Mestre ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈmɛstre] ) is a borough of the comune of Venice on the mainland opposite the historical island city in the region of Veneto , Italy.
90-463: Administratively, Mestre forms (together with the nearby Carpenedo) the Municipalità di Mestre-Carpenedo, one of the six boroughs or districts of the comune. Sometimes it is considered as a frazione . With 88,552 (2019) inhabitants, Mestre is the most populated urban centre of the comune. The population of the borough of Mestre-Carpenedo is 89,373 (2010). The mainland of Venice is the territory on
180-436: A comune is optional; some comuni have no frazioni , but others have several dozen. The comune usually has the same name of the capoluogo , but not always, in which case it is called a comune sparso . In practice, most frazioni are small villages or hamlets , occasionally just a clump of houses. Not every hamlet is classified as a frazione ; those that are not are often referred to as località , for example, in
270-499: A Venetian ship loaded with arms in Lake Garda, they accused Venice of having broken its neutrality by instigating anti-Jacobin revolts among the inhabitants of the valleys of Brescia and Bergamo. The general Sextius Alexandre François de Miollis denounced the attacks suffered by a battalion of Polish volunteers , that had intervened in one of the clashes. On 12 April, on account of the ever more frequent presence of French warships,
360-707: A certain freedom of action against the Lombard revolutionaries. Confronted with the spread of popular uprisings in favour of Venice and the rapid advance of Venetian forces, the French were finally forced to aid the Lombard Jacobins, revealing their true intentions. On 6 April a Venetian cavalry ensign was arrested for treason by the French and led to Brescia. On 8 April the Senate was informed of raids carried out by Brescian revolutionaries clad in French uniforms up to
450-585: A general amnesty for any acts disturbing the public order. However, Battagia was already fearing the loss of Brescia, the city where he resided, and to which the Bergamasque revolutionaries were marching, as well. On 16 March, at the Battle of Valvasone , Napoleon defeated Archduke Charles, thus opening the way to Austria proper. On the next day, the Venetian Senate issued affirmations of gratitude to
540-734: A new offensive, under József Alvinczi , by crossing the Tagliamento , then the Piave on 2 November, and arriving at Brenta on 4 November. The Austrians pushed the French back in the Second Battle of Bassano on 6 November, and entered Vicenza . However, the battles of Caldiero (12 November) and above all Arcole (15–17 November) blocked the Austrian advance. Finally, in the Battle of Rivoli on 14–15 January 1797, Napoleon decisively defeated Alvinczi and restored French supremacy. With
630-594: A period of time in 1794 in Verona , as a guest of the Venetian Republic. This led to fierce protests from the French representatives, so that Louis' right of asylum was revoked, and he was forced to depart Verona on 21 April. As a sign of protest, the French prince demanded that his name be removed from the libro d'oro of the Venetian nobility , and that he be returned the armour of Henry IV of France , that
720-720: A preliminary armistice at Leoben in Styria , with the representatives of the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II . In the secret annexes of the treaty, the territories of the Terraferma were already conceded to the Habsburg empire, in return for French possession of the Austrian Netherlands . On the same day, however, events precipitated themselves at Verona. The population, and a part of
810-816: A principal attack east over the Rhine (under Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and Jean Victor Marie Moreau ) into the German states of the Holy Roman Empire , and a diversionary attack against the Austrians and their allies in the south, in northern Italy . The conduct of the Italian campaign was given to the young (27 years old the time) general Napoleon Bonaparte , who in April 1796 crossed the Alps with 45,000 men to confront
900-488: A total of around 80,700 inhabitants based on the islands of the municipality, thus making Mestre Venice municipality's largest population centre with approximately one-third of the total. Public transport is managed by Azienda del Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano . There are several bus routes and two tram lines . Several bus routes link the mainland with piazzale Roma , the main bus station in Venice, via Ponte della Libertà ,
990-480: Is in the charter of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto III , in which Rambald, the count of Treviso, received land in an area named Mestre. In 1152, a papal bull by Pope Eugene III recognized the bishop of Treviso as lord of Mestre. He mentioned the existence of the church of St. Lawrence, a castle (Castelvecchio, Old Castle), and a port. In 1257 the bishop granted Mestre to Alberico da Romano ,
