War and Violence in Early and High Medieval Venice: A Sourcebook

War and Violence in Early and High Medieval Venice presents a comprehensive collection of primary sources, providing insight into all aspects of Venetian warfare and internal conflict during this formative period.

This valuable sourcebook offers annotated English translations alongside original Latin texts chronicling Venice’s remarkable journey from its emergence as an independent Adriatic force to its rise as one of the major powers in the Mediterranean in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The sources reveal how Venetians maintained independence against neighboring rulers and raiders while establishing internal stability despite occasional coups. Readers will also discover how Venice strategically exploited the conquest of the Holy Land and the weakening of Byzantine naval power to expand eastward, often through military force, and successfully challenged powers like the German Empire during the 1150s-1170s.

Through its chronological and topical approach, this resource will appeal to scholars and students of medieval Venice, Europe, and the Mediterranean, as well as those interested in military and political history.

Luigi Andrea Berto is Professor of Medieval History at Western Michigan University, USA. His research focuses on Medieval Italy and the Mediterranean, with a special interest in the use of the past in the medieval and modern periods, and the relationships between Christians and Muslims.