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In 1379, Venice faced destruction at the hands of an alliance led by her bitter rival Genoa. The ethereal city which today is renowned for its beauty and splendor stood one step from becoming erased from the map of Europe. Only through great hardship, valiant leadership, daring tactics and last minute saves, did Venice free herself from the grip of her foes. When the war ended, little had been decided, and both Venice and Genoa were financially and morally exhausted. Their trading networks, so important to recovery, were in a shambles. From this post-war challenge, Venice was able to recover quickly, but Genoa was not. Venice rose to levels of power and wealth that greatly surpassed her pre-war greatness. By the early fifteenth century, Venice had expanded her Mediterranean empire, established dominance over trade with the east, and controlled most of northeastern Italy. Wealth poured into the Most Serene Republic of Venice. On the other side of Italy, Genoa descended into a state of internal chaos. She became vulnerable to the ambitions of her neighbors including France. She even became a possession of the King of France. Not until the sixteenth century did Genoa fully recover, by which time it was too late to renew competition with Venice. The story of Venice’s path from desperation to ascendancy is peopled by some of the greatest heroes the city ever produced. Their stories are captured in Joel Farrell’s account of Venice’s most dramatic period.