SECTION 10
#17327650336381080-413: Is now a favourite starting point for tourists visiting Venice on a budget due to its convenient location, its cheap and frequent connections to Venice by train and by bus (which also runs at night), and the more reasonable prices of its bars, discos, car parking, hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets compared to the costs of the same tourist services in Venice. In 1979, Mestre provided one of the venues for
1170-476: Is proper, with recommending to You to always turn to the Lord God and to his most holy Mother, so that they will deign, after so many scourges, which deservedly have tried us for our errors, to look at us anew with the eyes of their mercy, and lift at least in part the many anguishes that oppress us. The council then proceeded to examine the French demands, brought before it by some Venetian Jacobins, that entailed
1260-422: Is the hub and the most populated area of the mainland shore, in common parlance, its toponym is often misused to designate the whole Venetian mainland. Mestre became a comune in 1806 and remained so until 1926 when it was incorporated into the comune of Venice with adjacent portions of the mainland and islands in the lagoon. Mestre has around 88,552 inhabitants, while the Municipalità di Mestre-Carpenedo (one of
1350-523: The cernide of Dalmatia. Then, in yet another attempt to appease Napoleon, on 4 May the Great Council of Venice , with 704 votes in favour, 12 against, and 26 abstentions, decided to accept the French demands, including the arrest of the commandant of the Fort of Sant'Andrea, and the three Inquisitori di Stato , an institution that was particularly offensive to Jacobin sensibilities due to its role as
1440-631: The Battle of Bassano , the Austrians were heavily defeated: forced to a precipitous flight to Mantua, abandoning their artillery and train . As a result, during the autumn and winter, the French consolidated their presence in Italy, so that on 15/16 October, they founded the Cispadane Republic and the Transpadane Republic as French client states . At the same time, in the Terraferma, the French soldiers progressively took over
1530-728: The Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territorial subdivisions in the country. In the autonomous region of the Aosta Valley , a frazione is officially called hameau in French . In South Tyrol , a frazione is called Fraktion in German and frazion in Ladin . The term frazioni refers to the villages or hamlets that often make up a comune (a type of municipal-level government) in rural Italian areas. Subdivision of
1620-803: The Romagna , which belonged to the Papal States ; on 23 June the Pope had to accept the French occupation of the northern Legations , allowing the French to occupy the port city of Ancona on the Adriatic Sea . The appearance of French warships in the Adriatic led Venice to renew the ancient decree that prohibited the entry of foreign fleets into the Venetian Lagoon, and informed Paris of that. Flotillas and fortifications were established along
1710-498: The capture of Mantua on 2 February 1797, the French removed the last bastion of Habsburg resistance in Italy. The French now began to promote openly the "democratization" of Bergamo, which, under the pressure of general Louis Baraguey d'Hilliers , rose in revolt against Venice on 13 March, establishing the Republic of Bergamo . Three days later, the provveditore extraordinary Francesco Battagia, in an effort to restore order, issued
1800-550: The comune . In many comuni , in addition to their advisory function, the frazioni have their clerks and recorders of deeds, but they do not maintain their own civil records. Fall of the Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice was dissolved and dismembered by the French general Napoleon Bonaparte and the Habsburg Monarchy on 12 May 1797, ending approximately 1,100 years of its existence. In 1796,
1890-403: The giunta , or as a result of a petition by enough residents of the frazione involved; although there was no official provision for frazioni to group together with the appointment of a single prosindaco , this did happen quite often. Under current law, however, Article 54 of the d.lgs. 267/2000 provides that a mayor may delegate mayoral functions at the frazione level to a councillor of
SECTION 20
#17327650336381980-473: The podestà of Treviso . In 1274, a fire destroyed the castle, and Mestre's inhabitants fortified the town with a palisade , which became Castelnuovo (Newcastle). No traces of this castle remain today. In 1323, the Scaligeri family from Verona conquered Treviso and thus acquired Mestre. The Venetians, fearing Verona's excessive power in the mainland, conquered Mestre on 29 September 1337. They replaced
