Most Serene Kingdom of Venice

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Most Serene Kingdom of Venice
Serenissimo Regno di Venezia
Flag of Kingdom of Venice
Flag
Coat of arms of Kingdom of Venice
Coat of arms
Motto: "Pax tibi Marce, Evangelista meus"
Anthem: Inno a San Marco
Most Serene Kingdom of Venice
Most Serene Kingdom of Venice
Capital
and largest city
Venice
Official languagesItalian, Venetian
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Demonym(s)Venetian(s)
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy
Marco I
Sebastiano Romagna
LegislatureMajor Council of Venice
• Upper house
Signoria (Serene House)
• Lower house
Arengo (Common House)
Establishment
• Unification under the Francesconi dynasty
25 April 697
• Annexation to the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy
17 October 1797
• Independence restored
4 November 1861
• Constitution adopted
15 November 1861
• Current constitution
15 November 2001
Area
• Total
26,405.91 km2 (10,195.38 sq mi)
• Water (%)
irrelevant
Population
• 08-30-2020 census
9,143,659 (21st)
• Density
346.27/km2 (896.8/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)estimate
• Total
$1.2 trillion (22nd)
• Per capita
$103'311 (2nd)
GDP (nominal)estimate
• Total
$741.944 billion (19th)
• Per capita
$81'143 (2nd)
CurrencyEuro (€) (EUR)
Time zoneUTC+1 (Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+2 (Central European Summer Time)
Date formatdd ˘ mm ˘ yyyy
Driving sideright
Calling code+0016
ISO 3166 codeVE
Internet TLD.ve

Kingdom of Venice (Italian: Regno di Venezia), officially the Most Serene Kingdom of Venice (Italian: Serenissimo Regno di Venezia), is a unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy located in the southern part of the European continent. The country can be considered an "enclave" of the Italian Republic, it borders with Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. With a population of 9'143'659 inhabitants, it ranks 21st among the most populous countries in Europe. The capital, Venice, is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, if not the most beautiful, and during the period of the Ottoman Empire (and before the Byzantine Empire) the main center of exchange and trade between the East and the West, making it an extremely rich city populated by different ethnic groups. Currently the Kingdom of Venice includes the metropolitan city of Venice and the entire former Italian regions of Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. After a brief interlude as part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, it returned to be an independent kingdom continuing to be led by the Francesconi dynasty. With a nominal GDP of $741.944 billion, it ranks 19th in the world rankings.

History

Ancient history

Already inhabited in prehistoric times, at first settlement of the Euganei, it was occupied by the people of the "Veneti", according to legend, originating from Anatolia, today Turkey. The Anatolian origin of the Venetians is not accepted by everyone and is still the subject of discussion today. Some historians believe that the origins of this people can be traced back to Brittany and Spain. In Roman times, the Venetians and the Romans were allies. The alliance between these two peoples against the Insubri, the Boi and the Gesati guaranteed to Rome a contingent of 20,000 men. Julius Caesar was the first who in 49 BC granted full Roman citizenship to the Venetian people. According to tradition, it was Mark the Evangelist who brought Christianity to the Venetian territory, probably coming from Cyprus.

Medieval Times

The barbarian invasions and the fall of the Western Empire

In 168-169 A.D. the first invasions by the Germans took place. It was after the 5th century that the invasions became more devastating, until, in 493, the Ostrogoths established their kingdom over Italy. The territories that today are part of the Kingdom where called "Trivenetia".

Byzantines and Lombards

The Ostrogothic domination ended in the 6th century with the invasion by the Byzantine troops. In 568 a devastating Lombard invasion took place. The Trivenetian territory was in a zone of separation that caused instability, especially in the religious field. In that period the trade of fish in salt or oil, spices, fabrics and metals developed. One of the most powerful and richest families in Venice was the Francesconi family, who in 697 bought the entire Trivenetian territory, taking it away from the Lombards and proclaiming the Kingdom of Venice.

