370 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



The words of the gondolier reminded Antonio that 

 this was the day appointed for the celebration of a 

 festival, which for weeks past had been looked for- 

 ward to with the greatest impatience and interest, by 

 Venetians of all ranks, ages, and sexes ; a festival 

 which he himself was in the habit of regularly at- 

 tending, though on this occasion his preoccupied 

 thoughts and feelings had made him utterly uncon- 

 scious that it was so near at hand. 



Although the ancient and bitter hatred of the 

 Guelphs and Ghibellines had died away, and the 

 factions which divided northern Italy had sunk into 

 insignificance nearly a century before this period, 

 the memory of their feuds was still kept up by their 

 great grandchildren, and Venice was still severed into 

 two parties or communities, separated from each other 

 by the Grand Canal. Those who dwelt on the western 

 or land side of this boundary were styled the Nico- 

 lotti, after the parish of San Nicolo ; while those on 

 the eastern or sea side took the appellation of Cas- 

 tellani, from the district of Castello. Not only the 

 inhabitants of the city itself, but those of the sub- 

 urbs and neighbouring country, Avere included in 

 these two denominations; the people from Mestre 

 and the continent ranging themselves under the 

 banners of the Xicolotti, while those from the is- 

 lands were strenuous Castellani. 



The frequent and sanguinary conflicts of the Guelphs 

 and Ghibellines were now replaced and commemorated 