2070-567: The Austrian forces. In short, however, the situation was critical for the Most Serene Republic: not only Lombardy, but even Veneto were threatened with invasion. First the Austrian commander-in-chief, Jean-Pierre de Beaulieu , took Peschiera del Garda by ruse, and then, on 29 May, the French division of Augereau entered Desenzano del Garda . On the night of 29/30 May, Napoleon crossed the Mincio River in force, forcing
2160-612: The Austrians and the Piemontese . In a lightning campaign , Napoleon managed to knock Sardinia out of the war, and then moved on the Duchy of Milan , controlled by the Habsburg forces. On 9 May Archduke Ferdinand , the Austrian governor of Milan, retired with his family to Bergamo , in Venetian territory. Six days later, after winning the Battle of Lodi , Napoleon entered Milan, and forced King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia to sign
2250-464: The Austrians to withdraw to Tyrol . To the complaints of the Venetians, who through the provveditore generale Foscarini protested the damage inflicted by the French troops during their advance, Napoleon replied by threatening to pass Verona through iron and fire, and of marching on Venice itself, claiming that the Republic had shown itself as favouring the enemies of France by not declaring war after
2340-551: The Austrians took control of Venice and ended the plunder. Austria's control was short-lived, however, as Venice would be back under French control by 1805. It then returned to Austrian hands in 1815 as the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia until its incorporation into the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. The fall of the ancient Republic of Venice was the result of a sequence of events that followed the French Revolution ( Fall of
2430-650: The Bastille , 14 July 1789), and the subsequent French Revolutionary Wars that pitted the First French Republic against the monarchic powers of Europe, allied in the First Coalition (1792), particularly following the execution of Louis XVI of France on 21 January 1793, which spurred the monarchies of Europe to common cause against Revolutionary France. The pretender to the French throne, Louis Stanislas Xavier (the future Louis XVIII ), spent
2520-473: The Bergamasque, and the French, who controlled the city's citadel; however, Battagia, so as not to endanger the population, which was still largely pro-Venetian, decided to abandon the city with his troops. News of this arrived in Venice only on 20 March, after Battagia arrived at Verona. The government seemed to rally at the news: a ducal letter was sent to all reggimenti ordering the preparation of "absolute defence" and demanding anew their oaths of allegiance to
2610-513: The European basketball championship EuroBasket 1979 . This drew many tourists to the town. The other venues were in Siena , Gorizia and Turin . Donna Leon 's third Commissario (inspector) Guido Brunetti mystery novel The Anonymous Venetian (1994), aka Dressed for Death , starts with a battered body found behind a slaughterhouse near Marghera — just inside the border of Mestre. The staff of
2700-472: The French denounced the armistice agreement, and recommenced hostilities. At the approach of the French army, already on 12 May 1796, the Venetian Senate had created a provveditore generale for the Terraferma, Nicolò Foscarini , with the task of overseeing all magistrates in its mainland territories (the reggimenti ). However, the state of Venetian defences was parlous: arms were lacking, and
2790-572: The French model, became a free municipality. It remained so under the subsequent period of Austrian rule (it also incorporated Carpenedo e Marocco) and under the Kingdom of Italy. In 1923, it was given the status of a town. Three years later, a Royal Decree incorporated Mestre and some other neighbouring townships (Chirignago, Zelarino, and Favaro Veneto) into the comune of Venice. Since then, attempts have been made to regain autonomy in four referendums in 1979, 1989, 1994, and 2003, but in each instance,
Mestre - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-584: The French, attempted to pacify the crowd, and patrols of men from the Arsenal and shots of artillery fired at Rialto restored order in the city. On the morning of 13 May, still in the name of the Most Serene Prince, and with the usual coat of arms of Saint Mark, three proclamations were issued, which threatened by death anyone who dared to rise up, ordered the restitution to the Procuratie of
2970-564: The Legislative Decree 267/2000 to implement amendments to Title V of the Italian Constitution, the individual comuni now define the frazioni within their borders. Under the former legislation, a frazione had the option of having a submayor ( prosindaco ), who was appointed by the mayor ( sindaco ) of the comune , often on the recommendation of deliberative bodies such as the communal council ( consiglio ) or
