History - Venice and the Veneto - page 542

VENETIANS WHO CHANGED HISTORY
Doge Marin Falier (1285-1355)
Claim to fame The hot-headed doge was in power for eight months. After a Venetian courtier apparently made a
joke at his expense, the doge plotted to overthrow Venice's noble council. Details leaked out and he was arrested
and beheaded within the hour.
Legacy In the Palazzo Ducale's Sala del Maggior Consiglio, Doge Falier's portrait is blacked out, and his sarco-
phagus was emptied and used as a washbasin in Venice's public hospital. The thwarted coup justified consolida-
tion of power by Venice's security service, the Consiglio dei Dieci, which encouraged Venetians to spy on their
neighbours.
Paolo Sarpi (1552-1623)
Claim to fame When the Pope excommunicated the republic of Venice in 1606 for ignoring Rome's rulings, Ser-
vite monk Paolo Sarpi defended Venice's 'God-given' right to govern its people. Under Sarpi's direction, Venice
ordered churches to ignore the excommunication, and Venetian religious orders that failed to hold Mass were
closed and had their property seized. The excommunication was lifted a year later.
Legacy Six months after Rome recanted, five would-be assassins stabbed Sarpi in Campo Santa Fosca and fled to
papal territories. Sarpi survived, writing legal and scientific tracts for 13 more years. Venice raised a monument in
Sarpi's honour on the site of the attempted assassination in Cannaregio.
Daniele Manin (1804-57)
Claim to fame After suggesting reforms to Austrian rulers, this young Venetian lawyer was arrested for treason.
On 22 March 1848, fellow Venetians rescued him from jail to lead an insurrection. Manin was declared president
of Venice, and for 17 months the republic survived Austrian bombardment, starvation and cholera. Manin negoti-
ated favourable terms for surrender, with amnesty granted to all Venetians except himself.
Legacy Manin was exiled to France, where he agitated for an independent Italy. Manin did not live to see his
dream fulfilled, but in 1868 his remains were returned to Venice for a state funeral. Today, Via Lunga XXII Mar-
zo (22 March St) commemorates the Venice uprising.