464 benjamin ravid
crete, who spent a few years in Venice before moving on to spain. Venice
continued to serve as a center of Hellenic studies as it published classical
Greek texts, including patristic literature, liturgical works, brevaries, and
books of other genres not only for the Greeks of italy but also those living
under ottoman rule. indeed, it has been estimated that around half of all
the Greek books printed in the 17th century were published in Venice.40
the Greeks differed somewhat from the previously discussed minori-
ties, with the exception of the armenians, in that most belonged not to
the dominant roman catholic church but, rather, to the Greek ortho-
dox (Byzantine) faith. in the early 15th century, the Venetians had forbid-
den Greek clerics to lead services anywhere in Venice, even in private
houses, in accordance with those rites. However, after the reconciliation
between Western Latin catholicism and the eastern Byzantine church at
the council of Florence in 1439, the Venetian government became more
tolerant and gradually permitted the Greek rite to be celebrated in certain
churches.41
in 1456, with the influx of Greeks into Venice following the fall of con-
stantinople to the ottoman turks, in response to the request of cardinal
isidore, the Metropolitan (diocesian head) of Kiev, the senate authorized
the Greeks either to select an existing church or to build a new one in
which to pray according to their orthodox rite, but apparently nothing
was done. then in 1470, the council of ten determined that no services
could be held according to the Greek rites except in the church of san
Biaggio in castello as previously, subject to a fine of 100 lire on the cleric
involved and 50 lire on each person attending.42 subsequently, when in
1479 the Greeks requested permission to build a church of their own,
the council, deeming it undesirable for political reasons to allow around
600 people to assemble together, advised them to attend the catholic
churches in the city. in 1498, the Greeks requested permission to establish
a scuola dedicated to st. nicholas in the church of san Biagio. in support,
they cited their loyal devotion to Venice on land and at sea, especially
in the conquest of dalmatia, and also the precedents of scuole granted
to the slavs, albanians, and other nations. the council of ten granted
their request but did not allow the scuola to have more than 250 male
members, although all women who wished to enter could be admitted.43
40 see Fedalto, “stranieri a Venezia e a Padova,” p. 258.
41 see thiriet, “sur les communautés grecque et albanaise à Venise,” pp. 223–24.
42 see chambers and Pullan, eds., Venice: A Documentary History, p. 333.
43 see chambers and Pullan, eds., Venice: A Documentary History, pp. 333–34.