3060-760: The Ottoman Empire against Russia . However, the news of the preparations of the general Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser for an Austrian counteroffensive from Tyrol prompted the Republic to officially reject the French proposals with a letter from the Doge on 22 July. In the meantime, a provedditore extraordinary, Francesco Battagia , had been appointed to join, and in practice replace, the provveditore generale Foscarini. In Venice, night patrols composed of shopkeepers and journeymen, and commanded by two patricians and two burghers ( cittadini ), maintained order and safety. In Bergamo also, troops were silently recruited in
3150-607: The Porto di Lido, the northern entry to the Lagoon. In response, the artillery on the Fort of Sant'Andrea opened fire, sinking the ship and killing its captain. The Venetian government, however, still hesitated to seize the moment, and still hoped to avoid an open conflict, even at the loss of its mainland possessions: it refused to mobilize the army, or send reinforcements to Verona, which was forced to capitulate on 24 April. On 25 April, on
3240-419: The Republic's system of government, but offered to maintain its substance. This ultimatum was to expire in four days. The Venetian government made attempts to affect a reconciliation, informing Napoleon on 1 May that it intended to reform its constitution on a more democratic basis, but on 2 May the French declared war on the Republic. On the other hand, on 3 May Venice revoked the general recruitment order for
3330-442: The Republic. On 21 March, while Bonaparte entered Gradisca , taking control of Tarvisio and the entry of the valleys leading to Austria, came the first reply: Treviso proclaimed itself fully loyal to Venice. The following day, however, came from Udine a letter by the Venetian ambassadors sent to deal with Napoleon, who informed the Venetian government of the French general's increasingly evasive and suspicious attitude. In return,
3420-662: The Square of St Mark's: the Schiavoni fired their muskets in salutation of the Banner of Saint Mark before embarking on a ship, but the terrified patricians feared that it signalled a popular revolt. The vote was immediately taken, and with 512 votes in favour, 5 abstentions, and 20 against, the Republic was declared abolished. As the assembly dispersed in haste, the Doge and the magistrates deposed their insignia and presented themselves at
3510-511: The Venetian defensive system by assuming control over cities and fortresses. While the Venetian government continued to instruct its magistrates, placed at the head of the various reggimenti , to supply the maximum collaboration and to avoid giving rise to any excuse for a conflict, the French ever more openly began to support local revolutionary and Jacobin activities. On 29 October the Austrians, amassed in Venetian Friuli , attempted
3600-411: The Venetian forces that intended to retake control of the cities of Venetian Lombardy. This is borne out by the agreement, signed on 1 April, with which Venice agreed to pay one million lire per month to Napoleon, to finance his campaign against Austria. In this way, the Republic hoped to expedite a speedy conclusion of that conflict, with its concomitant departure of the French occupying troops, and secure
3690-453: The Venetian senate began quiet preparations for war. The Venetian armed forces were depleted and hardly a match for the battle-tested French or even a local uprising. After the capture of Mantua on 2 February 1797, the French dropped any pretext and overtly called for revolution among the territories of Venice. By 13 March, there was open revolt, with Brescia and Bergamo breaking away. However, pro-Venetian sentiment remained high, and France
Mestre - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-469: The Venetian troops quartered there, tired of French arrogance and oppression, rose in revolt. The episode, known as the " Veronese Easter ", quickly reduced the occupation troops to the defensive, reducing them to the city's forts. On 20 April, although the ban on foreign warships entering the Lagoon of Venice had recently been reiterated, the French frigate Le Libérateur d'Italie [ it ] ( transl. Italy's Liberator ) tried to enter
3870-490: The Venetians ordered all their ports to maintain the greatest vigilance. On 15 April, finally, Napoleon's ambassador to Venice informed the Signoria of Venice of the French intention to support and promote the revolts against the "tyrannical government" of the Republic. The Signoria responded by issuing a proclamation urging all its subjects to remain calm and respect the state's neutrality. On 17 April 1797, Napoleon signed
3960-467: The abdication of the government in favour of a Provisional Municipality of Venice ( Municipalità Provvisoria di Venezia ), the planting in the Square of St Mark's of a tree of liberty , the disembarkation of a 4,000-strong contingent of French soldiers, and the handover of certain magistrates who had championed resistance. During the session, the assembly was thrown into panic at the sound of gunshots from
