The Myth of Venice. Culture, Literature, Entertainment: course description
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Valeria Finucci, Duke University
Petrarch, in 1364, described Venice as "rich in gold, but richer in renown, mighty in her resources but mightier in virtues, solidly built on marble but standing more strong on a solid foundation of civic concord, ringed with salt waters, but more secure with the salt of good council". Known as La Serenissima, a most serene city, Venice combined incomparable beauty and urban charm, beautiful women and lavish art. Early modern tourists came to Venice from all over Europe and the East to sin and trade; even dying in the city's maze-like calle and canals had its allure. The reverse side of empire was poor and exploited people, foreign diseases, continuous wars, and religious intolerance. We will consider both facets of the myth of Venice in the early modern period by concentrating on plays, poetry, novellas, letters trial transcripts, contemporay accounts, travel literature, and films.