The birth of the Kingdom

In 697 the very rich Francesconi family bought all the Venetian lands in possession of the Lombards and proclaimed the Kingdom of Venice. This event is known as "the Unification of the Kingdom of San Marco". Paolo Lucio Francesconi was appointed King (then called Doge) under the name of Paolo I. In 900 a series of attacks followed by the Hungarians, who wanted to overthrow the King and take over Venice, unfolded. The Kingdom withstood the attacks very well also thanks to its effective figure of, according to historical evidence, more than 60,000 men. In 1027 the Doge Pietro III called an assembly where it was decided that the title of Doge would be changed to that of King. The title of "Doge of Venice" is still used in the ceremonial context.

Modern era

Annexation to the Napoleonic kingdom of Italy (1797)

At the beginning of October 1797, the Napoleonic troops who had invaded Italy knocked on the doors of the Kingdom of Venice. On 15 October the Army of the Serenissima repelled with difficulty an incursion by French troops, suffering heavy losses of men. On the morning of October 17, King Ludovico I issued a Royal Decree with which he sanctioned the dissolution of the Maggior Consiglio and the Army Command. In the afternoon the King and the royal family left Venice, taking refuge in Austria and the French troops declared Venice their protectorate. Following the abdication of Ludovico I, Napoleone I was appointed King in exile of Venice (the name was ordered by Napoleone Bonaparte himself).

Restoring of the monarchy (1861)

In September 1861 the Savoy dynasty was waging a war to expel the French from Italian territory and take it over (the war was also aimed at driving out the Bourbons from southern Italy). On 31 October 1861 the Savoy army launched an offensive on the Veneto borders and, seeing the clear difficulties of the French troops in resisting, the Francesconi family began to organize a repatriation to Italy. On 2 November the French army was defeated and the Veneto freed from the Napoleonic occupation. The exiled King Carlo III returned to Venice and, to great popular acclamation, invited the Venetians not to recognize the Savoy as their legitimate sovereigns. The protest was successful and on 4 November 1861, after almost 50 years of exile, the Francesconi family returned to being the reigning royal family of the Kingdom of Venice.

First and second World War

During the First World War the Kingdom of Venice was subject to an intense immigration of Austrians and Slavs. However, the kingdom did not take part in the First World War in any way. When Benito Mussolini declared Italy's entry into the war, the kingdom declared its neutrality, however it lent soldiers to the Italian army and sent multiple heavily armed troops into the sea and to defend the mountain borders. King Giuseppe I never took a position on the regime of Mussolini and that of Hitler, although after the end of the war he expressed closeness to the fallen of the allies. The kingdom was bombed in 1944 in Vicenza. The bombs were allegedly dropped by mistake by the Soviet Union. There were 421 dead and more than 300 injured. Giuseppe I declared that, in the absence of proven guilty, the kingdom would not carry out military actions of any kind.

After the war

The years that followed the war were not terrible in the Kingdom of Venice. The country found itself helping neighboring countries (mainly Italy, Austria and Croatia) by sending medical personnel, workers and money. It could almost be said that these were the best years for the kingdom, as under the rule of King Giampaolo I the kingdom was able to build the foundation for what it is today. In the 70s it was the European country with the highest GDP, after England. In 1990, a terrorist attack perpetrated by Al-Qaeda left 34 dead and 50 injured. The attack was carried out in the national museum and semi-automatic rifles and high-caliber pistols were used. To date, it is the only terrorist attack ever occurred on the territory of the kingdom. The country has 129 troops present in Iraq and Syria and cooperates with the UN to help UN soldiers.

Situation in the Balkans

During the war in Yugoslavia, the Kingdom's position remained largely impartial. Due to the proximity to the war zone and the fear that Yugoslav terrorists would penetrate the territories of the Kingdom, some armed troops were sent to the border with Slovenia. King Giampaolo I, by royal decree, prohibited entry to anyone coming from those areas as an additional security measure. The decree was repealed on 2 September 2002.