4050-505: The administration of the State; these nobles themselves today renounce voluntarily that right, so that the most meritorious among the entire nation shall in future be admitted to public service. [...] The last vote of the Venetian nobles, by making the glorious sacrifice of their titles, is to see all the children of the fatherland at once equal and free, to enjoy, in the bosom of brotherhood, the benefices of democracy, and honour, from respect of
4140-587: The balcony of the Ducal Palace to announce the decision to the crowd gathered below. At the end of the proclamation, the crowd erupted; not, as feared by the patricians, in cries for revolution, but in the cries of Viva San Marco! and Viva la Repubblica! . The crowd raised the Flag of St. Mark on the three masts in the square, attempted to reinstate the Doge, and attacked the houses and properties of Venetian Jacobins. The magistrates, fearful of having to answer to
4230-412: The bridge that connects Venice to the mainland. According to legend, Mestre was founded by Mesthles, a companion of the hero Antenor , a fugitive from Troy , who founded Padua . The true origins of the town are uncertain. However, it is known that a Roman oppidum (fortress) existed here. Attila destroyed the settlement, probably rebuilt in the 10th century. The first historical attestation of Mestre
4320-444: The capital their ancient attachment, convinced, moreover, that the intention of the French government is to increase the power and happiness of the Venetian people, associating its fate with that of the free peoples of Italy, announces solemnly to all of Europe, and especially the Venetian people, the free and frank reform that he has believed necessary to the constitution of the Republic. Only the nobles were entitled by right of birth to
4410-492: The citizens of Vicenza and Padua, shortly after followed by Verona, Bassano , Rovigo and, one after the other, the other centres. Numerous delegations even came from the valleys of Bergamo, ready to rise up against the French. On 25 March, however, the Lombard revolutionaries occupied Salò , followed on 27 March by Crema, where on the next day they proclaimed the Republic of Crema . The French intervention became increasingly audacious, with French cavalry employed in suppressing
4500-464: The city and the student body [...] has many students from the cities beyond the Mincio [...]. Treviso does not offer particular observations. In reality, however, the inquisitors were not aware that at Brescia the previous day (18 March), a group of notables, desiring to liberate themselves from Venetian rule, had launched a revolt. Amidst the general indifference, they could count only on the support of
4590-401: The city, bringing a proposal of alliance with Venice, which gave no reply to it. In view of the bad state of the defences, both the Venetian government as well as the authorities in the Terraferma put up only a weak resistance to the crossing of Venetian territory by the retreating Austrians, but firmly refused the requests of the Habsburg ambassador to provide, even secretly, food and supplies to
SECTION 50
#17327650336384680-604: The coast of the Lagoon of Venice , off the Adriatic sea in northeastern Italy. It is connected to Venice proper by a 3,850 m (2.39 miles) long railway and road bridge over the lagoon called Ponte della Libertà (Freedom Bridge). After World War II, Mestre had a fast and disorganized period of urban growth and became a large metropolitan area together with the other urban centers on the Venetian mainland (Carpenedo, Marghera, Favaro Veneto, Chirignago, Zelarino, Tessera). Because Mestre
4770-551: The defence of the estuary, without thinking of turning your thought even a line further than that. Venice seemed to have lost forever the Terraferma, as in former times during the War of the League of Cambrai . The government resolved to mobilize its forces to avoid such an outcome; under the exhortations of Nani, the Venetian government prepared to order a mobilization and give command of its land forces to William of Nassau , but stopped at
4860-410: The events at Peschiera, and by harbouring the French pretender Louis. On 1 June, Foscarini, in an effort not to provoke Napoleon further, agreed to the entry of French troops into Verona. The Venetian territories thus officially became a field of battle between the opposing camps, while in many cities the French occupation created a difficult cohabitation between French troops, the Venetian military, and
4950-540: The feast day of Venice's patron, Mark the Evangelist , at Graz , the bewildered Venetian emissaries were openly threatened with war by Napoleon, who boasted that he had 80,000 men and twenty gunships ready to overthrow the Republic. The French general announced that: I want no more Inquisition, no more Senate, I shall be an Attila to the state of Venice. On the same occasion Napoleon accused Venice of having refused an alliance with France, that would have consented to
