Wednesday, May 8, 2013 - Litany Lane Blog:
Endure, Psalms 148, Acts 17:15-18:1, John 16:12-15, Pope Francis Daily Homily - God loves us as a Father, St Magdalene of Canossa, Venice Italy, Catholic Catechism Part Two: THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH - Chapter 2 Sacraments of Healing Penance and Reconciliation Article 5:3 The Anointing of the Sick - How Is This Sacrament Celebrated?
Year of Faith - October 11, 2012 - November 24, 2013
P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Serenity Happens). It has a remarkable way of producing solace, peace, patience and tranquility and of course resolution...God's always available 24/7.
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have
flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge and free will,
make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in
Heaven. The Seven Gifts of
the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe (fear of the
Lord) , counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and piety (reverence) and shun
the seven Deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and
gluttony...Its your choice whether to embrace the Gifts of the Holy Spirit rising towards eternal light or succumb to the Seven deadly sins and lost to
eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and
survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes
from this earth to the Darkness, Purgatory or Heaven is our Soul...it's God's perpetual
gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...~ Zarya Parx 2013
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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Prayers for Today: Wednesday in Easter
Rosary - Glorious Mysteries
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
Pope Francis May 8 General Audience Address :
God loves us as a father
(2013-05-08 Vatican Radio)
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis held his weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday.
Please find below Vatican Radio's translation of the text:
Dear brothers and sisters, good day.
The season of Easter that we are living with joy, guided by the liturgy of the Church, is par excellence the time of the Holy Spirit, given to us "not by measure" (cf. John 3:34) by the crucified and risen Jesus. This time of grace ends with the feast of Pentecost, when the Church relives the outpouring of the Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles gathered in prayer in the Upper Room.
But who is the Holy Spirit? In the Creed we profess with faith: "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life." The first truth to which we adhere in the Creed is that the Holy Spirit is Kyrios, Lord. This means that He is truly God as are the Father and the Son, on our part object of the same act of worship and glorification that we direct to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit, in fact, is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity; the Holy Spirit is the great gift of the Risen Christ who opens our minds and our hearts to faith in Jesus as the Son sent by the Father, and who leads us to friendship, to communion with God
But I would like to focus on the fact that the Holy Spirit is the inexhaustible source of God's life in us. In all times and in all places man has yearned for a full and beautiful life, a just and good one, a life that is not threatened by death, but that can mature and grow to its fullest. Man is like a traveler who, crossing the deserts of life, has a thirst for living water, gushing and fresh, capable of quenching his deep desire for light, love, beauty and peace. We all feel this desire! And Jesus gives us this living water: it is the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and who Jesus pours into our hearts. Jesus tells us that "I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10, 10).
Jesus promised the Samaritan woman that he would donate an eternally abundant ‘"living water” to all those who recognize him as the Son sent by the Father to save us (John 4: 5-26; 3:17). Jesus came to give us this' "living water" that is the Holy Spirit, so that our life may be guided by God, may be animated by God, may be nourished by God. When we say that a Christian is a spiritual man, this is what we mean: a Christian is a person who thinks and acts according to God, according to the Holy Spirit. And do we believe in God? Do we act according to God? Or do we let ourselves be guided by so many other things that are not God?
At this point we can ask ourselves: how can this water quench our deep thirst? We know that water is essential for life; without water we die; it quenches our thirst, it cleanses, it renders the earth fertile. In the Epistle to the Romans we find this sentence: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (5:5). The '"living water," the Holy Spirit, the Gift of the Risen One who comes to dwell in us, cleanses us, enlightens us, renews us, transforms us because rendering us partakers of the very life of God who is Love. This is why the Apostle Paul says that the Christian's life is animated by the Spirit and by its fruits, which are "love, joy, peace, generosity, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal 5:22 -23). The Holy Spirit leads us to divine life as "children of the Only Son."
In another passage from the Letter to the Romans, which we have mentioned several times, St. Paul sums it up in these words: "All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. And you… have you received the Spirit who renders us adoptive children, and thanks to whom we cry out, "Abba! Father. “The Spirit itself, together with our own spirit, attests that we are children of God. And if we are His children, we are also His heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we take part in his suffering so we can participate in his glory "(8, 14-17). This is the precious gift that the Holy Spirit brings into our hearts: the very life of God, the life of true children, a relationship of familiarity, freedom and trust in the love and mercy of God, which as an effect has also a new vision of others, near and far, seen always as brothers and sisters in Jesus to be respected and loved. The Holy Spirit teaches us to look with the eyes of Christ, to live life as Christ lived, to understand life as Christ did. That's why the living water that is the Holy Spirit quenches our lives because it tells us that we are loved by God as His children, that we can love God as his children, and that by his grace we can live as children of God, as did Jesus. And us? Do we listen to the Holy Spirit who tells us: God loves you? Do we really love God and others as Jesus did?
Please find below Vatican Radio's translation of the text:
Dear brothers and sisters, good day.
The season of Easter that we are living with joy, guided by the liturgy of the Church, is par excellence the time of the Holy Spirit, given to us "not by measure" (cf. John 3:34) by the crucified and risen Jesus. This time of grace ends with the feast of Pentecost, when the Church relives the outpouring of the Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles gathered in prayer in the Upper Room.
But who is the Holy Spirit? In the Creed we profess with faith: "I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life." The first truth to which we adhere in the Creed is that the Holy Spirit is Kyrios, Lord. This means that He is truly God as are the Father and the Son, on our part object of the same act of worship and glorification that we direct to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit, in fact, is the third Person of the Blessed Trinity; the Holy Spirit is the great gift of the Risen Christ who opens our minds and our hearts to faith in Jesus as the Son sent by the Father, and who leads us to friendship, to communion with God
But I would like to focus on the fact that the Holy Spirit is the inexhaustible source of God's life in us. In all times and in all places man has yearned for a full and beautiful life, a just and good one, a life that is not threatened by death, but that can mature and grow to its fullest. Man is like a traveler who, crossing the deserts of life, has a thirst for living water, gushing and fresh, capable of quenching his deep desire for light, love, beauty and peace. We all feel this desire! And Jesus gives us this living water: it is the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and who Jesus pours into our hearts. Jesus tells us that "I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10, 10).
Jesus promised the Samaritan woman that he would donate an eternally abundant ‘"living water” to all those who recognize him as the Son sent by the Father to save us (John 4: 5-26; 3:17). Jesus came to give us this' "living water" that is the Holy Spirit, so that our life may be guided by God, may be animated by God, may be nourished by God. When we say that a Christian is a spiritual man, this is what we mean: a Christian is a person who thinks and acts according to God, according to the Holy Spirit. And do we believe in God? Do we act according to God? Or do we let ourselves be guided by so many other things that are not God?