The birth of Saint Marc (2003)

On March 14, 2003, King Giampaolo I, after 38 years of reign, abdicated in favor of his eldest son, Prince Giuseppe (who became King Giuseppe II). Meanwhile, the pregnancy of the second daughter, Princess Natalia, is announced. Although King Giuseppe II was married, he had no heirs so Princess Natalia's son would become King. On December 16, 2003, Prince Marco was born in Sorengo in Switzerland. When the news of the attribution of the name of the patron saint of the Kingdom reaches King Giuseppe II, he decides that at the moment of the 16th birthday of Prince Marco he would have abdicated in his favor.

Venice floodings (2019)

In the night between 11 and 12 November 2019, about 187 centimeters of rain hit the Serenissima, causing a very serious flood. The level of the lagoon has reached an all-time high and damages of about 500 million euros have been caused. Due to this tragedy (where 16 people died) the government decided to start the construction of artificial banks of the lagoon, a project called "Mose". The project was completed exactly 1 year later and went into operation for the first historic time on December 3 of the same year.

COVID-19 pandemic

The first case of COVID-19 in the Kingdom was registered on 4 March 2020. The virus spread very quickly, infecting nearly 400,000 people. Due to poor pandemic management skills, the health minister and prime minister resigned, plunging the kingdom into a state of national emergency. On 1 June 2020, King Marco I appointed Sebastiano Romagna as Prime Minister for an indefinite period. A total of 34,000 people died as a result of the pandemic.

Geography

Physical geography

The Kingdom of Venice includes many different natural landscapes: the coastal strip overlooking the Adriatic Sea, the Veneto-Friuli plain that rises in the reliefs of the Euganean Hills and the Berici Hills, up to the northernmost part where most of the of the Dolomites. The entire surface, equal to 26,405.91 square kilometers, is divided into: flat landscape (~60%) , mountainous landscape (~30%) and hilly (~10%). The northernmost point is Cima Vanscuro, on the border with Austria, and the southernmost point is the Punta di Bacucco. The land borders are identified by hydrographic elements (such as the rivers of the Po, Tagliamento and Livenza), but also by orographic elements (such as the Asiago plateau and Mount Baldo). The Piave river basin is almost entirely enclosed within the borders of the nation. The highest peak in the country is the Ortles (3,905 meters) located in the Province of Bolzano.

Climate

The Kingdom of Venice encompasses all European climates in a few square kilometers of surface. Starting from the cold climate of the Dolomites to the Mediterranean climate of the Adriatic coast. Thanks to its size, Lake Garda manages to create and maintain a micro-climate throughout the year in a stable way.

Politics

Overview

The Kingdom of Venice is a semi-constitutional parliamentary unitary monarchy. Executive power is entrusted to the King, as part of the legislative and judicial power. The legislature is dealt with by the Great Council of Venice, divided into two chambers: the Signoria and the Arengo. The other constituents of the government are: the Senate, the General Assembly, the Supreme Defense Council and the Council of Ministers.

The Constitution of the Most Serene Kingdom of Venice

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Venice is the main regulator and moderator of the executive power and of the law. It was promulgated on November 15, 1861, signed by King Carlo III and by the prime minister Giulio Sacrabotta. It is divided into 139 articles which were decided by a provisional Constitutional Court established on November 5, 1861 which members were chosen by a quick democratic vote. The Kingdom of Venice has no Constitutional Court as it is up to the Senate to ensure the constitutionality of the work of the legislature and of some decisions in the executive sphere. On January 1, 2001, King Giampaolo I announced that during the year he would set up a provisional Constitutional Court in order to "refresh" the constitutional charter. On November 15, 2001, coinciding with the 140th anniversary of the Constitution, the provisional court dissolved and announced the new Constitution. The first article of the Constitution reads: "The Most Serene Kingdom of Venice is a semi-constitutional monarchy, founded on work, mutual respect, the laws and the Royal Family. Sovereignty belongs to the Royal Family which exercises it in the good and interest of the Venetian people."

