[Illustration: DOGARESSA TEODORA SELVO
(as Cleopatra with Venetian Zilve).
PARIS BORDONE.]
THE DOGARESSAS
OF VENICE
(_THE WIVES OF THE DOGES_)
BY EDGCUMBE STALEY
AUTHOR OF “THE TRAGEDIES OF THE MEDICI” ETC.
_ILLUSTRATED_
[Illustration: THE DOGARESSA]
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
TO THE MEMORY OF MY
MOTHER
FINETTA STALEY
PREFACE
The Story of the Dogaressas of Venice,--the Wives of the Doges,--has
not hitherto been told in English; but when my many appreciative
readers have finished this volume, I am confident they will agree
with me that there is much that is very interesting and unique in my
narrative.
The influence of good women upon the well-being of Society is
undeniable: that eloquent French _mot_:--“_Cherchez la Femme_,” has a
subtle and impressive meaning. In the election of a Doge of the Most
Serene Republic of Venice the personality of his spouse had often as
not considerable weight in the decision of the Lords of the Council.
My long list of the Ducal wearers of the lesser _Corno_ contains the
name of not one who failed to play her magnificent _rôle_ with infinite
credit to herself and with conspicuous benefit to the State.
In the compilation of my “_Libro d’Oro delle Dogaresse di Venezia_,”
I have found “_La Storia di Venezia_” and “_La Dogaressa di
Venezia_,”--the remarkably able works of Signore Pompeo Giovanni
Molmenti,--of the greatest service, and I now beg to offer that erudite
writer, if he is still alive, my heartiest acknowledgments. Mr W. C.
Hazlett’s “Venetian Republic,”--out and away the best English history
of Venice,--has been invaluable.
The “Roll” of the Most Serene Dogaressas is unique,--such a complete
list has never been published,--it will therefore be exceedingly useful
to students of history and lovers of romance.
With respect to illustrations it will be at once remarked how few
portraits of Dogaressas I offer. The fact is that Venetian painters,
great or small, painted fewer than a dozen of the noble First Ladies
of Venice. This is perhaps what might have been expected. Venetian
painters excelled all others in the delineation of youthful female
beauty,--they were the first to paint “_Venus Calva_,”--but the
middle-aged and the aged did not appeal to them. No, the Dogaressas
have nothing for which to thank painters, sculptors, or engravers: such
artists were directly under the patronage of the Doges not of their
Consorts.
Women of every age and clime care very little about the Fine Arts, so
called, they are themselves the finest of the Fine Arts, and their
sympathy goes out rather to the artistic Crafts, in search of objects
to add, if may be, to their own charms and attractiveness. In Venice
the “_Fragilie_,” or Trade-Guilds, were directly under the patronage
of the Dogaressas, and we shall find their personal attributes in the
beautiful and fragile glass of Murano, and the delicate and chaste
point-lace of Burano, in the lovely and costly ornaments of the
goldsmiths, in the superb brocades of silk and velvet and the splendid
tissues of gold and silver of the costumiers, and in the endless
fascinating adjuncts of the toilet and the table.
Many of my illustrations are characteristic scenes of Venetian life and
special features of Venetian fashion, and I think they prove the truth
of what Mr G. Howell in his “Familiar Letters” says of Venice:--“A
place where is nothing wanting that heart can wish.”
EDGCUMBE STALEY.
CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE v
INTRODUCTION--
I. VENICE--“The City of Venus” xiii
II. VENICE--“The City of Saints” xvi
III. VENICE--“The City of ‘Fair’ Women” xxiv
CHAPTER I.
“To the Lagunes!”--The dreaded Huns--Aquileia la
Bella--Adriana the Heroine--La Maga Irene--Degna
D’Aquileia--Viragoes--Hawsers of Women’s
Hair--_Venezia Seconda_--Longobards--Altino and the
Storks--The first Doge of Eraclea--Early Dress and
Manners--Charlemagne--The first Dogaressa--Rivo-Alto
Parent of Venice--Agnello and Elena Badoero--First Makers
of Venice--Houses--Customs--Love of Flowers--First
Ducal Palace--Translation of St Mark’s Body--Basilica
of San Marco Built--Doges and Dogaresses enter
Religion--Position of Women--Lovers--The _Pegne_--Marriage
Ceremonies--_Arcelle_--Legend of “La Boccola”--Festa
delle Marie--A Slave Dogaressa--The Rape of the
Brides--A low-born Mistress--Proud Valdrada da
Toscana--A Rich Dowry--Slaves--Athletic Sports--Fire
at the Palace--Assassination of Doge Pietro Candiano
IV.--Valdrada’s Vengeance--The Love-story of Gerardo Guoro
and Elena Candiano 1–41