At this point we can ask ourselves: how can this water quench our deep thirst? We know that water is essential for life; without water we die; it quenches our thirst, it cleanses, it renders the earth fertile. In the Epistle to the Romans we find this sentence: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (5:5). The '"living water," the Holy Spirit, the Gift of the Risen One who comes to dwell in us, cleanses us, enlightens us, renews us, transforms us because rendering us partakers of the very life of God who is Love. This is why the Apostle Paul says that the Christian's life is animated by the Spirit and by its fruits, which are "love, joy, peace, generosity, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal 5:22 -23). The Holy Spirit leads us to divine life as "children of the Only Son."
In another passage from the Letter to the Romans, which we have mentioned several times, St. Paul sums it up in these words: "All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. And you… have you received the Spirit who renders us adoptive children, and thanks to whom we cry out, "Abba! Father. “The Spirit itself, together with our own spirit, attests that we are children of God. And if we are His children, we are also His heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we take part in his suffering so we can participate in his glory "(8, 14-17). This is the precious gift that the Holy Spirit brings into our hearts: the very life of God, the life of true children, a relationship of familiarity, freedom and trust in the love and mercy of God, which as an effect has also a new vision of others, near and far, seen always as brothers and sisters in Jesus to be respected and loved. The Holy Spirit teaches us to look with the eyes of Christ, to live life as Christ lived, to understand life as Christ did. That's why the living water that is the Holy Spirit quenches our lives because it tells us that we are loved by God as His children, that we can love God as his children, and that by his grace we can live as children of God, as did Jesus. And us? Do we listen to the Holy Spirit who tells us: God loves you? Do we really love God and others as Jesus did?
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Liturgical Celebrations to be presided over by Pope: May
Vatican City, 3 April 2013 (VIS)
Following is the calendar of celebrations scheduled to be presided over by the Holy Father in the month May, 2013:
MAY
12 May, Sunday: 9:30am, Mass and canonizations of Blesseds Antonio Primaldo and Companions; Laura di Santa Caterina da Siena Montoya y Upegui; and Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala.
18 May, Saturday: 6:00pm, Pentecost Vigil in St. Peter's Square with the participation of ecclesial movements.
19 May, Pentecost Sunday: 10:00am, Mass in St. Peter's Square with the participation of ecclesial movements.
Following is the calendar of celebrations scheduled to be presided over by the Holy Father in the month May, 2013:
MAY
12 May, Sunday: 9:30am, Mass and canonizations of Blesseds Antonio Primaldo and Companions; Laura di Santa Caterina da Siena Montoya y Upegui; and Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala.
18 May, Saturday: 6:00pm, Pentecost Vigil in St. Peter's Square with the participation of ecclesial movements.
19 May, Pentecost Sunday: 10:00am, Mass in St. Peter's Square with the participation of ecclesial movements.
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 05/08/2013.
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May 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children; Anew, I am calling you to love and not to judge. My Son, according to the will of the Heavenly Father, was among you to show you the way of salvation, to save you and not to judge you. If you desire to follow my Son, you will not judge but love like your Heavenly Father loves you. And when it is the most difficult for you, when you are falling under the weight of the cross do not despair, do not judge, instead remember that you are loved and praise the Heavenly Father because of His love. My children, do not deviate from the way on which I am leading you. Do not recklessly walk into perdition. May prayer and fasting strengthen you so that you can live as the Heavenly Father would desire; that you may be my apostles of faith and love; that your life may bless those whom you meet; that you may be one with the Heavenly Father and my Son. My children, that is the only truth, the truth that leads to your conversion, and then to the conversion of all those whom you meet - those who have not come to know my Son - all those who do not know what it means to love. My children, my Son gave you a gift of the shepherds. Take good care of them. Pray for them. Thank you."
April 25, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World:: "Dear children! Pray, pray, keep praying until your heart opens in faith as a flower opens to the warm rays of the sun. This is a time of grace which God gives you through my presence but you are far from my heart, therefore, I call you to personal conversion and to family prayer. May Sacred Scripture always be an incentive for you. I bless you all with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."
April 2, 2013 Our Lady of Medjugorje Message to the World: "Dear children, I am calling you to be one with my Son in spirit. I am calling you, through prayer, and the Holy Mass when my Son unites Himself with you in a special way, to try to be like Him; that, like Him, you may always be ready to carry out God's will and not seek the fulfillment of your own. Because, my children, it is according to God's will that you are and that you exist, and without God's will you are nothing. As a mother I am asking you to speak about the glory of God with your life because, in that way, you will also glorify yourself in accordance to His will. Show humility and love for your neighbour to everyone. Through such humility and love, my Son saved you and opened the way for you to the Heavenly Father. I implore you to keep opening the way to the Heavenly Father for all those who have not come to know Him and have not opened their hearts to His love. By your life, open the way to all those who still wander in search of the truth. My children, be my apostles who have not lived in vain. Do not forget that you will come before the Heavenly Father and tell Him about yourself. Be ready! Again I am warning you, pray for those whom my Son called, whose hands He blessed and whom He gave as a gift to you. Pray, pray, pray for your shepherds. Thank you."
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Today's Word: endure en·dure [en-doo
r, -dyoor]
Origin: 1275–1325; Middle English enduren < Anglo-French, Old French endurer < Latin indūrāre to harden, make lasting, equivalent to in- in-2 + dūrāre to last, be or become hard, derivative of dūrus hard
verb (used with object)
1. to hold out against; sustain without impairment or yielding; undergo: to endure great financial pressures with equanimity.
2. to bear without resistance or with patience; tolerate: I cannot endure your insults any longer.
3. to admit of; allow; bear: His poetry is such that it will not endure a superficial reading.
verb (used without object)
4. to continue to exist; last: These words will endure as long as people live who love freedom.
5. to support adverse force or influence of any kind; suffer without yielding; suffer patiently: Even in the darkest ages humanity has endured.
6. to have or gain continued or lasting acknowledgment or recognition, as of worth, merit or greatness: His plays have endured for more than three centuries.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 148:1-2, 11-14
1 Alleluia! Praise Yahweh from the heavens, praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!
11 kings of the earth and all nations, princes and all judges on earth,
12 young men and girls, old people and children together.
13 Let them praise the name of Yahweh, for his name alone is sublime, his splendour transcends earth and heaven.
14 For he heightens the strength of his people, to the praise of all his faithful, the children of Israel, the people close to him.
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Today's Epistle - Acts 17:15, 22--18:1
15 Paul's escort took him as far as
Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin
Paul as soon as they could.
22 So Paul stood before the whole
council of the Areopagus and made this speech: 'Men of Athens, I have
seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious
matters,
23 because, as I strolled round looking
at your sacred monuments, I noticed among other things an altar
inscribed: To An Unknown God. In fact, the unknown God you revere is the one I proclaim to you.
24 'Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands.
25 Nor is he in need of anything, that
he should be served by human hands; on the contrary, it is he who gives
everything -- including life and breath -- to everyone.
26 From one single principle he not only
created the whole human race so that they could occupy the entire
earth, but he decreed the times and limits of their habitation.
27 And he did this so that they might seek the deity and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed in finding him; and indeed he is not far from any of us,
28 since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist, as indeed some of your own writers have said: We are all his children.
