Rural Private Defenses in the Venetian Stato da Mar

Abstract

[EN] The paper will investigate the fortifications erected by private entities in rural areas throughout the Stato da Mar territories of the Republic of Venice. While the state structures are definitely more studied, the private Venetian defenses of the territory are mostly ignored from a comparative discussion encompassing a larger area. The defenses constructed by the noble families differ in type and layout, depending on their location and destination: there are inland tower houses in Crete designed to control the territory against native uprisings, and there are seaside castles in Dalmatia that are also considering naval raids. We will analyze these private Venetian defenses in their variety and importance for their regions and the Republic.