V E N 



Nicholas Janfen ; and in the beginning of the next century, 

 purfued by the Aldi with more accuracy than in any other 

 part of Europe. 



But Venice has long manifefted its attachment to mufic by 

 the eftabhfhment of its confervatorios, or mufical fchools, of 

 which it has four ; the Ofpidale della Pieta, the Mendicanti, 

 the Incurabile, and the Ofpidaletto a S. Giovanni e Paolo ; 

 at each of which there is a performance every Saturday and 

 Sunday evening, as well as on great feftivals. The per- 

 formers at them all, both vocal and inftrumental, are fe- 

 males : the organs, violins, flutes, violoncellos, and even 

 French horns and double -bafes, are fupplied by thefe fe- 

 males. See CONSERVATORIO. 



Though the compofers of the Venetian fchool are, in ge- 

 neral, good contrapuntifts, yet their chief charafteriftics are 

 delicacy of talle and fertility of invention ; but many cir- 

 cumftances concur to render the mufic of Venice better, and 

 more general, than elfewhere. The Venetians have few amufe- 

 ments but what the theatres afford ; walking, riding, and all 

 field-fports, are denied them. This in iome degree ac- 

 counts for mufic being fo much, and in fo coftly a manner, 

 cultivated ; the number too of theatres, in all which the 

 gondoliers have admiflion gratis, may account for the fupe- 

 rior manner in which they fing, compared with people of the 

 fame clafs elfewhere. And in the private families, into which 

 the girls of the confervatorios marry, it is natural to fup- 

 pofe that good tafte and a love for mufic are introduced. 



Venice, in 1639, was the firft city in Italy that opened 

 pubhc theatres for the performance of operas ; and in lefs 

 than a century from that period, 658 mufical dramas were 

 brought on the feveral ilages of' that city, the chief part of 

 which were produced by natives of the Venetian ftate. In 

 the laft century, not only the poetry and mufic of the lyric 

 theatre were greatly fuperior to thofc of preceding times, 

 but the performers ; for at Venice all the great vocal talents 

 to which the opera liad given birth, were more conflantly 

 fummoned, patronifed, and cherifhed, than in any other 

 city of Europe. 



Accounts are kept at Venice in lire of 20 foldi or mar- 

 chetti ; and each foldo is divided into 1 2 denari di lira. They 

 are alfo kept in ducats of 24 groffi ; and the groffo is divided 

 into 1 2 grofletti, or denari di ducato. A ducato of account 

 is worth 6^ lire, or 1 24 marchetti. The gold coins of the 

 old repubUc are zeccliini, or fequins, with halves and quar- 

 ters. The fequin is commonly reckoned at 22 fire, but its 

 agio fluftuates, and in the year 1805 it was 37 per cent. 

 The filver coins are the fcudo Veneto, or della croce, of 1 2 

 lire 8 foldi, and halves and quarters in proportion ; the du- 

 catone, or giuftina, of 1 1 lire ; the ducato eifettivo of 8 fire, 

 with halves and quarters ; and bafe filver pieces of 30 loldi, 

 called lirazze, and of 20, 15, 10, and 5 foldi. There are 

 pieces of 10 lire, which were coined in 1796. The copper 

 coins are foldi and half foldi, or bagattini. 



When Venice became fubjetl to Auftria, in 1797, a bafe 

 filver money was introduced, called moneta provinciale, 

 which, in 1802, was declared to be out of currency ; and a 

 new coinage took place, confiding of pieces of i^, i, and 

 ^ lira, or, in Auftrian money, of 18, 12, and 6 creutzers, 

 which contained only a fourth of fine filver, but they were hea- 

 vier than the former coinage. This money was called " mo- 

 neta di nuovo llampo." The Auftrian government alfo in- 

 troduced copper pieces of 6 and 3 creutzers, or 10 and 5 

 foldi, and pieces of 2 and i foldi. All the above-mentioned 

 monies and coins are now valued in " moneta piccola," 

 which is the effeftive currency of Venice. 