29 'Since we are the children of God, we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like anything in gold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man.
30 'But now, overlooking the times of ignorance, God is telling everyone everywhere that they must repent,
31 because he has fixed a day when the whole world will be judged in uprightness by a man he has appointed. And God has publicly proved this by raising him from the dead.'
32 At this mention of rising from the
dead, some of them burst out laughing; others said, 'We would like to
hear you talk about this another time.'
33 After that Paul left them,
34 but there were some who attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysius the Aeropagite and a woman called Damaris, and others besides.
1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth,
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Today's Gospel Reading - John 16:12-15
Jesus said to his disciples: "I still
have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you to
bear now. However, when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to
the complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but
will say only what he has been told; and he will reveal to you the
things to come. He will glorify me, since all he reveals to you will be
taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I
said: all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine."
Reflection
• In these weeks of Easter Time, the
Gospels of each day are almost always taken from chapters 12 to 17 of
the Gospel of John. That reveals something regarding the origin and the
destination of these chapters. They show not only what happened before
the Passion and the death of Jesus, but also and above all, the living
out of faith of the first communities after the resurrection. They
express the Paschal faith which animated them.
• John 16, 12: I still have many things to say to you. The Gospel today begins with this phrase: “I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now”. In these words of Jesus there are two things: the environment of the farewell, which characterized the Last Supper, and the concern of Jesus, the older brother, for his younger brothers, who within a brief time will remain without his presence. The time left was very short. Within a short time, Jesus will be arrested. The work begun was not yet complete. The disciples were just at the beginning of their apprenticeship. Three years are a very short time to change life and to begin to live and to think in a new image of God. Their formation was not yet finished. Much was still lacking and Jesus had still many things to teach them and to transmit to them, but he knows his disciples. They are not among the most intelligent. They would not be capable to know now all the consequences and implications of discipleship. They would become discouraged. They would not be able to bear this.
• John 16, 13-15: The Holy Spirit will come to their help. “However, when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told; and he will reveal to you the things to come. He will glorify me, since all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine”. This affirmation of Jesus shows the experience of the first communities. In the measure in which they sought to imitate Jesus, trying to interpret and apply his Word to the various circumstances of their life, they experienced the presence and the light of the Spirit. And this happens even today in the communities which try to incarnate the Word of Jesus in their life. The root of this experience is the words of Jesus: “Everything the Father has is mine that is why I said: all he reveals to you will be taken from what is mine”.
• The action of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John. John uses many images and symbols to signify the action of the Holy Spirit. Like in creation (Gen 1, 1), the Spirit also descends on Jesus, “in the form of a dove, come from Heaven” (Jn 1, 32). It is the beginning of the new creation! Jesus speaks the words of God and communicates the Sprit without reserve to us (Jn 3, 34). His words are Spirit and Life (Jn 6, 63). When Jesus bids farewell, he said that he would have sent another Paraclete, Consoler, another defender, who will remain with us. It is the Holy Spirit (Jn 14, 16-17). By his Passion, death and Resurrection, Jesus won for us the gift of the Holy Spirit. By Baptism all of us have received this same Spirit of Jesus (Jn 1, 33). When he appeared to the apostles, he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit!” (Jn 20, 22). The Spirit is like the water which springs from within the persons who believe in Jesus (Jn 7, 37-39; 4, 14). The first effect of the action of the Spirit in us is reconciliation: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained”. (Jn 20, 23). The Spirit which Jesus communicates to us has multiple actions: consoles and spreads (Jn 14, 16), he communicates truth (Jn 14, 17; 16, 13), makes us remember what Jesus taught (Jn 14, 26); will give witness of Jesus (Jo 15, 26); manifests the glory of Jesus (Jn 16, 14); will convince the world concerning sin, justice (Jn 16, 8). The Spirit is given to us so that we can understand the complete meaning of the words of Jesus (Jn 14, 26); 16, 12-13). Encouraged by the Spirit of Jesus we can adore God in any place (Jn 4, 23-24). Here lies the liberty of the Spirit of which Saint Paul speaks: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Co 3, 17).
Personal questions
• How do I live my adherence to Jesus: alone or in community?
• Has my participation in the community led me, sometimes, to experience the light and the force of the Holy Spirit?
• Has my participation in the community led me, sometimes, to experience the light and the force of the Holy Spirit?
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Featured Item of the Day from Litany Lane
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Saint of the Day: Saint Magdalene of Canossa
Feast Day: May 08
Patron Saint:
Attributes:
St. Magdalene of Canossa, F.D.C.C., (1774–1835) was an Italian Religious Sister and foundress. She was a leading advocate for the poor in her region, and has been canonized by the Catholic Church.
After leaving the cloister, Magdalene saw a city in which the poor were suffering extreme poverty, which was only made worse by the social upheavals caused on the Italian peninsula by the invasions of the French Revolutionary Army and the opposing forces of the Austrian Empire, which eventually gained control of her native city. This situation provoked her desire to serve and witness to Christ through answering the needs of the unfortunate.
The new congregation started to care for poor children and to service in the city's hospitals. As word of their work spread, they were requested to start new communities in other cities of the region. Soon there were convents of the Canossian Sisters established in Venice (1812), Milan (1816), Bergamo 1820 and Trent (1824). Magdalene drew up a Rule for the congregation, and it received formal approval by Pope Leo XII on December 23, 1828.[1]
For nearly a century, the men's community consisted of only two or three lay brothers. They were given a religious habit in 1860 by the Patriarch of Venice and were given a Rule in 1897 by a subsequent patriarch. By 1923, however, the Superior of the Oratory declared the impossibility of the community's continuance, and placed the congregation into the hands of the patriarch. They were then joined to the work of a priest in Verona, Giovanni Calabria, who incorporated the small community into a foundation he had established, which included priests.[2]
She was beatified on December 8, 1941 by Pope Pius XII and was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 2, 1988. Her feast day is May 8.
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| Magdalene of Canossa, F.D.C.C. |
Life
Early life
Magdalene was born on March 1, 1774, into an ancient and prominent Veronese family. Despite her living in a palace, however, she was not spared grief, as her father died in 1779 and her mother left her for a new marriage two years later. In 1791 she spent time in a Carmelite monastery but discerned that this was not her vocation.After leaving the cloister, Magdalene saw a city in which the poor were suffering extreme poverty, which was only made worse by the social upheavals caused on the Italian peninsula by the invasions of the French Revolutionary Army and the opposing forces of the Austrian Empire, which eventually gained control of her native city. This situation provoked her desire to serve and witness to Christ through answering the needs of the unfortunate.
