Wheeler, Joseph Russell (1995) The sestiere of San Polo : a cross section of Venetian society in the second half of the fifteenth century. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis seeks to add to our understanding of Venetian
society in the latter half of the fifteenth century by
offering a new approach: an in-depth study of one of
Venice's six districts (sestier1). My researches
concentrated on the sestiere of San Polo, which embraced
the Rialto. My intention in narrowing the focus of analysis
is to reveal a cross-section of society. Fundamental to this
inquiry is to discover the identity of this sestiere; to
explore its little known social profile, trades and
solidarities and to sharpen the images of its urban fabric.
At the same time, it is an investigation into the
significance and role of neighbourhood and local loyalties
in Renaissance Venice. The opening chapter discusses the
changing topography of San Polo and its definition over the
following three centuries. Boundaries were blurred; parish
disputes document how and why they were changed. Chapter Two
introduces the three social orders recognised by
contemporaries (patriciate, citizenry and artisans), tracing
the sharpening of hierarchy, the growing cohesion of the
cittadini originarii and the emergence of poorer
neighbourhoods towards the city's margins. Chapter Three
investigates noble and cittadini families in San Polo,
through a number of detailed case studies. A complex and
varied picture emerged, in which family structures and
residential patterns amongst the nobility did not conform to
rigid models. Chapter Four attempts to flesh out a
collective portrait of the "little people", beginning with
Rialto. Chapters Five and Six discuss property; initially
through a massive survey after the Rialto fire (1514);
Quattrocento sources are then used to examine property at
Rialto, domestic housing, building activity and renting. The
final chapter deals with neighbourhood, concluding that the
sestiere was not an effective social unit and that local
loyalties formed part of complex and changing webs of
allegiance.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DG Italy
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	San Polo (Venice, Italy) -- History -- 15th century, San Polo (Venice, Italy) -- Social conditions -- 15th century, San Polo (Venice, Italy) -- Social life and customs -- 15th century
Official Date:	January 1995
Dates:	Date Event January 1995 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Extent:	iv, 263 leaves
Language:	eng

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