Senato o Consiglio dei rogati o Consiglio dei pregadi o Pregadi

Country

IT

Name of institution (English)

State Archives of Venice

Name of institution (official language of the state)

Archivio di Stato di Venezia

Language of name of institution

ita

Contact information: postal address

Campo dei Frari, San Polo 3002, 30125 Venice

Contact information: phone number

0039 0415222281

Contact information: web address

https://www.archiviodistatovenezia.it/it/

Contact information: email

as-ve@archivi.beniculturali.it

Reference number

Senato

Type of reference number

Archival reference number

Title (English)

Senate or Council of the rogati or Council of the pregadi

Title (official language of the state)

Senato o Consiglio dei rogati o Consiglio dei pregadi o Pregadi

Language of title

ita

Creator / accumulator

Senato o Consiglio dei rogati o Consiglio dei pregadi o Pregadi

Date(s)

1300/1797

Language(s)

ita

Extent

c. 14,900 storage units

Type of material

Textual Material

Physical condition

Good

Scope and content

This fond comprises documentation produced by the Senato of Venice (or Consiglio dei rogati, or Consiglio dei Pregadi) from the 13th century to the 18th century. Being one of the most relevant institutions of government of the Republic of Venice, it contains different document types, concerning a wide number of subjects decided in the Senato. It is divided into seven major series of documents: Capitolare (1530-1644), Deliberazioni (1300-1797), Dispacci (1321-1797), Pergamene (1412-1672), Rubriche in ordine alla parte del Maggior consiglio del 17 gennaio 1744 (1774-1797), Rubriche delle deliberazioni spedite (1784-1795) and Repertori Roma (1622-1628). Particularly interesting are the Deliberazioni (deliberations), as it contains documents specifically related to issues associated with the Mar (sea), Terra (land), and Secreti (secrets, i.e. issues related to government affairs of the Republic).
This fonds contains abundant documentation concerning the Jewish communities, often related to its commercial and maritime activities. For instance, on October 28, 1577, Daniel Rodriga presented a memorandum, proposing the establishment of a free-transit scale at Spalato (Mar, filza 69). This issue was reviewed by the Senato on June 25, 1580 (Secreta, filza 51). There is also reference to a request presented by the same Daniel Rodriga asking permission to bring to the city up to 50 families of Jewish merchants and to grant them the same privileges of the visiting Levantine Jewish merchants, on July 17, 1584 (Mar, filza 91). The same Daniel Rodriga was, once again, the subject of a petition from the Jewish merchants to the Senato, in which they asked for the confirmation of certain privileges, that Rodriga was also aiming to achieve. Petition from July 27, 1589 (Mar, filza 104). Published by Benjamin (1976).
This fond is rich in documentation concerning other aspects of the Jewish community in Venice as well. For instance, on December 19, 1548, the Senato decided to allow the Jewish communities to have synagogues, according to its past practices (Secreta, reg. 66, fols. 74v-76v). Later, in August, 1550, the Senato decreed the expulsion of the Marranos (Jews of Portugal and Spain converted to Christianity and their descendants) from Venice (Terra, filza 11, II, 8 July, 22 Aug. I550; registro I550-I, fols. 43v-44, 29). It is also possible to find a decision on the requirements that were to be taken in consideration, regarding a transit safe conduct for Joseph Nasi's brother, Bernardo, to pass through the Venetian state, in May 1558 (Constantinopoli, reg. 1, fols. 77-80v). There are also documents about debates held between different Venetian institutions concerning the Jewish communities, such as when, on September 24, 1625, the Senato debated the response of the Cinque Savi alla Mercanzia regarding a petition presented by some Jews, in which they requested the renewal of the charter of 1611, that recognised the importance of the Levantine and Ponentine Jews immigration for the development of Venice's trade (Terra, filza 276); or when, on June 26, 1687, the Senato advised the Doge on the request presented by the Jewish community of Venice regarding the case of Antonio Molin, alias David Lombroso, a Jew converted to Christianity. The case was motivated by the fact that his mother had been coerced by the authorities to swear in the name of God, following a dispute she had with his son. The Università degli Ebrei (Jewish community of Venice) argued against this decision, claiming that the privileges granted to Jews gave them protection against any sort of forceful conversions (Terra, filza 1083. Published in Zoratini (1994): Processi, XII). And also when, on July 10, 1636, the Senato debated the possibility of taxing the Jewish community of Venice and the fact that this decision could lead to their departure from Venice to some other cities, such as Ragusa or Ancona (Terra, filza 387, July 10, 1636).