The Council of Ministers

The Council of Ministers embodies the fundamental part of government. It is composed of the so-called "basic government" or fundamental ministries, or functions without which the government cannot exist, and the secondary ministries. Each minister is assigned a department that he will have to manage. He will be able to make legislative and executive decisions, always within the limits imposed by the Constitution and the law. It is chaired by the Prime Minister (elected by the people, except in exceptional cases), who has the task of appointing ministers and supervising their work. The Prime Minister is also able to reject or postpone actions carried out by his ministers and may, in particular cases, decide to take the lead of a department while still maintaining the position of Prime Minister.

Departments

Fundamental ministries:

Secondary ministries:

The Prime Minister

List of Prime Ministers of the Most Serene Kingdom of Venice

The Prime Minister is the Head of Government and is elected by the people through a democratic vote and remains in office for 7 years (re-eligible twice, not in succession). In cases of government crisis, national emergency or state of war, the King can appoint a Prime Minister and decide how long to leave him in office. The office of Prime Minister has existed since November 15, 1861, and its first holder was Alcebiade Rizzato. The current holder in office is Sebastiano Romagna since 1 June 2020. During the government crisis resulting from the resignation of the health minister Emanuele Barzotto, which occurred due to the poor management of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of the Prime Minister Giulio Cudicini, the King Marco I appointed Sebastiano Romagna giving him unlimited office until his personal resignation.

Powers

The Prime Minister in charge can and needs to:

  • appoint and remove ministers. For the removal and appointment of them he must first obtain permission from the King.
  • directing national security control operations, directing the work of the Secret Service.
  • represent the State and national unity abroad in substitute for the King.
  • provide detailed reports on the ministerial work to the King.
  • defend the Kingdom of Venice in the legal field and attend any hearings against the state.
  • maintain political impartiality throughout the term of office, not participate in democratic votes and not be able to expose himself politically to the media.

The Most Serene King of Venice

List of Most Serene Kings of Venice

The Most Serene King of Venice is the Head of State. It exercises its sovereignty, out of constitutional duty, for the good and in the interest of the people. Rises to office by inheritance, or in the absence of direct heirs, by election via the Grand Council. He represents the state and national unity in the world and in the country.

Powers

The King can and needs to:

  • granting the grace and commuting penalties.
  • call democratic popular votes.
  • approve or reject with immediate effect decisions taken by any government assembly (Senate, Major Council, Council of Ministers).
  • request and propose changes to the Constitution or the law.
  • execute the law.
  • appoint or dismiss the Prime Minister, the members of the "base government", the head of the Secret Service, the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Judge of the Supreme Court.
  • convene the General Assembly or the Supreme Defense Council.
  • declare a state of war.
  • proclaim the national emergency.

The Senate of the Kingdom

The Senate is made up of 200 temporary members appointed by the Major Council (50), its spokesperson (5), the Prime Minister (10) and the King (135). Their tenure lasts 7 years. There are also 35 senators for life. They are appointed exclusively by the King. Former Kings and former Prime Ministers are by right senators for life. The Senate has the task of overseeing the constitutionality of the ministerial work and may, in the event of a proven violation of the Constitution, request the removal with immediate effect of a minister from the King or the Prime Minister. The Senate also has the task of expressing itself on the decisions and proposals of the Major Council.

The Major Council of the Kingdom of Venice

The Major Council of the Kingdom of Venice is the main regulator of the executive power besides the Constitution. It is made up of 600 members with a five-year term. Its members belong to the parties elected by the people in democratic elections. The "Signoria" is made up of 400 members who have already had political experiences, while the "Arengo" (200 members) from those who are new to political experience. The majority party in the elections gets 301 seats and is the one who guides the decisions and assemblies of the Major Council. The political leader of the majority party becomes spokesman for the Major Council. Its main task is to discuss the decisions taken by the King and the Ministers if they are of doubtful practicability. By means of a plenary vote, the Major Council can decree whether or not it opposes the decision or action examined. In case of opposition, the King will be called to express his opinion and, if it is opposite to that expressed by the Major Council, the final decision will be up to the people by vote.

