Marca Tarvisina

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

I Have spoke of the County of Tirolis: it remaineth now that wee should speake of Marca Tarvisina. It was so named from the Citty Tarvisium, where the Marquesses of Lombardy kept their residence, who were Governours of this Country. Cassiodorus and others doe call it Tarvisinum. It is called also Venetia from the Venetian people. But now in the Country speech it is called Marca Trevigiana. Concerning the bounds thereof, Leander writeth, that Mincius, Benacus, and the River Sarca doe enclose it on the West: on the North the Tarvisanian Mountaines, which devide Italy from Germany: on the East the mouth of the River Timavus, and part of the Hadriatick Sea: on the South the mouth of Athesis, and the Melarianian, and Brigantinian Marshes: and the same Leander affirmeth that these were the bounds of ancient Venetia, and not of Marca Tarvisina, which was far straighter, and lay lengthwaies betweene the Rivers Mincius and Alsa, and that beyond Alsa they were joyned to Forum Iulium, and besides that which is now called Marca Tarvisi•a, did containe some places of the Cenomanians, &c. The Country is fruitfull, the ayre wholsome, pleasant, and temperate. It hath pleasant Fields, which yeeld great store of Corne and Wine, and other fruits. It hath plenty of Mettals, and good store of Cattell. And it is adorned and enriched with so many gifts of nature, that it is worthy to bee accounted one of the principall Countries of Italy. Heretofore the Euganeans dwelt here, the derivation of whose name if wee seeke it from the Greeke, may be derived from their noble generous birth. The Venetians as Livie noteth, Lib. 1. did drive the Euganeans from home, from whom the whole Country was called Venetia. The Citties of Marca Tarvisina are Verona, Vincentia, Patavium, Venetia, Tarvisium. Of the former of which, namely, Verona, Vincentia, and Patavium we will speake in their proper Table. Venice is a Citty which containeth about 60. small Ilands, & it is seated in the innermost part of the Hadriatick Bay, in the middest of the Lakes, which the Tyde filleth every 6. houres: the Sea floweth on the East side, which that the violence and rage thereof may doe no harme, some other Ilands doe lye before it to restraine the fury of the Sea. And although it be not fortified with walls, Bulwarks, or Towers, yet it is strong by the naturall situation. It is devided with many Channels. There are Rivers in all the streets, which are joyned together by 450. stone and woodden Bridges. The chiefest Channell is that which is called Canal grande, three miles long, which devideth the whole Citty into two parts. So that you may either goe on foote, or by Boate, of which there are 8000. thorow the Citty, they commonly call these Boates Gondelas. The compasse of this Citty is about 8. miles, which is famous for populousnesse, wealth, and store of Merchandise: it hath produced excellent wits, and most learned men, and it is adorned with good Lawes, and laudable Statutes. It doth abound with Corne which is brought thither out of divers parts of the World, as also with divers sorts of Wine, among which is that generous sort of Wine, which is commonly called Malmesy, and with other things, necessary to mans life, so that it may be rightly call'd the Paradise of Delight. There are in it 64. Parishes. There are also magnificent and sumptuous publike and private buildings. The chiefest Church is that which is dedicated to Saint Marke the Evangelist, which is gilded in many places. And to omit other matters, there is an Armory within the Citty, commonly call'd the Arsenale, which is about two miles in compasse. Here are made of Wood, Iron, Brasse, Hempe, and Flaxe, all kindes of provision for Ships, as Anchors, Guns, Cables, Ropes, Tackles, and Sailes. Here are also some Ensignes kept which were taken from the Turke, or Pirates, or Enemies, and those Trophies which were taken at Naupactum in the yeere 1581. And also there are the Praetorian Barges, and the Ship Bucentaurus, in which the Prince accompanied with the Senate and chiefe men of the Citty, is carryed every yeere to the entrance of the Sea, where the Castle standeth, and there after some Ceremonies performed by the Bishop, he marrieth the Sea, and puts a Ring upon it to shew his perpetuall dominion over it. There is also a publike Library, together with the Library of Bessarion Cardinall of Nicen, which at his death he gave to the Common-wealth of Venice. Venice is very populous, so that there are thought to be in it about 300000. Citizens. They are of three sorts or rankes: the Patricians who governe the Empire and Common-wealth: the Citizens who doe beare under Offices: and the Artificers who use Mechanick Arts. And besides these there are great store of Merchants and Strangers, which come thither in divers habits out of all parts of the World to trafficke: as Turkes, Aethiopians, Slavonians, Arabians, Syrians, Cretensians, Cyprians, Macedonians, Germanes, Hungarians, Spaniards, Frenchmen, and others. The Venetian Common-wealth was governed at the first by Consuls, afterward by Tribunes for 252. yeeres: afterward in the yeere 707. it began to be a Dukedome. The Duke commonly call'd Doge, is the head of the Common-wealth, and the Prince of the Senate, and he can doe nothing neither in time of peace or warre without the consent of the Senate, for he consulteth with them. The Senate make Decrees which yet are published in the Dukes name. The Duke hath certaine stipends paid him out of the publike stock: and after his decease another is chosen by suffrages and voyces, out of the Senate. The Senate which is commonly call'd Gran Co•siglio, is the Basis and Foundation of the whole State: the Members of it are all Nobles, of 25. yeeres of age, or above: who have free liberty to speake: very faithfull in Counsell, and very carefull to preserve their liberty, and enlarge their Empire, and very constant in adversity. There are many other Magistrates besides the Duke, which here for brevity sake I omit. This Citty is held to bee the fairest and most flourishing Citty of all others, the Theater of the World, and the common Mart for the whole Universe, the Mistresse and Conquerour over so many Enemies: the Queene of the Hadriatick Sea, and the glory and honour of Italie. Although it hath waged many warres, and tryed the varieties of fortune for the space of a thousand yeeres, yet it was never subdued by any forraine Enemy. I passe by the other Citties and lesser Townes. The most famous Rivers of this Country are Plavis, commonly call'd Piave, also Brenta, Bachilio, and Athesis, which is the greatest of them all. There are Mountaines in this Patavine Country, which neither belong to the Alpes, nor to the Apennine, so that in this respect there is no Country like it in Italie. One of these Mountaines is Gemula, the other Venda, and the Euganean Hills so famoused by Poets. There are subject to the Patriarch of Aquilegium, the Bishopricks of Mantua, of Cuman, of Tridentum, of Verona, of Maravia, of Padua, of Vicentium, of Trevisium, of Ceneda, of Feltre, of Bellun. And so much briefely concerning the County of Tirolis, and Marca Tarvisina.