From Damascus to Venice: How the Islamic World Influenced Medieval Venetian Culture
Venetian History and Reputation
Venice is a city that is characterised by its beautifully distinct architecture and canals. It’s a city which can be explored without leaving the comforts of a gondola (rowing boat).
However, alongside its unique geography, it also has a very rich trading history.
Venice, located in north east Italy, was a major maritime power at the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th and 15th Centuries.
Due to its location, it was a hub for commerce in Medieval Europe, with valuable commodities from the East consistently passing through the city. It became the gateway for trade between Western Europe and the Islamic world.
The wealth Venetians obtained through this would allow them to pioneer the Renaissance era which many of us are aware of today.
However, their interactions with the Middle East was a point of contention for some of the ruling powers in Europe.
Allyship with The Byzantine Empire
Throughout the 10th and 11th Centuries, Venice had a strong political relationship with the Byzantine Empire (who were also Orthodox Christians).
The strength of the relationship was reflected in the trading privileges given to Venetian merchants by the emperor; these placed them in advantageous positions over traders from other Western European cities.
However, the once powerful Byzantine Empire began to weaken, and would eventually give way to another power arising from the Middle East: the Islamic Caliphates of the Abbasid Empire, who were followed by the Ottomans.
All About Business
The Islamic World at the height of its Golden Age, between the 10th and 14th Centuries caused problems for the Christian Led rule in Europe. The Church sought to stop the expansion of the Muslim states by initiating the now infamous Crusades.
Tensions between the Middle East and Europe were high due to the combative nature of the Crusades. So much so, that the Pope imposed an official ban on trading with the Islamic World between 1320-1343CE.
However, despite the animosity between Europe and the East, Venice did not follow the Pope’s embargo.
Instead, the Venetian merchants saw the opportunity in engaging with the Islamic World which was in the midst of a boom in culture, arts and science.
Therefore, seeing the potential in opportunities, Venice restarted trade with Islamic powers including the Mamluks in Egypt, and the Seljuks in modern-day Anatolia.
The decision to engage with the Muslims proved to be extremely economically beneficial for Venice as the merchants imported valuable goods including spices, raw cotton, and luxury carpets.
Commercial and Cultural Exchange
The commercial exchange with the Middle East not only helped Venice to become one of the wealthiest regions in Europe, it also exposed the Venetians to different styles of art and architecture.
The iconic Doge’s Palace, a staple landmark in Venice, is a notable example of the influence from the Islamic world.
The pointed and trefoil arches used are very similar to the design of minarets from mosques found in the Middle East, including the Great Mosque of Aleppo. This particular style/structure, which was popularised by Venice, spread across Europe and would be dubbed ‘Gothic’ architecture’.
The Islamic World even had a subtle influence in language as some Arabic words merged with parts of Venetian dialect; this can be seen in the name of the ‘Fondaco dei Tedeschi’ (a historical building in Venice). The term ‘fondaco’ derives from the Arabic ‘funduc’, meaning inns/hotels for travelling merchants.
So, if you travel to Venice, you will be able to see remnants of a complicated relationship between Europe and the Middle East centuries ago. These were entities that held very opposing values, yet they saw the economic, social and cultural benefits of interacting with one another.