The Impact of Venice on the urban form and piazze of its subject cities on the Terraferma and the Stato da Mar (1400-1550)

Abstract

This thesis examines the impact of Venice on the urban form and the design and use of piazze in its subject cities during the Renaissance period, both on the Terraferma and the Stato da Mar. Bringing together approaches from architectural, political and social history, it seeks to establish how Venetian dominance and identity were articulated in the urban fabric of its subject cities through material alterations to the urban environment, and, to a lesser extent, through changes to both the ceremonial and the everyday functions of these spaces. Physical changes commonly included fortification, followed by the redecoration, repurposing and rebuilding of governmental buildings, logge and the placement of Venetian symbols in prominent positions. Predominantly through examining visual evidence – city views and on-the ground observations – an argument is assembled that these changes largely followed a consistent pattern that was largely driven by function, though the ways in which they manifested was context-dependent. Through the case studies of Capodistria and Treviso, the thesis analyses the different ways Venice impacted on the urban fabric of two similarly-sized centres in close proximity to the metropole, on the Terraferma and the Stato da Mar, to establish whether these cities experienced greater influence on their urban form and central piazza due to their close proximity and ties to Venice. In so doing, the thesis is an anglophone contribution that bridges scholarship divided by languages, borders and politics to deepen our understanding of Venetian urbanism and highlight its importance as a unifying factor across Venice’s empire.