History of The Republic of Venice

The history of the Republic of Venice traditionally begins with its foundation at noon on Friday March 25, 421 by authorities from Padua who hoped to establish a trading-post in the region. This event was marked by the founding of the Venitian church of St. James. What is certain is that the early city of Venice, existed as a collection of lagoon communities which banded together for mutual defence from the Lombards as the power of the Byzantine Empire dwindled in northern Italy in the late 7th century. Sometime in the first decades of the 8th century, the people of the lagoon elected their first leader Ursus, who was confirmed by Byzantium and given the titles of hypatus and dux. He was the first historical Doge of Venice. Tradition, however, since the early 11th century, dictates that the Venetians first proclaimed one Anafestus Paulicius duke in 697, though this story dates to no earlier than the chronicle of John the Deacon. Whatever the case, the first doges had their power base in Eraclea.