384 cecilia cristellon and silvana seidel menchi
Based on an old privilege newly confirmed by the papacy, Venetian par-
ish priests were elected by the heads of the families in a given parish. in
the case of collegial churches, as recognized in a bull of Pope Clement Vii
(1526), the choice of the priest belonged to the chapter who elected one
of its own. The patriarch’s role consisted in giving his confirmation to the
elected candidate via an eventual examination to certify the nominee’s
cultural suitability. While this confirmation was at times denied, if a candi-
date were held in particular esteem by his parishioners, such an act could
give rise to unrest; and if the candidate enjoyed protection from on high,
his backers might even be induced to appeal to the papal nuncio, even
running the risk of increasing Roman control over the Venetian Church
and losing time-honored privileges, as well as infringing a decree of the
senate which, following a bull of Pope Pius iV, had prohibited any appeals
to those whose were denied confirmation, even to the nuncio himself.10
ever since the 12th century, the secular clergy had been organized in
congregations, nine in all since the end of the 13th century, that were also
open to laymen. each congregation was linked to a church and headed
by an archpriest or preposito assisted by deacons. Their objectives were
the cultivation of common prayer, both spiritual and material mutual
assistance, and the organization of respectable burials and masses for
their deceased confreres. The nine congregations regarded themselves as
exempt from patriarchal authority, although it might be called upon to
act as judge in disputes.11
- Reform Movements and New Religious Orders (15th and 16th Centuries)
The process of institutional rationalization formalized in the foundation
of the patriarchy of Venice, discussed above, was preceded and accom-
panied by elements of religious reform thanks to the inspiration of emi-
nent reforming figures such as ludovico Barbo, gabriele Condulmier
(later Pope eugenius iV), and lorenzo giustiniani, a certain renewal of
monastic life via a return to observance of the Rule, the promotion of
one to the canons of san salvatore: but the subdivision in roughly 70 parishes, mostly
collegial, was a constant from the 13th century to the 14th. see silvio Tramontin, “la dio-
cesi nelle relazioni dei patriarchi alla santa sede,” in Bertoli, ed., La Chiesa di Venezia nel
Seicento, pp. 55–90.
10 Cozzi, “Note su giovanni Tiepolo,” pp. 134–47.
11 Bianca Betto, Le nove congregazioni del clero. Ricerche storiche, matricole e documenti
vari (Padua, 1984); Bianca Betto, “la Chiesa ducale,” in Bertoli, ed., La Chiesa di Venezia
nel Seicento, pp. 125–71.