Candia and the Venetian Oltremare : identity and visual culture in the early modern Eastern Mediterranean
Following its acquisition in 1204, Crete became one of Veniceâs prime colonial possessions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Veniceâs maritime empire was known as the Stato da mar or the Oltremare. Candia, Creteâs capital, was the islandâs largest urban centre, the heart of the colonyâs administration, and a thriving port. Its inhabitants included patricians sent from Venice to govern the island, noble Cretans and noble Venetians, descendants of the early Venetian colonisers, cittadini, and a host of transient residents. The cityâs Jewish community was confined to the Judaica, a section of the urban expanse inside the cityâs Byzantine walls. By the sixteenth-century, three centuries of Creto-Venetian co-existence had given birth to an urban society which was polyglot and multi-denominational. Cretans travelled frequently to Venice, which hosted a large Greek community after the fall of Constantinople (1453). This thesis examines aspects of Cretan identity in the sixteenth century, such as class, religion and locality. The importance of appearances in the early modern colonial context is discussed and evidence is presented of Veniceâs influence on Cretan attire and the language used to describe
Stamoulou, Eva
Candia ; Crete ; Eastern Mediterranean ; Identity ; Appearance ; Embroidery ; Isolarii ; Island wills
Candia and the Venetian Oltremare : identity and visual culture in the early modern Eastern Mediterranean. Following its acquisition in 1204, Crete became one of Veniceâs prime colonial possessions in the Eastern Mediterranean. Veniceâs maritime empire was known as the Stato da mar or the Oltremare. Candia, Creteâs capital, was the islandâs largest urban centre, the heart of the colonyâs administration, and a thriving port. Its inhabitants included patricians sent from Venice to govern the island, noble Cretans and noble Venetians, descendants of the early Venetian colonisers, cittadini, and a host of transient residents. The cityâs Jewish community was confined to the Judaica, a section of the urban expanse inside the cityâs Byzantine walls. By the sixteenth-century, three centuries of Creto-Venetian co-existence had given birth to an urban society which was polyglot and multi-denominational. Cretans travelled frequently to Venice, which hosted a large Greek community after the fall of Constantinople (1453). This thesis examines aspects of Cretan identity in the sixteenth century, such as class, religion and locality. The importance of appearances in the early modern colonial context is discussed and evidence is presented of Veniceâs influence on Cretan attire and the language used to describe
venetian identity visual_culture early_modern eastern_mediterranean following acquisition crete become_one venice prime colonial possession eastern_mediterranean venice maritime empire know crete capital island large_urban centre heart colony administration thrive port inhabitant include patrician send venice govern island noble noble descendant early venetian coloniser host transient city jewish_community confine section urban expanse inside city byzantine wall sixteenth_century venetian co_existence give birth urban_society multi denominational travel frequently venice host large greek_community fall constantinople examines aspect cretan identity class religion locality importance appearance early_modern colonial_context discuss evidence_present venice influence cretan language_use describe