5040-468: The fortifications were in disrepair. Venetian Lombardy was soon invaded by masses of refugees fleeing the war, and shattered or fleeing detachments of Austrian troops, who were soon followed by the first infiltrations by French contingents. Only with great difficulty did the Venetian authorities manage to prevent first the Austrians of General Kerpen, and then the pursuing French of Berthier , from passing through Crema . Napoleon himself finally arrived before
5130-413: The gates of Legnano . On the next day, a proclamation called the population of the Terraferma to abandon Venice, which had up till then been preoccupied only by the security of its own capital. At the same time, the French general Jean-Andoche Junot received from Napoleon a letter in which the latter complained about the anti-French general uprising of the Terraferma. On 10 April, after the French captured
5220-409: The government considered it necessary to inform the main magistrates of the Terraferma, who had gathered a Verona, to operate with the greatest circumspection towards the French, thus essentially replacing the concept of "absolute defence" with the vague hope of not giving Napoleon a pretext for entering in an open conflict with Venice. On 24 March, nevertheless, arrived the new pledges of allegiance from
5310-522: The guarantor of the oligarchic nature of the Venetian Republic. On 8 May the Doge, Ludovico Manin , declared that he was ready to depose his insignia at the hands of the Jacobin leaders, and invited all magistrates to do the same, even though the ducal councillor Francesco Pesaro urged him to flee to Zara in Dalmatia, which was still securely in Venetian hands. Venice still possessed a fleet, and
5400-572: The humiliating Treaty of Paris , while the Habsburg forces withdrew to defend the Bishopric of Trent . On 17 May the Duchy of Modena likewise sought an armistice with the French. During the course of this conflict, the Republic of Venice had followed its traditional policy of neutrality , but its possessions in northern Italy (the Domini di Terraferma ) were now in the direct path of the French army's advance towards Vienna . Consequently, on 20 May
5490-613: The islands and forts surrounding it. On 15 May the Doge departed forever the Ducal Palace, and retired to his family's residence. In the last decree of the old government, he announced the birth of the Provisional Municipality of Venice . The Provisional Municipality established itself in the Ducal Palace, in the hall where the Great Council used to convene. On 16 May it issued a proclamation to announce
SECTION 60
#17327650336385580-417: The lack of a quorum , Doge Ludovico Manin opened the session with the following words: As much as we are with a very distressed and troubled soul, even after having taken with near unanimity the two previous resolutions, and having declared so solemnly the public will, we are also resigned to the divine decisions. [...] The decision presented to You is not but a consequence of what has already been agreed with
5670-547: The lagoon's shores with the mainland, as well as in the canals, to block access from the land as well as from the sea. In this regard, on 5 July the provedditore responsible for the defence of the Lagoon, Giacomo Nani , recalling the victorious War of the Morea against the Ottoman Turks , wrote: It mortifies my soul to see that, only a century after that important era, Your Excellencies are reduced to thinking only about
5760-406: The last doge of Venice, formally abolished the Most Serene Republic of Venice after 1,100 years of existence. The French and the Austrians had secretly agreed on 17 April in the Treaty of Leoben that in exchange for providing Venice to Austria, France would receive Austria's holdings in the Netherlands. France provided an opportunity for the population to vote on accepting the now public terms of
5850-428: The last moment before the joint opposition of the Austrians and the French. Towards the middle of July the French troops quartered themselves in the cities of Crema, Brescia, and Bergamo , to allow the separation of French and Austrian forces, who in the meantime had concluded a truce. At the same time, diplomatic efforts were under way to induce Venice to abandon its neutrality and enter a joint alliance with France and
5940-405: The local inhabitants. In the face of imminent threat, the Senate ordered the recall of the Venetian fleet , the conscription of the cernide militia in Istria , and the creation of a provveditore generale for the Venetian Lagoon and Lido , to ensure the defence of the Dogado , the core of the Venetian state. New taxes were raised and voluntary contributions were requested to provide for
6030-446: The local inspector is considered inadequate, so Brunetti is assigned to lead the investigation of the Mestre police. In 2019, Italian-German singer Marco di Colonia released an album dedicated to Mestre's life and the people. Frazione A frazione ( pl. : frazioni ) is a type of subdivision of a comune ( municipality ) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most frazioni were created during