Administrative Divisions

The Kingdom of Venice is divided into 13 provinces:

In the metropolitan district of Venice Capital:

  • Province of Rovigo
    The main district: the metropolitan district of Venice Capital ("Venezia Capitale")
  • Province of Padova
  • Province of Verona
  • Province of Vicenza
  • Province of Venice + the metropolitan city of Venice, the capital
  • Province of Treviso
  • Province of Belluno

In the district of Trento-Bolzano:

  • Province of Trento
  • Province of Bolzano

In the district of Trieste-Istria:

  • Province of Pordenone
  • Province of Udine
  • Province of Gorizia
  • Province of Trieste

The provinces are divided into municipalities. The provinces are administered by an official appointed by the King, the Regent of the province. Municipalities are governed by mayors elected by the people.

Military and defense

The defense of the borders of the Kingdom is entrusted to the Army of the Kingdom of Venice. The city of Venice has its own army, the Army of the Serenissima. The contingent of the Kingdom's army has 30,000 men, while the army of the city of Venice has 697. Both armies are led by the Chief of Defense, appointed by the King.

Law enforcement

The State Police (Polizia di Stato) carries out the task of fighting crime throughout the territory. It is divided into border defense departments (Agenzia delle Dogane), fight against smuggling and illegal activities (Guardia di Finanza), road safety (Polizia Stradale), environmental defense (Guardia Forestale) and fight against terrorism and special operations (GATPI, or Gruppo Anti Terrorismo Pronto Impiego) .

Secret Service

The Secret Service is in charge of monitoring the country and its government. Their task at the national level is to monitor the subjects or organizations considered dangerous, to fight against organized crime and to deal with the anti-terrorism intelligence service. On the international level, however, they are concerned with ensuring that no country wants to undermine the safety of the Kingdom and they are concerned with helping their respective ones in other countries of the world. They are entrusted with the protection of the members of the government (ministers and Prime Minister) and the protection of the Royal Family. According to estimates, their contingent would be equal to about 2000 men in the territory and 250 abroad.

The Winged Lions

The Winged Lions are a guard body born in 927 on the orders of Orso II. They consist of 50 highly trained men who take care of the King's protection during official outings. They are also present in the Doge's Palace as additional protection.

Two Winged Lions in the streets of Venice

Law and Justice

In the Kingdom of Venice, each province has a provincial court charged with prosecuting crimes that are light or considered of low relevance. The most serious or important crimes are transmitted to the Royal Court of Venice. The Supreme Court is mandated to rule on extremely serious crimes, such as high treason or affiliation with organizations aimed against the state. The Supreme Court also presides over all the courts of the Kingdom and can commute sentences, just like the King can. In the Kingdom of Venice, the death penalty is foreseen only in the case of very serious crimes such as affiliation to dangerous organizations, attacks on the government, crimes of extreme violence and gravity. At the moment, executions are carried out by lethal injection or, in the case of convictions for crimes considered more severely punishable, by shooting. In 2019 the penal code received significant changes, all made by Marco I. The two most important changes are the reintroduction of the death penalty (abolished in 1989 by Giampaolo I) and the reintroduction of the guilt factor in divorce or separation processes ( abolished in 2008 by Giuseppe II).

Economy

The Kingdom's economy is characterized by very low unemployment rates (less than 4%). It is a well developed and solid economy, which has rarely experienced crises, even during the war, and breaking points. Over the years it has evolved a lot: at the beginning of the 20th century it was based on the trade of handicraft products and shipyards. Around the 1950s the first steel and petrochemical industries began to flourish. Today, the Venetian economy is very diversified even if the most profitable sector is always that of tourism and shipyards.

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