The History of the Church through 100 Masterpieces

Venetian Power

The History of the Church 96 Venetian Power One full century after Canossa, despite all the treatises, the conflicts between the Holy See and the German emperor reemerged. This time, it was Pope Alexander III in opposition to Frederick Barbarossa, who installed an antipope in Rome. But the plague decimated his army, and he was forced to retreat. During the occupation, Pope Alexander had taken refuge in a monastery in Venice, and so the city of the Doges served as the venue and intermediary for the reconciliation between papacy and empire. Thus, on July 24, 1177, Barbarossa recognized Alexander as the legitimate pontiff, and the latter acknowledged the temporal power of the emperor as not being subordinate to spiritual authority. In a way, this agreement prefigured the separation of church and state. Venice emerged all the stronger from the episode. In gratitude for their role in the affair, the pope conferred on Doge Ziani an unprecedented form of dominion over the Adriatic Sea, declaring, “May the sea be submissive to you as a wife to her husband.” Since then, Venice holds an annual celebration of its espousals to the Adriatic Sea in which a gold ring is solemnly thrown into the waters by the Lido. Along the centuries, Venetian artists have never ceased to recall this papal legitimization of the power of their city. Francesco Bassano, the Younger (alias, Francesco da Ponte) (1549–1592) Alexander III Sends the Blessed Sword to Doge Ziani Palazzo degli Dogi, Venice ...