6120-413: The morning of 11 May, in the penultimate convocation of the Great Council, and under the menace of an invasion, the Doge exclaimed: Tonight we are not secure even in our own bed. On the morning of 12 May, between rumours of conspiracies and the imminent French attack, the Great Council met for the last time. Despite the presence of only 537 of the 1,200 patricians that formed its full membership, and hence
6210-412: The neighbouring valleys, taking care to avoid conflict with the French occupiers, but only "to restrain the populace's fervour, without debasing it", as the Inquisitori di Stato magistrates put it. On 31 July, on his part, Napoleon occupied Brescia Castle [ it ] . On 29 July, the Austrians under Wurmser began their counteroffensive, descending from Tyrol in a two-pronged advance along
6300-471: The new order of things: The Venetian government, desiring to give an ultimate degree of perfection to the republican system that for centuries forms the glory of this country, and to make the citizens of this capital enjoy more and more a liberty that safeguards at once religion, individuals, and property, and hastening to recall to the motherland the inhabitants of the Terraferma who detached themselves from it, and who nonetheless conserved for their brothers in
6390-420: The old fortification with a brick wall, eight towers, and a moat. The port of Mestre benefited from the economic power of the Republic of Venice , forming Venice's primary connection with the mainland. A canal (the Canal Salso) was built to facilitate the transport of goods. The Venetian domination of Mestre ended on 16 July 1797 with Napoleon 's occupation of the Republic of Venice . In 1806, Mestre, following
6480-588: The overseas possessions of the Stato da Mar to the Terraferma. On 19 March, the Inquisitori di Stato reported to the Senate on the condition of the reggimenti . For Bergamo, which was in rebellion, no information was available, and the inquisitors awaited for news from the neighbouring forts and valleys. The situation in Brescia was still calm and under Battagia's control, as well as Crema, where they recommended
6570-430: The previous ones [...]; but two articles give us supreme comfort, seeing one assuring our Holy Religion, and with the other the means of sustenance of our fellow citizens [...]. While iron and fire are always threatened if one does not adhere to their demands; and in this moment we are encircled by sixty thousand men fallen from Germany, victorious and freed from the fear of Austrian arms. [...] We will therefore conclude, as
6660-491: The proposal for separating Mestre from Venice was rejected. Another referendum, proposed by the president of the Veneto region, took place on 1 December 2019. Even though 66% of the voters voted for the separation, only 21% of the population voted, thus making the referendum not valid. In the 1960s and 1970s, Mestre experienced a population boom, fuelled mainly by constructing a large industrial zone in nearby Marghera . Mestre
6750-572: The rearmament of the state. Finally, the Republic's ambassador at Paris was ordered to protest to the Directory of the violation of its neutrality. At the same time, Venetian diplomats in Vienna remonstrated at the Habsburg forces' bringing war to the Terraferma. On 5 June, the representatives of the Kingdom of Naples signed an armistice with Napoleon. On 10 June, the heir to the Duchy of Parma , Louis of Bourbon , and two days later, Napoleon invaded
6840-511: The reinforcement of its garrison. An anti-French mood prevailed in Verona, while Padua and Treviso were quiet, although the Venetian authorities kept the former under close watch in case of trouble from the students of the University of Padua . The report read: Bergamo: the rebel leaders are supported by the French, and try to discredit the Republic, communications are disrupted, notices from
6930-505: The resistance of Crema, and then, on 31 March, with French artillery bombarding Salò, which had rebelled against the Jacobins. All these facts at last induced the Venetian magistrates of the Terraferma to authorize the partial mobilization of the cernide , and the preparation for defence of Verona, the principal military stronghold. The French occupiers were initially constrained by keeping up appearances, and consented not to interfere with
7020-471: The restoration of the rebellious cities, with the sole purpose of maintaining its army under arms and thus cut the path of retreat for the French army in case of a defeat. During the next days, the French army proceeded to definitively occupy the Terraferma, up to the shores of the Lagoon of Venice. On 30 April a letter from Napoleon, who was now at Palmanova , informed the Signoria that he intended to alter