Archival history

The oldest references that testify to the existence of archives in the Republic of Venice indicate the concentration of documents in the Basilica of Saint Mark, the Doge's Palace and the buildings of the different Councils and Colleges of the government. Efforts to organise and preserve written documents of the institutions of the Republic are known in the 13th century. For instance, in 1266, the Maggior Consiglio (Major Council) determined that all its decisions should be transcribed and that one of the copies should be stored in the archive of the Quarantia (Council of Forty). In 1271 and 1272, new orders determined that all "avogadori" (magistrates) should return any documents that they eventually had in their possession for their own personal use to the Doge's Archives.
On October 27, 1283, a deliberation especially referred to the fact that the laws of the Maggior Consiglio were registered in ten books. Subsequently, it determined the creation of a commission to copy the laws that were still in place. The existence of a Cancelleria Ducale (Chancellery in the Doge's Palace) where the most important documents were stored, with proper officials, probably became a reality in this period.
The archive of the Senato was stored in the Chancelleria Ducale, with those of other Councils of Venice. As a result of the close procedural connections, some series have been described alternately within one or the other fonds over the years.
After the fall of the Republic of Venice in 1797, document collections faced many challenges as they were separated to different areas of the city, while others were transported to other cities, such as Paris, Vienna and Milan. In 1807, the fonds was divided and stored in three main buildings: political documentation was transferred to the Scuola di S. Teodoro, judicial documentation was transferred to the Convent of S. Giovanni Laterano, and the documentation related to state and financial matters was deposited at S. Provolo.
On December 13, 1815, Francesco I determined the reunification of the archival collections and, in 1822, the Convent of S. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari was chosen to become the main building of the archive. In the last decades of the 19th century, some additional structures were added. At the same time, a successful negotiation process allowed for the return of almost all archival collections that had been sent to other cities in the first decades of the 19th century.

(source: Guida generale degli Archivi di Stato Italiani)

Administrative / Biographical history

According to the tradition, the Senato was founded in 1229 — its existence is known for certain only in 1255 — when Iacopo Tiepolo was the Doge of Venice. It was a more agile institution than the Maggior Consiglio (Major Council), with particular intervention in the mercantile and maritime activities of Venice. Its original designations were Council of rogati or Council of pregadi (or simply the Pregadi) and only later was the name Senato given, due to humanistic influences.
It was presided by the Doge of Venice and was initially composed of 60 members, a number that suffered numerous alterations in the following decades. The overall more than two hundred members had non-uniform prerogatives: "metter parte" (power of initiative) and "metter ballot" (voting power), as well as active and passive electorate variously combined, or they intervened only in a consultative capacity or as mere observers. Especially after the 14th century, the Senato was gradually given more power and was frequently assisted by smaller groups in the decision making processes, as a result of the complexity of its competencies.
In general terms, the Senato was the great assembly of the republic, with vast legislative and governmental powers, as well as judicial powers. It was presided by the Doge and his advisers. The "savi" (officials, literary wise men) of Venice were elected from its own members, and were divided into three groups who assisted the Doge in all governmental activities.

Sources:

Guida generale degli Archivi di Stato Italiani

Maranini, Giuseppe. 1935. “Pregadi.” In , XXVIII:180. Roma: Istitvto della Enciclopedia Italiana.

Access points: locations

Ancona (Italy)

Dubrovnik, former Ragusa (Croatia)

Split, former Spalato (Croatia)

Venice (Italy)

Access points: persons, families

Rodriga, Daniel

Nasi, Joseph

Nasi, Bernardo

Molin, Antonio

Lombroso, David

Mendes Benveniste

Access points: corporate bodies

Università degli Ebrei of Venice

Access points: subject terms

Italian Jewish communities

Levantine Jews

Ponentine Jews

Privileges

Trade

16th century

17th century

Access points: document types

State records

System of arrangement

The Senato is a particularly complex fonds. Due to the close relation with the Collegio (Minor consiglio, Signoria, Collegio, Pien collegio), some series are described alternately within one fonds or the other. The fonds is divided into seven series, each of them also divided into subseries. Each series has its own numbering.

Access, restrictions

Subject to some consultation limits. The following series are available online:

Deliberazioni. Misti. Registro

Secreti alfabetici. Registro

Secreti. Registri

Secreti. Rubriche

Deliberazioni Mar

Rubrica (1440-1474)

Senato, Deliberazioni, Incanti di galere

Finding aids

Unpublished finding aids available in the archive:

"Corrispondenze diplomatiche veneziane da Napoli. Relazioni". 1992 (Coll. 111 I B).

"Deliberazioni del Consiglio dei rogati (Senato). Serie Mixtorum".
1960-1961 (CONS. VEN. 945.30 a DEP I 69).

"Dispacci degli ambasciatori al Senato. Indice". 1959 (006).

"Possessi ecclesiastici. Registri", (18)
sotto serie - Possessi ecclesiastici. Filze (001); sotto serie - Possessi ecclesiastici. Registri. I serie (002); sotto serie - Possessi ecclesiastici. Registri. II serie (003)

"Senato. Dispacci antichi di ambasciatori, rettori e altre cariche (1321-1528)". 1909 (327).

"Venezia - Senato. Deliberazioni miste. Registro XX (1341-1342)". 2004 (CONS. VEN. 945.31 c SAM)

"Venezia - Senato. Deliberazioni miste. Registro XXI (1342-1344)". 2006.

"Venezia - Senato. Deliberazioni miste. Registro XXII (1344-1345)". 2006.

"Venezia - Senato. Registro XXIII (1345-1347)". 2004 (CONS. VEN. 945.31 c SAM)

"Venezia - Senato. Deliberazioni miste. Registro XXIV (1347-1349)". 2006.

"Venezia - Senato. Deliberazioni miste. Registro XXV (1349-1350)". 2006 (CONS. VEN. 945.31 c SAM).

"Venezia - Senato. Deliberazioni miste. Registro XVIII (1339-1340)". 2005 (CONS. VEN. 945.31 c SAM).

"Venezia - Senato. Deliberazioni miste. Registro XIX (1340-1341)". 2004 (CONS. VEN. 945.31 c SAM).

Links to finding aids

"Collegio. Suppliche". 1993 (no. 442)

"Dispacci degli ambasciatori". (no. 315)