The bank of Venice was inftituted in 1587 ; its original 

 capital being five millions of ducats. The owners received no 



V E N 



intereft for their money, but could draw it out on demand* 

 or transfer it in payment, like the banks of Amfterdam, 

 Hamburgh, and other banks of depofit. Bills of exchange 

 were moftly paid in banco, and alfo wholefale bargains of 

 merchandize above 300 ducats. The bank received no 

 money but fequins and filver ducats. The bank of Venice 

 was in high credit and profperity from its firft inftitution to. 

 the year 1797, when the French feized upon the city, and 

 ceded it to Auftria ; from this period it declined. In 1805 

 Venice was incorporated with the kingdom of Italy ; and in 

 1808, the bank was totally difcontinued. 



According to the rate of coinage at Venice, 68f fequins 

 are to contain a Venetian mark of fine gold, with a very 

 fmaU, but uncertain, .quantity of alloy. No remedy was 

 allowed at the mint of Venice, either in the weight or fine- 

 nefs of its coins. The Venetian fequia, weighing nearly 54 

 Enghfii grains, is therefore worth 9^. 6d. fterling. The 

 filver ducat weighs 351^ Englifh grains, and is 9 oz. 

 1 8j dwts. fine, which gives its value at ^o\d. fterhng ; hence 

 the ducat of account of 6^ lire piccola is worth 3 1 \d. nearly, 

 and the lira about ^d. fterling ; or, more exaftly, l/. fterling 

 = 47 lire 8 foldi piccoli. But taking the value of the lira 

 from the coinage introduced by the Auftrian government, it 

 will be found worth about \\d.; and l/. fterling := 56 lire 

 95 foldi piccoli. 



Venice has two different weights for merchandize, -u/'z. 

 pefo groffo, or large weight ; and pefo fottile, or fniall 

 weight : the pound of the former is divided into 12 oz. and 

 192 carats, in all 2304 carats ; and the pound of the latter into 

 12 oz. and 144 carats, in all 1728 carats. The pound pefo 

 groffo weighs 19 oz. pefo fottile ; hence 12 lbs. pefo groffo 

 = 19 lbs. pefo fottile ; and 18 lbs. pefo groffo, or 28^ pefo 

 fottile =^ 19 lbs. avoirdupois. A carica is 400 lbs. pefo 

 fottile. The ounce for weighing filk and thread is divided 

 into fix faggi or fazi, and thefe into halves, quarters, &c. 

 Oil is fold either b>y weight or meafure ; a migliajo weight con- 

 tains 40 miri, each 25 lbs., in all 1000 lbs. pefo groffo. A 

 migliajo meafure ftiould contain 12 10 lbs., or 40 miri, each 

 30:5 lbs. pefo groffo : fuch a miro anfwers to about 4^ Eng- 

 b(h gallons. The amphora, a wine meafure, contains 4 bi- 

 gon'cio ; a bigoncia, 4 quartari, 16 fecchie, or 256 lbs. pefo 

 groffo ; but a bigoncia of brandy is only 14 fecchie^ 



Two forts of long meafure are ufed at Venice, both of 

 which are called the braccio ; that for woollens is 26; Eng- 

 liffi inches, and that for filks is 24!^ Enghffi inches. The 

 Venetian foot is 154 French lines, or 133 Enghfh inches; 

 hence 36 Venetian feet = 41 Enghfti feet. 



Venice exchanges with London 50 lire piccola, more or 

 lefs, for i/. fterhng, at three months' date. The ufance for 

 bills drawn from London is three months after date. Bills are 

 allowed fix days grace, after which they muft be either paidor 

 protefted. Protefts are made by the fanti or clerks of the 

 commercial college, who enter all the bills they have pro- 

 tefted in a book, to which every merchant has free accefs. 

 Thus many bills, which would otherwife be returned, are 

 accepted and paid for the honour of the drawer or indorfer. 

 This prattice is likewife ufeful in giving early notice of ap- 

 proaching infolvency. ( Kelly's Un. Canibift. ) Venice is 

 fituated 216 miles N. of Rome. N. lat. 45° 28'. E. long. 

 12° 18'. 



Venice, Gulf of. See Adriatic. 



VENICIUM, in indent Geography, a town in the in- 

 terior of the ifle of Corfica, according to Ptolemy. 



VENICNII, a people who inhabited the weftern coafl 

 of Hibernia. Ptol. 



VENICNIUM pROMONTORiUM, a promontory on the 

 northern eoaft of Hibernia. Ptol. 



VENI- 



