2 eric r. dursteler
composed primarily in Latin, with several notable french exceptions, and
had been largely apologetic in character.2
The Quattrocento marked the start of significant changes in venetian
historiography, as part of wider european trends, shifting away from the
chronicle tradition toward histories influenced by the rise of humanism.
florence was the leader in this, but venice followed very closely. The
result was an increased number of narrative histories based on a more
critical reading of sources and slightly more objective interpretations, all
composed, once again, in polished Latin prose.3
During the 15th century, several noted intellectual figures of the day
tried their hand at writing the history of venice, at the instigation of vene-
tian patricians and government officials. Among these were Pier Paolo
vergerio and flavio Biondo, who produced brief or incomplete works.
More significant was the work of Lorenzo de Monacis, a venetian notary
and mid-level official in the first half of the 15th century, who was one
of the first to approach venice’s history in this new style. His Oratio de
edificatione e incremento urbis Venete (1421) and De gestis, moribus et
nobilitate civitatis Venetiarum (1421–28) were apologetic in character and
exhibited an uncritical, chronicle-like credulity in the miraculous. How-
ever, in addition to regurgitating medieval chronicles, de Monacis relied
on documentary sources, possibly even Greek ones, and broke with the
chronological approach of the chronicle tradition in favor of a more topi-
cal treatment.4
from the earliest chronicles, venice’s rulers had displayed great inter-
est in the production of historical accounts of the city. “Official” histories
were most often composed by members of the city’s elite who were given
access to its archival records. Thus venetian histories were written with
an eye to articulating and defending the city’s interests, though in this
venice differed little from other Italian cities of the period. This tradi-
tion of official historians became more formalized in the late 15th century.
Marc’ Antonio Coccio (1436–1506), called Sabellico, was a professor of rhet-
oric at Padua and had filled minor official roles. Appointed as a lecturer
at the school of San Marco, in 15 short months he produced his Rerum
Venetarum ab urbe condita libri XXXIII, published in 1487, which, as the
2 Antonio Carile, “La cronachistica veneziana nei secoli XIII e XIv,” in Pertusi, ed.,
La storiografia veneziana fino al secolo xvi: Aspetti e problemi, p. 83.
3 Agostino Pertusi, “Gli inizi della storiografia umanistica nel Quattrocento,” in Pertusi,
ed., La storiografia veneziana fino al secolo xvi: Aspetti e problemi, p. 269.
4 Pertusi, “Gli inizi della storiografia umanistica nel Quattrocento,” pp. 278–82.