March 25, 421 a star is born

According to tradition, the first settlement in Venice is located on an island slightly higher than the others, for this reason called Rivus Altus (Rialto).

On the day of the Annunciation, which fell on March 25, 421, the church of San Giacometo was erected by a Candioto (or Eutinoto), as a vow for having been saved from a fire.

At that time Italy was the scene of the ferocious raids of the barbarians and the lagoon was an ideal place to take refuge, as the invaders moved on horseback.

In fact, recent archaeological excavations have shown that in the mid-fifth century the inhabitants of Aquileia took refuge in the islands of the lagoon to escape invasions.

The migration of entire populations to the Venetian lagoon, which gave rise to stable settlements, dates back to the Lombard period, according to Chronicon Altinate (11th century), the foundation of Venice is the year 421.

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«L’anno 421, il giorno 16 di Marzo, fu da i Consoli sopra ciò creati, fatto questo editto: “Si quis navalis faber, si quis nauticae reis paritus eo habitaturus se contulerit is immunis esto et c.”. 

Alberto Faletro e Tomaso Candiano, o Zeno Daulo, furono quelli sopredetta opera eletti, i quali insieme con tre principali gentiluomeni, andati a Riva Alta, l’anno sopradetto 421 il giorno 25 del mese di Marzo nel mezzo giorno del Lunedì Santo, a questa Illustrissima et Eccelsa Città Christiana, e maravigliosa fù dato principio ritrovandosi all’hora il Cielo in singolare dispositione.

E ciò successero l’anno della creation del mondo 5601 dalla venuta di Christo, 421; dalla editificazione di Aquileia, e Padova, 1583; e finalmente dalla venuta dè Heneti alla laguna la prima volta anni 13. Ovvero 14.

Già essendo la prima Chiesa fondata, e la religione che la Città, e la Signoria tengono Dio per assicurare l’Italia la quale minacciava rovina, e per la partita di Costantino, rimanendo in preda de Barbari, il già distrutto Imperio, Sua Divina Maestà volle che una Città Cattolica, e libera sorgesse di nuovo, rappresentando col corpo suo, tutta quella Provincia, dalla quale essa fu partorita. »

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The birth of Venice was actually a slow and obscure process, which began in the second half of the sixth century and lasted until at least the ninth century, if we consider the formation of that urban complex which today is the city of Venice.

Sources:
    • Ancient Venetian Chronicles by Giovanni Monticolo, at “Warburg Institute Library, School of Advanced Study, University of London”
    • History of Venice
    • Marciana National Library