7110-536: The shores of Lake Garda and the course of the Brenta River , passing through Venetian and Mantuan territory. The two Austrian columns were stopped at Lonato del Garda on 3 August and Castiglione delle Stiviere on 5 August respectively. Defeated, Wurmser was forced to return to Trent. After reorganizing his troops, Wurmser returned to the attack, advancing along the course of the Adige , but on 8 September, at
7200-537: The six boroughs of the city of Venice) has 89,373 inhabitants. The Venetian mainland (the boroughs of Mestre-Carpenedo, Marghera, Chirignago-Zelarino, and Favaro Veneto) has around 181,000 inhabitants. In contrast, there are just around 53,000 inhabitants in Venice city (San Marco, Castello, Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro, Santa Croce) and just approximately 27,700 in the other major islands of Venice city borough ( Murano , Burano , Mazzorbo and Torcello ). Adjacent multi island borough of Lido Pellestrina , which makes
7290-496: The still loyal possessions in Istria and Dalmatia, as well as the intact defences of the city itself and its lagoon. However, the patriciate was seized by terror at the prospect of a popular uprising. As a result, the order went out to demobilize even the loyal Dalmatian troops ( Schiavoni ) present in the city. Pesaro himself was forced to escape the city, after the government ordered his arrest in an effort to please Napoleon. On
7380-458: The telephone book. In some cases, frazioni are more populous than the capoluogo of the comune . Due to unusual circumstances or to the depopulation of the capoluogo , the town hall and its administrative functions can move to one of the frazioni : the comune still retains the name of the capoluogo . Historically, many frazioni came into being during the Fascist era, when a major effort
7470-508: The towns and forts remaining loyal to the Republic, and for the first time ordered them to take defensive measures. The barricading of the Lagoon of Venice, the establishment of armed patrols in the Dogado, and the recall of naval units stationed in Istria, were ordered. The Arsenal of Venice , the military heart of the state, was ordered to increase its production, and troops were to be sent from
7560-519: The treaty that yielded them to Austria. On 28 October, Venice voted to accept the terms. The preference for Austria over France was well founded: the French proceeded to thoroughly loot Venice. They further stole or sank the entire Venetian Navy and destroyed much of the Venetian Arsenal , a humiliating end for what had once been one of the most powerful navies in Europe. On 18 January 1798,
7650-421: The valleys and localities and forts of the province are being awaited. Brescia, through the prudent direction of the provveditore extraordinary, is still firm [...]. Crema [...] requires some garrison. Verona [...], whose population is said to appear disinclined towards the French, [...] who [...] do not seize being both armed and dangerous. [...] Padua, beyond being too immune from the poison among some in
7740-400: The valuables looted, and finally recognized the Jacobin leaders as deserving of the fatherland. Because on the next day the last deadline for the armistice granted by Napoleon was to expire, after which the French would have forced their entry into the city, it was eventually agreed to send them the necessary transports to carry 4,000 men, of whom 1,200 were destined for Venice and the rest for
7830-570: The young general Napoleon had been sent by the newly formed French Republic to confront Austria, as part of the Italian front of the French Revolutionary Wars . He chose to go through Venice, which was officially neutral. Reluctantly, the Venetians allowed the formidable French army to enter their country so that it might confront Austria. However, the French covertly began supporting Jacobin revolutionaries within Venice, and
7920-488: Was forced to reveal its true goals after it provided military support to the underperforming revolutionaries. On 25 April, Napoleon openly threatened to declare war on Venice unless it democratised. The Venetian Senate acceded to numerous demands, but facing increasing rebellion and the threat of foreign invasion, it abdicated in favor of a transitional government of Jacobins (and thus the French). On 12 May, Ludovico Manin ,
8010-648: Was kept at Venice. The behaviour of the Venetian government also provoked the displeasure and censure of the other European courts. In 1795, with the Constitution of Year III , France put an end to the turmoils of the Reign of Terror , and installed the more conservative regime of the Directory . For 1796, the Directory ordered the launching of a grand double-pronged offensive against the First Coalition:
8100-404: Was made to consolidate and rationalize the territorial subdivisions of the country. Sometimes, a frazione represents a former comune that was believed to be no longer viable. Until 2000, the central government established the frazioni and defined their borders, except in the case of the five autonomous regions (see regions of Italy ), where this was controlled at the regional level. By
#637362