著者

永井 三明

出版者

イタリア学会

雑誌

イタリア学会誌 (ISSN:03872947)

巻号頁・発行日

no.29, pp.200-255, 1980-09-15

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I. The status of the Venetian nobility was not derived from land and papal, imperial or royal patents and titles, but solely from the recognition of the Venetian regime. The Venetian nobility was able marchants. But more troublesome than either the rich-poor or ancient-modern divisions within the Venetian nobility was the divisions between the younger members and the old. II. In the beginning of sixteenth century, the increasing difficulties of trade in the Levante, following on the Portuguese discoveries of the new route to Indies, and even more following the Turkish conquest of Egypt in 1517, the suppression of Commercial activities in the Near East during the Turkish war of 1537-41, helped to stimulate nobilities' interest in the possibilities of the Terraferme (Main lands). Investment in Terraferma properties, in their improvements or reclamation, and in the erection of country houses, absorbed a larger proportion of their capital. Whilst there was certainly a fall in the number of noblemen building the ships, and a contraction both in passive investment in maritime commerce and in the number of noblemen personally engaged in trade. III. How the Venetian nobility diminished in numbers, became poorer, and grew apathetic toward politics? The most important cause of the demographic decline was a social one. One element behind the nobles'adoption of a custum which limited the size of their families may have been the love of luxurious living which had become so strong during the Renaissance. The families unabled to increase the wealth, elected to decrease the size. The shortage of men in ruling class and the lack of public spirit are the cause of difficuly in finding men for public offices, and this may indeed have been one of the reasons for increasing apathy. IV. When the Venetian nobilities left the commercial field altogether, it was the cittadini originali who took over the most conspicuous part of it. Modern cities in England and Holland have populations active in industry, trade or administrations. But in Venice, where the economy was stagnant, the replenishment of the middle class was so slow and quantitatively so insufficent that the group lost much of its social individuality.