Governare la frontiera: approcci e pratiche della dominazione veneziana nelle Bocche di Cattaro (1573-1645)

This dissertation investigates the institutional structures and the Venetian governance in Kotor Bay between the War of Cyprus and the War of Crete (1573-1645): one of the most complex and long-lasting periods of peace between Venice and the Ottoman Empire. The inquiry unfolds by highlighting the role of Kotor within the Stato da mar, followed by an analysis of the political body of the city, in order to demonstrate the role of city councils, as well as limitations in the application of the law. Through the pleas (suppliche) presented by the local communities to Venice, and the rectors’ reports (relazioni), one can observe the development of the rural district within Kotor’s jurisdiction and explore an analysis of the privileges granted by the government to the rural communities, drawing parallels with other towns in Dalmatia and the Venetian terraferma. Most of the concessions were of a financial nature, functioning to stimulate the participation of these subjects in the state’s trade and reinforce the local economy after the end of the war. To that end, the fourth chapter illustrates the socio-economic profile of Kotor Bay, underlining the actors involved and the primary commercial networks, techniques, and development of institutions and legislations created to improve the financial efficiency of the territory. The relation between the Venetian and Ottoman communities also appears in the fifth chapter of the dissertation, where Kotor is contextualised within the political scene of the 17th-century Adriatic, a world dominated by the Uskoks, Spanish and Barbaresque corsairs. Here it is possible to observe the institutional responses to problems that arose by the growing foreign presence, the relation with the Barbary States, and the conflict dynamics amongst the subjects of different communities within the area. Finally, the research concludes with a brief chapter on the role of Kotor in the Mediterranean, analysing its position within the postal network that connected Venice to Costantinople from 1535 forward. This final analysis is undertaken by inquiring into the institutional development of the network, as well as the vicissitudes of three families from Kotor charged with overseeing this task. In conclusion, the study aims to elucidate the significance of the Venetian governance in Kotor Bay: a multireligious and pluri-statal maritime frontier, just 87 km2 in size. One may observe not only the flexibility of Venetian and Ottoman actions taken at their borders, but also contextualise the practices and the socio-economic relations that occurred between these two powers within the great political changes that marked the years between the 16th and 17th centuries.