Daughters of Charity
Using her inheritance, Magdalene began charitable work among the poor of the city. On April 1, 1828, she was given an abandoned monastery where she took in two poor girls from the slum of the San Zeno neighborhood of the city to care for them and provide them an education. On the following May 7, she moved out of her ancestral palace and moved into the monastery, now called the Convent of St. Joseph, where she was soon joined by other women, with whom she formed the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor.The new congregation started to care for poor children and to service in the city's hospitals. As word of their work spread, they were requested to start new communities in other cities of the region. Soon there were convents of the Canossian Sisters established in Venice (1812), Milan (1816), Bergamo 1820 and Trent (1824). Magdalene drew up a Rule for the congregation, and it received formal approval by Pope Leo XII on December 23, 1828.[1]
Sons of Charity
Magdalene desired to provide boys the same care her Daughters were providing to girls. To this end, she invited a Catholic priest, Francesco Luzzi, to open a small oratory adjacent to the Sisters' Convent of St. Lucy in Venice. He opened this house on May 23, 1831. In 1833, he was joined by two laymen, who later took over the work of the oratory when Luzzi left to become a Carmelite friar.For nearly a century, the men's community consisted of only two or three lay brothers. They were given a religious habit in 1860 by the Patriarch of Venice and were given a Rule in 1897 by a subsequent patriarch. By 1923, however, the Superior of the Oratory declared the impossibility of the community's continuance, and placed the congregation into the hands of the patriarch. They were then joined to the work of a priest in Verona, Giovanni Calabria, who incorporated the small community into a foundation he had established, which included priests.[2]
Death and veneration
Magdalene died in her native city on April 10, 1835, having seen the work of the Daughters spread out across the region and the establishment of the Sons.She was beatified on December 8, 1941 by Pope Pius XII and was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 2, 1988. Her feast day is May 8.
References
- ^ Canossian Sisters
- ^ Canossian Sons of Charity (Italian)
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Today's Snippet I: Venice Italy
Venice is the capital of the Veneto region.
In 2009, there were 270,098 people residing in Venice's comune (the
population estimate of 272,000 inhabitants includes the population of
the whole Comune of Venezia; around 60,000 in the historic city of Venice (Centro storico); 176,000 in Terraferma (the Mainland), mostly in the large frazioni
of Mestre and Marghera; 31,000 live on other islands in the lagoon).
Together with Padua and Treviso, the city is included in the
Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area (PATREVE) (population 1,600,000).
Geography
These
districts consist of parishes – initially seventy in 1033, but reduced
under Napoleon and now numbering just thirty-eight. These parishes
predate the sestieri, which were created in about 1170. Other islands of
the Venetian Lagoon do not form part of any of the sestieri, having
historically enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomy. Each sestiere
has its own house numbering
system. Each house has a unique number in the district, from one to
several thousand, generally numbered from one corner of the area to
another, but not usually in a readily understandable manner.
History
Origins
 |
| Venetian possessions in the Eastern Mediterranean, 1450 |
The
Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages
and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of
Lepanto, as well as a very important center of commerce (especially
silk, grain, and spice) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the
17th century. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its
history.
It is also known for its several important artistic movements,
especially the Renaissance period. Venice has played an important role
in the history of symphonic and operatic music, and it is the birthplace
of Antonio Vivaldi.
The origin of the name Venice is unknown. Venice started as a Roman
city. While there are no historical records that deal directly with the
founding of Venice,
tradition and the available evidence have led several historians to
agree that the original population of Venice consisted of refugees from
Roman cities near Venice such as Padua, Aquileia, Treviso, Altino and
Concordia (modern Portogruaro) and from the undefended countryside, who
were fleeing successive waves of Germanic and Hun invasions.
Some late Roman sources reveal the existence of fishermen on the
islands in the original marshy lagoons. They were referred to as incolae lacunae
("lagoon dwellers"). The traditional founding is identified with the
dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo at the islet of
Rialto (Rivoalto, "High Shore"), which is said to have been at the
stroke of noon on 25 March 421.
The last and most
enduring immigration into the north of the Italian peninsula was that of
the Lombards in 568, leaving the Eastern Roman Empire a small strip of
coast in the current Veneto, including Venice. The Roman/Byzantine
territory was organized as the Exarchate of Ravenna,
administered from that ancient port and overseen by a viceroy (the
Exarch) appointed by the Emperor in Constantinople, but Ravenna and
Venice were connected only by sea routes and with the Venetian's
isolated position came increasing autonomy. New ports were built,
including those at Malamocco and Torcello in the Venetian lagoon. The tribuni maiores, the earliest central standing governing committee of the islands in the Lagoon, dated from c. 568.
According
to John Julius Norwich, the traditional first doge of Venice, Paolo
Lucio Anafesto, was actually Exarch Paul, and his successor, Marcello
Tegalliano, Paul's magister militum (General; literally, "Master
of Soldiers.") In 726 the soldiers and citizens of the Exarchate rose in
a rebellion over the iconoclastic controversy at the urging of Pope
Gregory II.
The Exarch was murdered and many officials put to flight in the chaos.
At about this time, the people of the lagoon elected their own leader
for the first time, although the relationship of this ascent to the
uprisings is not clear. Ursus, would become the first of 117 "doges" (doge is the Venetian dialect development of the Latin dux ("leader"); the corresponding word in English is duke, in standard Italian duce.) Whatever his original views, Ursus supported Emperor Leo's
successful military expedition to recover Ravenna, sending both men and
ships. In recognition, Venice was "granted numerous privileges and
concessions" and Ursus, who had personally taken the field, was
confirmed by Leo as dux and given the added title of hypatus (Greek for "Consul".)
In 751 the Lombard King Aistulf
conquered most of the Exarchate of Ravenna, leaving Venice a lonely and
increasingly autonomous Byzantine outpost. During this period, the seat
of the local Byzantine governor (the "duke/dux", later "doge") was situated in Malamocco.
Settlement on the islands in the lagoon probably increased in
correspondence with the Lombard conquest of other Byzantine territories
as refugees sought asylum in the lagoon city. In 775/776, the episcopal
seat of Olivolo (Helipolis) was created. During the reign of duke Agnello Particiaco
(811–827) the ducal seat was moved from Malamocco to the highly
protected Rialto, the current location of Venice. The monastery of St.
Zachary and the first ducal palace and basilica of St. Mark,
as well as a walled defense (civitatis murus) between Olivolo and
Rialto were subsequently built here. Winged lions, which may be seen
throughout Venice, are a symbol for St. Mark.
Charlemagne
sought to subdue the city to his own rule. He ordered the Pope to expel
the Venetians from the Pentapolis along the Adriatic coast,
and Charlemagne's own son Pepin of Italy, king of the Lombards
under the authority of his father, embarked on a siege of Venice
itself. This, however, proved a costly failure. The siege lasted six
months, with Pepin's army ravaged by the diseases of the local swamps
and eventually forced to withdraw. A few months later Pepin himself
died, apparently as a result of a disease contracted there. In the
aftermath, an agreement between Charlemagne and Nicephorus in 814
recognized Venice as Byzantine territory and granted the city trading
rights along the Adriatic coast.
In 828, the new city's prestige was raised by the acquisition of the claimed relics of St. Mark the Evangelist
from Alexandria, which were placed in the new basilica. The patriarchal
seat was also moved to Rialto. As the community continued to develop
and as Byzantine power waned, it led to the growth of autonomy and
eventual independence.
