Society, Administration And Identities In Latin Greece 139
in the running of charitable establishments, while some of their members
were integrated into Orthodox brotherhoods. The year 1613 saw the institution,
modelled upon the Venetian prototype, of the “proof of citizenship” (prova di
cittadinanza) based on civic criteria and having the aim of providing access to
posts in the local government.34
Towards the end of the 18th century, the civili of Corfu set about to form a
special council to represent their social group. This effort was, however, stifled
due to the violent reaction of the nobility of the island, though it did neverthe-
less trigger the eruption of new social conflicts.
Lastly, the socially inferior but more numerous segment of the city popula-
tion was made up of the “populace” (popolo, plebe), who were Greek-Orthodox
almost in their entirety. While some of its members were able to occupy cer-
tain positions of the lower grades of civil service, the majority of them were
engaged in manual crafts, a factor which excluded them from the nobles’
councils. From the 15th century and thereafter, certain professional domains
acquired the right of incorporation within the guilds. In just a very small num-
ber of cases, members of the popolo took part in delegations of the nobles/
feudatories. It is also noteworthy that in Nicosia there came into being what
was known as the consiglio del popolo menudo (People’s Council).35
The social structure of the Venetian-ruled Greek lands maintained a striking
degree of uniformity and stability, which, nevertheless, was dependent upon
a delicate balancing act that was perpetually in jeopardy. This situation is viv-
idly illustrated by the account provided by the provveditore general Zuanne
Mocenigo of 16th century Crete. According to his testimony, the Venetian
nobles were thoroughly detested by the Greek nobles, who, in turn, were deeply
distrusted by the other town-dwellers, while the rural populations harboured
nothing but hostility towards the remainder of the social strata.36
34 Aspasia Papadaki, “Αποδείξεις αστικής ιδιότητας στην Κρήτη το 17o αιώνα (prove di cit-
tadinanza)” [“Proof of Citizenship in 17th-Century Crete (prove di cittadinanza)”], in
Πεπραγμένα του Ζ ́ Διεθνούς Κρητολογικού Συνεδρίου [Proceedings of the Eighth International
Cretological Congress], ed. Nikolaos E. Papadogiannakis, 6 vols. (Rethymnon, 1995),
2.2:619–34.
35 Angeliki Panopoulou, Συντεχνίες και θρησκευτικές αδελφότητες στη βενετοκρατούμενη Κρήτη
[Guilds and Confraternities in Venetian Crete] (Αthens, 2012); Konstantinos Dokos, “Οι
κοινότητες των λαϊκών τάξεων στη βενετοκρατούμενη Κύπρο” [“The Communities of the
Lower Strata in Venetian Cyprus”], in Πλούσιοι και φτωχοί στην κοινωνία της ελληνολατινικής
Ανατολής, Διεθνές Συμπόσιο [Rich and Poor in the Society of the Greco-Latin East; International
Symposium] ed. Chryssa Α. Μaltezou (Venice, 1998), pp. 387–94.
36 Spanakis, Μνημεία Κρητικής Ιστορίας, 1:26–28.