the terraferma state 99
other raw materials for ship-building. In other ways, economic policy
remained laissez-faire, and distances, logistics, and political muscle did
not allow Venice to exercise serious constraint on the central and western
mainland’s cities long-distance trade flows and business links, so that no
integrated economic region emerged and there was little specialization
of roles or hierarchical dependence on Venice. Each city jurisdiction basi-
cally maintained rules and tax tariffs protecting local trading circuits and
manufacturing, also guaranteeing its Venetian exchequer’s revenue. Such
protection included control over the movement of locally produced food-
stuffs, though with exceptions for the areas near Venice.26
Ecclesiastical policy extended to the mainland the identification of the
Republic’s destiny and authority with divine favor, represented especially
via St Mark and the Republic’s attention to the church’s well-being and
efficacy.27 Policy could include supporting projects of a primarily spiritual
character but had immediate and strong political and/or material conno-
tations where churchmen, their benefices, and property were concerned,
extending to the terraferma contentious issues already open between Ven-
ice and the Roman Curia. This meant limiting Church courts’ competence
and protecting but also taxing Church property, and seeking to influence
the assignment of benefices (whose revenues statewide were reckoned to
total about 240,000 ducats per annum in the mid-15th century), especially
via regular Senate designations for mainland bishoprics. These latter were
considered to need safe nominees—where possible Venetian patricians—
to guarantee good use of their spiritual authority, as a back-up to secular
patrician governors.
Shifting Balances c.1509–1630a. A Change of Venetian Perspective
Changes in government practice and political relationships altered the
balance both among components of terraferma society and between them
and Venetian authority. For the 15th century there has been debate over
whether and how consciously Venetian authority, especially in the capital,
26 Silvana Collodo, “Il sistema annonario delle città venete: da pubblica utilità a servizio
sociale (secoli XIII–XVI),” in Centro italiano di studi di storia, e d’arte, ed Città e servizi
sociali nell’Italia dei secoli XII–XV (Pistoia, 1990), pp. 383–415.
27 Del Torre, “Stato regionale e benefici ecclesiastici.”