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Varano Sand
Sculpture Company LLC
aka The Sultans 0f Sand Worldwide ~presents~ Jesolo International Sand Sculpture Festival 2012 "Venice" |
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![]() Between medieval period and Modern Age, the Most Serene Republic of Venice became the centre of the trading between Europe, Asia, and the African coasts. The city, place of exchange of goods and ideas, became the most cosmopolitan centre of the Mediterranean. Venice guaranteed to the foreign communities, a remarkable freedom of initiative, possibil-ity to work, a relative administrative and legal equality; on the other hand the “foresti” (foreign-ers) had to be subject to the jurisdiction and laws of the Most Serene republic of Venice that did not tolerate any limitation of its sovereignty, such as the extraterritoriality guaranteed in other ports to the districts or “fonteghi” (foreign trading posts). In Venice, the “foresti” represented a considerable part of the population. In the XVI century, they were between 10% and 15%. To support the economic activities, Venice gave them the “fondaci” (foreign trading posts) for commercial and residential purposes. The Fontego of the Tedeschi (Germans), Persiani (Persians), and the one of the Turchi (Turks) were built along the Canal Grande. The most important foreigner communities, even if with some differences, were the ones of the Germans, Greeks, Armenians, and Hebrews. Very important were also the ones of the Schiavoni (Dalmatians), Albanians, Swiss, Turks, and Persians. To these we must also add the “Ital-ian foreigners”, especially Lombards (from Milan, Valtellina, Ticino), and Tuscans (from Florence and Lucca). To the "foresti" (foreigners) resident in Venice (Albanians, Greeks, Schiavoni, Germans, and others) the State granted, just as for the venetians, the right of meeting in national “Scole”(Schools) that is, laic brotherhoods aimed at the assistance of the “brothers”, protection of their rights and common economical interests. In fact, the citizens belonging to the same national community of-ten followed the same trade. The contribution of the foreign communities enriched Venice and made its civilisation so original, that it represented the precursor of the future European culture. The importance of the presence and activities of the “foresti” (foreigners) in Venice is still evidenced by that mine of information represented by the complex of Venetian road signs. |
![]() The Jewish Doctors
More restrictive and harsher
was the relation with the Hebrew community, which had been settling in Venice
since ancient times. Venetian Hebrews came from East and Alemania (Germany)
and, after 1492, from Spain and Portugal, from where they had been expelled.
With the decree of 29 March 1516, Venice set for the Hebrews a “Condotta” that is, a com-plex of rules that allowed them to live in the city on some conditions. All the Hebrews had to live only in the district of San Girolamo, near the island of “geto novo” (new ghetto) where the foundry was located (this is the origin of the word ''Ghetto", which was going to be used all over the world to indicate the Hebrew district). The "Gheto Novo" was the first one to be inhabited, while the "Gheto Vecio" (“vecchio” (old) because it hosted the oldest foundry) was the second Hebrew set-tlement, granted in 1541. During the night, the doors of the Ghetto were closed, and guards went along the nearby canals by boats to prevent Hebrews from getting out and Christians from entering. ![]() Grape Merchants ![]() The Printers |
1.) Susanne Ruseler - Holland the Doge & The Lion of Venice 2.) Ilya Filamontsev - Russia Invasion of the Goths 3.) Etual Ojeda -Spain The relics of St Mark |
4.) Karen Fralich
- Canada The Pope, Barbarossa & the Doge 5.) Brad Goll - USA Arsenale & Buccintoro 6.) John Gowdy - Italy Doctor |
7.) John Gowdy - Italy Merchants 8.) John Gowdy - Italy Pprinters 9.) Sikke-Bart Freiling - Netherlands Santa Maria Salute church |
10.) Bill Dow -
USA Casanova at Piombi 11.) Leonardo Ugolini - Italy St Marks Basilica 12.)Michela Ciapinni - Italy Rialto Bridge |
13.) David Ducharme
- Canada The plague 14.) Andrius Petkus - Lithuania Old Carnivale Damon Farmer - USA Scenic paintings |
Arena Ojeda - Spain Christine Nichol - Canada | Hazel Nichol Ducharme
- Canada Laura Gowdy Cimador
- Italy |
Lisa Longo Giorgia Lovato |
Davide Ercocano Silvia Trevisan |
Giulia Girardi Beatrice Mattiuzzo |
Elisabetiva Botter Alessio Moggian |
Giada Frattina Noemi Cini |
Directed by: Rich
Varano - USA |
Assistant to the Director: Elena Lana |
Photos of the work
in progress |
The Finished Sculptures |
Images from around the show
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Miscellaneous stuff |