Expansion
 |
| Territories of the Republic of Venice: in dark red the territories conquered at the start of the 15th century, in red the territories at the start of 16th century, in pink the territories conquered temporarily, in yellow the sea dominated by Venetian fleet during the 15th century, in orange the main routes, purple squares are the main emporiums and commercial colonies |
The
Republic of Venice seized a number of places on the eastern shores of
the Adriatic before 1200, mostly for commercial reasons, because pirates
based there were a menace to trade. The Doge already carried the titles
of Duke of Dalmatia and Duke of Istria. Later mainland possessions,
which extended across Lake Garda as far west as the Adda River, were
known as the "Terraferma", and were acquired partly as a buffer against
belligerent neighbours, partly to guarantee Alpine
trade routes, and partly to ensure the supply of mainland wheat, on
which the city depended. In building its maritime commercial empire, the
Republic dominated the trade in salt,
acquired control of most of the islands in the Aegean, including Cyprus
and Crete, and became a major power-broker in the Near East.
By the standards of the time, Venice's stewardship of its mainland
territories was relatively enlightened and the citizens of such towns as
Bergamo, Brescia and Verona rallied to the defence of Venetian
sovereignty when it was threatened by invaders.
Venice remained closely associated with Constantinople, being twice
granted trading privileges in the Eastern Roman Empire, through the so
called Golden Bulls
or 'chrysobulls' in return for aiding the Eastern Empire to resist
Norman and Turkish incursions. In the first chrysobull Venice
acknowledged its homage to the Empire but not in the second, reflecting
the decline of Byzantium and the rise of Venice's power.
Venice
became an imperial power following the Venetian-financed Fourth
Crusade, which in 1204 seized and sacked Constantinople and established
the Latin Empire. As a result of this conquest considerable Byzantine
plunder was brought back to Venice. This plunder included the gilt
bronze horses from the Hippodrome of Constantinople,
which were originally placed above the entrance to St Mark's cathedral
in Venice, although the originals have been replaced with replicas and
the originals are now stored within the basilica. Following the fall of
Constantinople the former Roman Empire was partitioned among the Latin
crusaders and the Venetians. Venice subsequently carved out a sphere of
influence in the Mediterranean known as the Duchy of the Archipelago,
and seized Crete.
The
seizure of Constantinople would ultimately prove as decisive a factor
in ending the Byzantine Empire as the loss of the Anatolian themes after
Manzikert.
Though the Byzantines recovered control of the ravaged city a half
century later, the Byzantine Empire was terminally weakened, and existed
as a ghost of its old self until Sultan Mehmet The Conqueror took the
city in 1453.
Situated on the Adriatic Sea, Venice always traded with the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim world
extensively. By the late thirteenth century, Venice was the most
prosperous city in all of Europe. At the peak of its power and wealth,
it had 36,000 sailors operating 3,300 ships, dominating Mediterranean
commerce. During this time, Venice's leading families vied with each
other to build the grandest palaces and support the work of the greatest
and most talented artists. The city was governed by the Great Council,
which was made up of members of the noble families of Venice. The Great
Council appointed all public officials and elected a Senate of 200 to
300 individuals. Since this group was too large for efficient
administration, a Council of Ten
(also called the Ducal Council or the Signoria), controlled much of the
administration of the city. One member of the great council was elected
"Doge", or duke, the ceremonial head of the city, who normally held the title until his death.
The Venetian governmental structure was similar in some ways to the
republican system of ancient Rome, with an elected chief executive (the
Doge), a senate-like assembly of nobles, and a mass of citizens with
limited political power, who originally had the power to grant or
withhold their approval of each newly elected Doge. Church and various
private properties were tied to military service, though there was no knight tenure within the city itself. The Cavalieri di San Marco was the only order of chivalry
ever instituted in Venice, and no citizen could accept or join a
foreign order without the government's consent. Venice remained a
republic throughout its independent period and politics and the military
were kept separate, except when on occasion the Doge personally headed
the military. War was regarded as a continuation of commerce by other
means (hence, the city's early production of large numbers of
mercenaries for service elsewhere, and later its reliance on foreign
mercenaries when the ruling class was preoccupied with commerce).
The
chief executive was the Doge, who theoretically held his elective
office for life. In practice, several Doges were forced by pressure
from their oligarchical peers to resign the office and retire into
monastic seclusion when they were felt to have been discredited by
perceive.
Though
the people of Venice generally remained orthodox Roman
Catholics, the state of Venice was notable for its freedom from
religious fanaticism and it enacted not a single execution for religious
heresy during the Counter-Reformation. This apparent lack of zeal
contributed to Venice's frequent conflicts with the Papacy.
In this context, the writings of the Anglican Divine, William Bedell,
are particularly illuminating. Venice was threatened with the interdict
on a number of occasions and twice suffered its imposition. The second,
most famous, occasion in 1606, by order of Pope Paul V.
Venetian
ambassadors sent home still-extant secret reports of the
politics and rumours of European courts, providing fascinating
information to modern historians. The newly invented German printing
press
spread rapidly throughout Europe in the fifteenth century, and Venice
was quick to adopt it. By 1482 Venice was the printing capital of the
world, and the leading printer was Aldus Manutius, who invented the
concept of paperback books that could be carried in a saddlebag. His Aldine Editions included translations of nearly all the known Greek manuscripts of the era.
Decline
 |
| The Republic of Venice, as it appeared in 1796, a year before its fall to the French. |
The
Black Death devastated Venice in 1348 and once again between 1575 and
1577. In three years the plague killed some 50,000 people. In 1630, the
plague killed a third of Venice's 150,000 citizens. Venice began to lose
its position as a center of international trade during the later part
of the Renaissance
as Portugal became Europe's principal intermediary in the trade with
the East, striking at the very foundation of Venice's great wealth,
while France and Spain fought for hegemony over Italy in the Italian
Wars,
marginalising its political influence. However, the Venetian empire was
a major exporter of agricultural products and, until the mid-18th
century, a significant manufacturing center.
By
1303, crossbow
practice had become compulsory in the city, with citizens training in
groups. As weapons became more expensive and complex to operate,
professional soldiers were assigned to help work merchant sailing ships
and as rowers in galleys. The company of "Noble Bowmen" was recruited in
the later 14th century from among the younger aristocracy and served
aboard both war-galleys and as armed merchantmen, with the privilege of
sharing the captain's cabin.
Though Venice was famous for its navy, its army was equally
effective. In the 13th century, most Italian city states already were
hiring mercenaries, but Venetian troops were still recruited from the lagoon, plus feudal levies from Dalmatia (the very famous Schiavoni or Oltremarini)
and Istria. In times of emergency, all males between seventeen and
sixty years were registered and their weapons were surveyed, with those
called to actually fight being organized into companies of twelve. The
register of 1338 estimated that 30,000 Venetian men were capable of
bearing arms; many of these were skilled crossbowmen. As in other
Italian cities, aristocrats and other wealthy men were cavalrymen while the city's conscripts fought as infantry.
