s so good, I decide to tell him so. I walk up to him & glance at his name tag. “I know you!” It was René Seindal of @historywalksvenice.com in action!
December 3, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Did the Venetian nobility play rugby in the early 1600s?

Well, kinda.

#Skystorians #Sports #Venezia #Venice
Giuoco del calzo — Habiti d’huomeni et donne venetiane — 35 - History Walks in Venice
"Giuoco del Calzo" from the "Habiti d’huomeni et donne venetiane", published by Giacomo Franco, c. 1610.
historywalksvenice.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:12 PM
The Most Sacred Heart of Venice?

What's in the cover illustration of the fourth volume of an 18th century trilogy?

#venice #venezia #skystorians
Grevembroch cover illustrations - History Walks in Venice
The cover pages of each of the four volumes of Grevembroch's "
historywalksvenice.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:17 PM
The position of Procuratore di San Marco was one of the highest honorifics of the Republic of Venice, ranking just below the Doge.

They were, as all other high-ranking magistrates of the Republic of Venice, dressed in the traditional toga or vesta.

#skystorians #venice #venezia
I Procuratori di S. Marcho — Habiti d’huomeni et donne venetiane — 3 - History Walks in Venice
"I Procuratori di S. Marcho" from the "Habiti d’huomeni et donne venetiane", published by Giacomo Franco, c. 1610.
historywalksvenice.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The stole was an important part of the dress of Venetian state officials, as a sign of dignity, but also used to indicate supplication, and even as a way of having informal votes.

#skystorians #venezia #venice
Nobile della Casa Trivisan — Nobleman of the House of Trivisan — Grevembroch 1-55 - History Walks in Venice
"Nobile della Casa Trivisan" (Nobleman of the House of Trivisan) from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.
historywalksvenice.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:26 AM
One of the many tasks Venetian noblemen could be charged with, was presiding over the state-run auctions of the unredeemed pawned goods of debtors, called the 'incanto'.

Taverns and inns also served as pawn shops, to ensure common people too had access to credit.

#Venezia #Venice #SkyStorians
Nobile sopra l'incanto — Nobleman as Auctioneer — Grevembroch 1-81 - History Walks in Venice
"Nobile sopra l'incanto" (Noble as Auctioneer) from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.
historywalksvenice.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:10 AM
How did the debut of young noblemen into political society work?

It involved togas, stoles, wine and cakes.

"Compari alla Malvasia" (Malvasia Companions) from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.

#VenetianNobility #Venezia #Venice #Malvasia
Compari alla Malvasia — Malvasia Companions — Grevembroch 1-84 - History Walks in Venice
"Compari alla Malvasia" (Malvasia Companions) from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.
historywalksvenice.com
November 2, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Nobles at the Café

Ever wondered how a barista in the Florian looked in the mid-1750? Wonder no more!

"Nobles at the Café" from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.

#Coffee #VenetianNobility #Venezia #Venice
#Grevembroch
Nobles at the Café — Grevembroch 1-096 - History Walks in Venice
"Nobles at the Café" from the Gli abiti de veneziani (1754) by Giovanni Grevembroch, translated by René Seindal.
historywalksvenice.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Giogio Vasari on Sanmichele and the Sant'Andrea fortress.

Extract of Vasari, "Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori" (1568), related to Michele Sanmicheli and the Fortress of Sant'Andrea. #Venezia #Venice

historywalksvenice.com/translation/...
Giogio Vasari on Sanmichele and the Sant'Andrea fortress - History Walks in Venice
Extract of Vasari, "Le vite de' più eelLe vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori", related to Sanmicheli and the Fortress of Sant'Andrea.
historywalksvenice.com
October 17, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Reposted by History Walks Venice
A lexicographer's lament.

"There, fleeing Austrian bullets, hunger, anarchy and the many other calamities that afflicted the illustrious and unfortunate Venice, in a few hours, by cholera, on the twentyfirst day of August of the year 1849," …
Malamocco, Matemauco, Metemaucum — Lessico Veneto - History Walks in Venice
"Malamocco, Matemauco, Metemaucum" from the Lessico Veneto (1851) by Fabio Mutinelli, translated by René Seindal.
historywalksvenice.com
September 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
An image of a Venice which no longer exists.

Il Gran Teatro di Venezia — Veduta delle due Chiese di S. Nicolò e S. Giuseppe di Castello, published by Domenico Lovisa, c. 1717.

#Venezia #Venice #VeniceLost #SkyStorians
Il Gran Teatro di Venezia — plate 16 — Veduta delle due Chiese di S. Nicolò e S. Giuseppe di Castello - History Walks in Venice
"Veduta delle due Chiese di S. Nicolò e S. Giuseppe di Castello" from the "Gran Teatro di Venezia", published by Domenico Lovisa, c. 1717.
historywalksvenice.com
September 29, 2025 at 7:01 AM
A lexicographer's lament.

"There, fleeing Austrian bullets, hunger, anarchy and the many other calamities that afflicted the illustrious and unfortunate Venice, in a few hours, by cholera, on the twentyfirst day of August of the year 1849," …
Malamocco, Matemauco, Metemaucum — Lessico Veneto - History Walks in Venice
"Malamocco, Matemauco, Metemaucum" from the Lessico Veneto (1851) by Fabio Mutinelli, translated by René Seindal.
historywalksvenice.com
September 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Today Venice remembered the victims of the tornado of September 11th, 1970.

#Venice #Remembrance
September 11, 2025 at 6:27 PM