The Institute for the History of the Venetian State and Society was founded in 1955 to promote research on the Venetian state and society. It addresses ‘Venice’ from its embryonic state under Byzantine rule to the Serenissima’s full sovereignty and fall in 1797, as well as the city’s later development in the 18th and 19th century.

The history of Venice is considered both in terms of its impact on European history and by how European and even non-European history has filtered through the lagoon-city, a unique perspective both in terms of reception and elaboration.

These two different approaches reflect the constant intertwining of the city-state’s relationship to its surroundings and, in turn, that of the surroundings to the city-state.
The Institute has also applied new methodologies and information to specific issues of Venetian history – e.g. the origins of the city and the fundamentals of its constitution – with the aim of amplifying prior studies and opening new fields of investigation.

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