By
1450, more than 3,000 Venetian merchant ships were in operation.
Most of these could be converted when necessary into either warships or
transports. The government required each merchant ship to carry a
specified number of weapons (mostly crossbows and javelins) and armour;
merchant passengers were also expected to be armed and to fight when
necessary. A reserve of some 25 (later 100) war-galleys was maintained
in the Arsenal. Galley slaves did not exist in medieval Venice, the
oarsmen coming from the city itself or from its possessions, especially
Dalmatia.
Those from the city were chosen by lot from each parish, their families
being supported by the remainder of the parish while the rowers were
away. Debtors generally worked off their obligations rowing the galleys.
Rowing skills were encouraged through races and regattas.
Early in the 15th century, as new mainland territories were expanded, the first standing army was organized, consisting of condottieri on contract. In its alliance with Florence
in 1426, Venice agreed to supply 8,000 cavalry and 3,000 infantry in
time of war, and 3,000 and 1,000 in peacetime. Later in that century,
uniforms were adopted that featured red-and-white stripes, and a system
of honors and pensions developed. Throughout the 15th century, Venetian
land forces were almost always on the offensive and were regarded as the
most effective in Italy, largely because of the tradition of all
classes carrying arms in defense of the city and official encouragement
of general military training.
The command structure in the army was different from that of the
fleet. By ancient law, no nobleman could command more than twenty-five
men (to prevent the possibility of sedition
by private armies), and while the position of Captain General was
introduced in the mid-14th century, he still had to answer to a civilian
panel of twenty Savi or "wise men". Not only was efficiency not
degraded, this policy saved Venice from the military takeovers that
other Italian city states so often experienced. A civilian commissioner
(not unlike a commissar)
accompanied each army to keep an eye on things, especially the
mercenaries. The Venetian military tradition also was notably cautious;
they were more interested in achieving success with a minimum expense of
lives and money than in the pursuit of glory.
Modern age
A map of the sestiere of San Marco
The Republic lost independence when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Venice on 12 May 1797 during the First Coalition.
The French conqueror brought to an end the most fascinating century of
its history: during the 18th century Venice became perhaps the most
elegant and refined city in Europe, greatly influencing art,
architecture and literature. Napoleon was seen as something of a
liberator by the city's Jewish population, although it can be argued
they had lived with fewer restrictions in Venice. He removed the gates
of the Ghetto and ended the restrictions on when and where Jews could live and travel in the city.
Venice
became Austrian territory when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo
Formio on 12 October 1797. The Austrians took control of the city on 18
January 1798. It was taken from Austria by the Treaty of Pressburg in
1805 and became part of Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy, but was returned to
Austria following Napoleon's defeat in 1814, when it became part of the
Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1848–1849 a revolt
briefly reestablished the Venetian Republic under Daniele Manin. In
1866, following the Third Italian War of Independence, Venice, along
with the rest of the Veneto, became part of the newly created Kingdom of
Italy.
During
the Second World War, the historic city was largely free from attack,
the only aggressive effort of note being Operation Bowler,
a precision strike on the German naval operations there in 1945.
However the industrial areas in Mestre and Marghera and the railway
lines to Padua, Trieste and Trento were repeatedly bombed.
On 29 April 1945 New Zealand troops under Freyberg reached Venice and
relieved the city and the mainland, which were already in partisan
hands.
Subsidence
Foundations
 |
| Canal in Venice |
Submerged by water, in oxygen-poor conditions, wood does not decay as rapidly as on the surface. It is petrified as a result of the constant flow of mineral-rich water around and through it, so that it becomes a stone-like structure.
Most of these piles were made from trunks of alder trees, a wood noted for its water resistance. The alder came from the western-most part of today's Slovenia (resulting in the barren land of the Kras region), in two regions of Croatia, Lika and Gorski kotar (resulting in the barren slopes of Velebit) and south of Montenegro. Leonid Grigoriev has stated that Russian larch was imported to build some of Venice's foundations. Larch is also used in the production of Venice turpentine.
History
The city is often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring. Six hundred years ago, Venetians protected themselves from land-based attacks by diverting all the major rivers flowing into the lagoon and thus preventing sediment from filling the area around the city. This created an ever-deeper lagoon environment.In 1604, to defray the cost of flood relief Venice introduced what could be considered the first example of a 'stamp tax'. When the revenue fell short of expectations in 1608, Venice introduced paper with the superscription 'AQ' and imprinted instructions, which was to be used for 'letters to officials'. At first, this was to be a temporary tax, but it remained in effect until the fall of the Republic in 1797. Shortly after the introduction of the tax, Spain produced similar paper for general taxation purposes, and the practice spread to other countries.
During the 20th century, when many artesian wells were sunk into the periphery of the lagoon to draw water for local industry, Venice began to subside. It was realised that extraction of water from the aquifer was the cause. The sinking has slowed markedly since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s. However, the city is still threatened by more frequent low-level floods (called Acqua alta, "high water") that creep to a height of several centimetres over its quays, regularly following certain tides. In many old houses the former staircases used to unload goods are now flooded, rendering the former ground floor uninhabitable.
Some recent studies have suggested that the city is no longer sinking, but this is not yet certain; therefore, a state of alert has not been revoked. In May 2003 the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi inaugurated the MOSE project (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico), an experimental model for evaluating the performance of hollow floatable gates; the idea is to fix a series of 78 hollow pontoons to the sea bed across the three entrances to the lagoon. When tides are predicted to rise above 110 centimetres, the pontoons will be filled with air, causing them to float and block the incoming water from the Adriatic Sea. This engineering work is due to be completed by 2014.
Economy
Venice's economy has changed throughout history. In the Middle-Ages and the Renaissance, Venice was a major centre for commerce and trade, as it controlled a vast sea-empire, and became an extremely wealthy European city, a leader in political and economic affairs and a centre for trade and commerce. Since the 11th century until the 15th century pilgrimages to the Holy Land were offered in Venice. Other ports such as Genoa, Pisa, Marseille, Ancona and Dubrovnik were hardly able to make any competition to the well organized transportation of pilgrims from Venice. This all changed by the 17th century, when Venice's trade empire was taken over by other countries such as Portugal, and its naval importance was reduced. In the 18th century, then, it became a major agricultural and industrial exporter. The 18th century's biggest industrial complex was the Venice Arsenal, and the Italian Army still uses it today (even though some space has been used for major theatrical and cultural productions, and beautiful spaces for art). Today, Venice's economy is mainly based on tourism, shipbuilding (mainly done in the neighbouring cities of Mestre and Porto Marghera), services, trade and industrial exports. Murano glass production in Murano and lace production in Burano are also highly important to the economy.Tourism
Piazza San Marco. Doge's Palace
Tourism has been a major sector of Venetian industry since the 18th century, when it was a major center for the Grand Tour, with its beautiful cityscape, uniqueness, and rich musical and artistic cultural heritage. In the 19th century, it became a fashionable centre for the rich and famous, often staying or dining at luxury establishments such as the Danieli Hotel and the Caffè Florian. It continued being a fashionable city in vogue right into the early 20th century. In the 1980s, the Carnival of Venice was revived and the city has become a major centre of international conferences and festivals, such as the prestigious Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival, which attract visitors from all over the world for their theatrical, cultural, cinematic, artistic, and musical productions
Today, there are numerous attractions in Venice, such as St Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, and the Piazza San Marco. The Lido di Venezia is also a popular international luxury destination, attracting thousands of actors, critics, celebrities, and mainly people in the cinematic industry. The city also relies heavily on the cruise business.
However, Venice's popularity as a major worldwide tourist destination has caused several problems, including the fact that the city can be very overcrowded at some points of the year. It is regarded by some as a tourist trap, and by others as a 'living museum'. Unlike most other places in Western Europe, and the world, Venice has become widely known for its element of elegant decay. The competition for foreigners to buy homes in Venice has made prices rise so highly that numerous inhabitants are forced to move to more affordable areas of Veneto and Italy, the most notable being Mestre.
Culture
 |
| San Marco Plaza Venice |
The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, (plural: gondole) although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies, or as 'traghetti' (sing.: traghetto) to cross the Canale Grande in the absence of a nearby bridge. Many gondolas are lushly appointed with crushed velvet seats and Persian rugs. Less well-known is the smaller sandolo. At the front of each Gondola that works in the city there is a large piece of metal called the 'ferro,' or iron. Its shape has evolved through the centuries, as documented in many well-known paintings. Its form, topped by a likeness of the Doge's hat, became gradually standardized, and was then fixed by local law. It consists of six bars pointing forwards representing the Sestieri of the city, and one that points backward representing the Giudecca).
Waterways
 |
| Grand Canal, Venice |
The maze of canals threaded through the city requires the use of more than 400 bridges to permit the flow of foot traffic. In 2011 the city opened Ponte della Costituzione, the fourth bridge across the Grand Canal, connecting the Piazzale Roma bus terminal area with the Stazione Ferroviaria (train station), the others being the original Ponte di Rialto, the Ponte dell'Accademia, and the Ponte degli Scalzi.
Architecture
Venice has a rich and diverse architectural style, the most famous of which is the Gothic style. Venetian Gothic architecture is a term given to a Venetian building style combining use of the Gothic lancet arch with Byzantine and Ottoman influences. The style originated in 14th-century Venice, where the confluence of Byzantine style from Constantinople met Arab influence from Moorish Spain. Chief examples of the style are the Doge's Palace and the Ca' d'Oro in the city. The city also has several Renaissance and Baroque buildings, including the Ca' Pesaro and the Ca' Rezzonico.Music and the performing
 |
| La Fenice Operahouse Venice |
During the 16th century, Venice became one of the most important musical centers of Europe, marked by a characteristic style of composition (the Venetian school) and the development of the Venetian polychoral style under composers such as Adrian Willaert, who worked at St Mark's Basilica. Venice was the early center of music printing; Ottaviano Petrucci began publishing music almost as soon as this technology was available, and his publishing enterprise helped to attract composers from all over Europe, especially from France and Flanders. By the end of the century, Venice was famous for the splendor of its music, as exemplified in the "colossal style" of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli, which used multiple choruses and instrumental groups. Venice was also the home of many famous composers during the baroque period, such as Antonio Vivaldi, Ippolito Ciera, Giovanni Picchi, and Girolamo Dalla Casa, to name but a few.
Interior design
It can be argued that Venice produced the best and most refined Rococo designs. At the time, Venice was in a state of trouble. It had lost most of its maritime power, was lagging behind its rivals in political importance, and society had become decadent, with nobles wasting their money in gambling and partying. But Venice remained Italy's fashion capital, and was a serious contender to Paris in terms of wealth, architecture, luxury, taste, sophistication, trade, decoration, style, and design. Venetian Rococo was well known for being rich and luxurious, with usually very extravagant designs. Unique Venetian furniture, such as the divani da portego, or long Rococo couches and pozzetti, objects meant to be placed against the wall. Venetian bedrooms were usually sumptuous and grand, with rich damask, velvet, and silk drapery and curtains, a beautifully carved Rococo beds with statues of putti, flowers and angels. Venice was especially famous for its beautiful girandole mirrors, which remained among, if not, the finest in Europe. Chandeliers were usually very colourful, using Murano glass to make them look more vibrant and stand out from others, and precious stones and materials from abroad were used, since Venice still held a vast trade empire. Lacquer was very common, and many items of furniture were covered with it, the most famous being lacca povera (poor lacuqer), in which allegories and images of social life were painted. Lacquerwork and Chinoiserie were particularly common in bureau cabinets.Fashion and shopping
In the 14th century, many young Venetian men began wearing tight-fitting multicoloured hose, the designs on which indicated the Compagnie della Calza ("Trouser Club") to which they belonged. The Venetian Senate passed sumptuary laws, but these merely resulted in changes in fashion in order to circumvent the law. Dull garments were worn over colourful ones, which then were cut to show the hidden colours resulting in the wide spread of men's "slashed" fashions in the 15th century.Today, Venice is also a major fashion and shopping centre in Italy, not as important as Milan, Florence, or Rome, but par to Turin, Vicenza, Naples, and Genoa. Roberta di Camerino is the only major Italian fashion brand to be based out of Venice. Founded in 1945, it is renowned for its innovative handbags featuring hardware by Venetian artisans and often covered in locally woven velvet, and has been credited with creating the concept of the easily recognisable status bag. Many of the fashion boutiques and jewelry shops in the city are located in the Rialto Bridge and the Piazza San Marco. At the current time, there are Louis Vuitton and Ermenegildo Zegna flagship stores operating in the city.
Cuisine
In addition, Venice is famous for bisàto (marinated eel), for the golden, oval-shaped cookies called baicoli, and for different types of sweets such as: pan del pescatore (bread of the fisherman); cookies with almonds and pistachio nuts; cookies with fried Venetian cream or the bussolai (butter biscuits and shortbread made in the shape of an "S" or ring) from the island of Burano; the crostoli also known as the chatter, lies, or galani; the fregolotta (a crumbly cake with almonds); milk pudding called rosada; and cookies of yellow semolina called zaléti.
Language
Venetian or the regional form Venetan is a Romance language spoken as a native language by over two million people,[55] mostly in Venice, but also the Veneto region of Italy, where of five million inhabitants almost all can understand it. It is sometimes spoken and often well understood outside Veneto, in Trentino, Friuli, Venezia Giulia, Istria, and some towns of Dalmatia, an area of six to seven million people. The language enjoyed substantial prestige in the days of the Venetian Republic, when it attained the status of a lingua franca in the Mediterranean.Literature
Venice has long been a source of inspiration for authors, poets and playwrights as well as being at the forefront of the technical developing of printing and publishing.Two of the most famous Venetian writers were Marco Polo in the Middle Ages and later Giacomo Casanova. Polo (1254–1324) was a merchant who voyaged to the Orient. His series of books, co-written by Rustichello da Pisa, titled Il Milione provided important knowledge of the lands east of Europe, from the Middle East, to China, Japan and Russia. Giacomo Casanova (1725–1798) was a prolific writer and famous adventurer best remembered for his autobiography, Histoire De Ma Vie (Story of My Life), which links his colourful lifestyle to the city of Venice.
Venetian playwrights followed the old Italian theatre tradition of Commedia dell'arte. Ruzante (1502–1542) and Carlo Goldoni (1707–1793) used the Venetian dialect extensively in their comedies.
Venice is also linked to the technical aspects of writing. The city was the location for one of Italy's earliest printing presses, established by Aldus Manutius (1449–1515). From this beginning Venice developed as an important typographic center and even as late as the 18th century was responsible for printing half of Italy's published books.
Art and printing
 |
| San Zaccaria Altarpiece, 1505 |
By the end of the 15th century, Venice had become the European capital of printing, being one of the first cities in Italy (after Subiaco and Rome) to have a printing press after those established in Germany, having 417 printers by 1500. The most important printing office was the Aldine Press of Aldus Manutius, which in 1499 printed the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, considered the most beautiful book of Renaissance, and established modern punctuation, the page format and italic type, and the first printed work of Aristotle.
In the sixteenth century Venetian painting was developed through influences from the Paduan School and Antonello da Messina, who introduced the oil painting technique of the van Eyck brothers. It is signified by a warm colour scale and a picturesque use of colour. Early masters where the Bellini and Vivarini families, followed by Giorgione and Titian, then Tintoretto and Veronese. In the early 16th century, also, there was rivalry between whether Venetian painting should use disegno or colorito.
Canvases (the common painting surface) originated in Venice during the early renaissance. These early canvases were generally rough. In the eighteenth century Venetian painting had a renaissance because of Tiepolo's decorative painting and Canaletto's and Guardi's panoramic views.
Glass
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| 1675-1725, Venice Museum 108-1853 |
Many of the important characteristics of these objects had been developed by the thirteenth century. Toward the end of that century, the center of the Venetian glass industry moved to Murano.
Byzantine craftsmen played an important role in the development of Venetian glass, an art form for which the city is well-known. When Constantinople was sacked by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, some fleeing artisans came to Venice. This happened again when the Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453, supplying Venice with still more glassworkers. By the sixteenth century, Venetian artisans had gained even greater control over the color and transparency of their glass, and had mastered a variety of decorative techniques.
Some of the most important brands of glass in the world today are still produced in the historical glass factories on Murano. They are: Venini, Barovier & Toso, Pauly, Millevetri, Seguso. Barovier & Toso is considered one of the 100 oldest companies in the world, formed in 1295.
One of the most renowned types of Venetian glasses are made in Murano, known as Murano glass, which has been a famous product of the Venetian island of Murano for centuries. Located off the shore of Venice, Italy, Murano was a commercial port as far back as the 7th century. By the 10th century it had become a well-known city of trade. Today Murano remains a destination for tourists and art and jewellery lovers alike.
Festivals
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| Venetian Carnival Costumes |
The Venice Biennale is one of the most important events in the arts calendar. During 1893 headed by the mayor of Venice, Riccardo Selvatico, the Venetian City Council passed a resolution on 19 April to set up an Esposizione biennale artistica nazionale (biennial exhibition of Italian art), to be inaugurated on 22 April 1895. Following the outbreak of hostilities during the Second World War, the activities of the Biennale were interrupted in September 1942, but resumed in 1948.
The Festa del Redentore is held in mid July. It began as a feast to give thanks for the end of the terrible plague of 1576. A bridge of barges is built connecting Giudecca to the rest of Venice, and fireworks play an important role.
The Venice Film Festival (Italian Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica di Venezia) is the oldest film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the Lido, Venice, Italy. Screenings take place in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi. It is one of the world's most prestigious film festivals and is part of the Venice Biennale.
References
- Bosio, Luciano. Le origini di Venezia. Novara: Istituto Geografico De Agostini.
- Brown, Horatio, Venice, chapter 8 of Cambridge Modern History vol. I The Renaissance (1902)
- Brown, Horatio, Calendar of State Papers (Venetian): 1581–1591, 1895; 1592–1603, 1897; 1603–1607, 1900; 1607–1610, 1904; 1610–1613, 1905
- Brown, Horatio, Studies in the history of Venice (London, 1907)
- Chambers, D.S. (1970). The Imperial Age of Venice, 1380–1580. London: Thames & Hudson. The best brief introduction in English, still completely reliable.
- Contarini, Gasparo (1599). The Commonwealth and Gouernment of Venice. Lewes Lewkenor, trsl. London: "Imprinted by I. Windet for E. Mattes." The most important contemporary account of Venice's governance during the time of its blossoming. Also available in various reprint editions.
- Da Canal, Martin, "Les estoires de Venise" (13th century chronicle), translated by Laura Morreale. Padua, Unipress 2009.
- Drechsler, Wolfgang (2002). "Venice Misappropriated." Trames 6(2), pp. 192–201. A scathing review of Martin & Romano 2000; also a good summary on the most recent economic and political thought on Venice.
- Garrett, Martin, "Venice: a Cultural History" (2006). Revised edition of "Venice: a Cultural and Literary Companion" (2001).
- Martin, John Jeffries and Dennis Romano (eds). Venice Reconsidered. The History and Civilization of an Italian City-State, 1297–1797. (2002) Johns Hopkins University Press. The most recent collection on essays, many by prominent scholars, on Venice.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
Part Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery,
Section Two: The Seven Sacraments of the Church
CHAPTER TWO : THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
Article 5:3 THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION
SECTION TWO
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER TWO
THE SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
Article 5
THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK
1499
"By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the
whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord,
that he may raise them up and save them. and indeed she exhorts them to
contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the
Passion and death of Christ."LG 11; cf. ⇒ Jas 5:14-16;
⇒ Rom 8:17; ⇒ Col 1:24;
⇒ 2 Tim 2:11-12; ⇒ 1
Pet 4:13
III. How is This Sacrament
Celebrated?
1517
Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal
celebration,SC 27 whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital
or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is
very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord's
Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be
preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the
Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ's Passover the Eucharist should always be
the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the "viaticum" for
"passing over" to eternal life.
1518
Word and sacrament form an indivisible whole. the Liturgy of the Word, preceded
by an act of repentance, opens the celebration. the words of Christ, the
witness of the apostles, awaken the faith of the sick person and of the
community to ask the Lord for the strength of his Spirit.
1519
The celebration of the sacrament includes the following principal elements: the
"priests of the Church"Jas 5:14 - in silence - lay hands on the
sick; they pray over them in the faith of the ChurchJas 5:15 - this is the
epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if
possible, by the bishop.
These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick.
These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick.
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