Chapter 739 Two Francescos

The Bridge of Sighs is a bridge built in the 16th century in Venice, Italy. It was completed in 1600. It connects the Doge's Palace and the prison. At that time, after the prisoners were tried and sentenced at the Governor's Mansion, they walked from the Governor's Mansion to the death row through the Bridge of Sighs. What they faced would be a farewell to the world forever. Looking out at the beautiful Venice for the last time from the window on the bridge, I couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

The Bridge of Sighs had no name at first. The British poet Byron wrote a book "Child Harold's Travels" between 1812 and 1818. In the poem, he wrote: I stand on the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, with a palace at one end and a palace at the other end. is a prison.

The term "Bridge of Sighs" quickly spread in the UK and some other countries, but Byron never wrote that kissing under the Bridge of Sighs can obtain eternal love. Only God knows how this rumor became "public knowledge".

Byron's book is very "depressed", just like the gloomy character in the British bones, the sunshine of the Mediterranean cannot be dispelled. He once wrote "Foscari and Son", which described the governor Phocaris' inability to communicate with the senators. He had no choice but to allow his son to be tortured to death, and he himself was deposed, and he fell to the ground and died when the bell of his successor took office. The story was re-adapted by Verdi into the opera "The Two Focaris". The Gothic palace Foscari Palace left by the Governor of Focaris has also become the Foscari University in Venice.

Alessandro is not material for studying, but his father is a gondola boatman. If he continues to work as a boatman in the future, tourists who have studied more than him may not earn as much money as he does.

During Foscari's reign, Venice was engaged in a protracted war with Milan under the Visconti family. Venice did not have an advantage in land combat, and finally gradually lost to the Milanese army led by Francesco Sforza.

Foscari had two marriages, the first to Maria Priori and the second in 1415 to Marina Nani, but ended up with only one son. His son Jacopo Foscari was identified as bribery and corruption by the Ten in 1445, and then escaped from Venice. After two more trials in 1450 and 1456, Jacob was imprisoned in Crete, where he died shortly thereafter. In 1457, the Tenmen forced Foscari to abdicate, and he died a week after his abdication, after which he was honored with a state funeral.

A hero, a criminal, this is the final outcome of the Foscari family.

The management reform of the arsenal was also carried out when Francesco Foscari took office.

If the European Renaissance started in Italy, then the Italian Renaissance started with literature. Although Italian literature before the 14th century had achieved some development, under the church's strict control over books, no real personal self-liberation was achieved.

Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarch, and Machiavelli shouted loudly in their works, hoping to enlighten the wisdom of the people, but the blooming of this light requires talented people and a large number of books to supplement.

But the Italians at that time obviously did not notice this. In order to promote the development of the Renaissance, the Medici family spent huge sums of money to hire people to collect ancient manuscripts and works from all over the world, but a medieval manuscript they bought from abroad was unexpectedly Placed in the monastery no one cares about.

Oh yes, every city has a library, that's a sign of civilization.

There are very few people who study in the library all year round in a city, just as few as people who run. One day, Boccaccio suddenly became very excited and visited the library of a certain monastery. To his surprise, those monks were tearing expensive manuscripts into pieces and selling them to those who were equally ignorant.

It turned out that this group of civilians hoped to avoid disasters and illnesses through this, and they regarded it as a talisman.

There are rumors that the Renaissance is related to the wealth of the Knights Templar, and it is human nature to spend a lot of money on boat tickets for personal safety.

However, Venice in the 14th and 15th centuries was not as rich as people thought. The Black Death and wars caused the population to drop sharply. After it is over, Venice will have no power to protect itself.

A rich city without the ability to protect itself will attract greedy prying eyes, either from other countries' navies or pirates.

They want to enjoy the pleasure brought by wealth, but are reluctant to invest for safety. Tax evasion is something that many rich people will do.

The rich people in Venice blocked the windows and painted fake ones to keep the beauty of the building.

The Chinese have also done this. Many nobles evaded taxes and occupied a large amount of land, resulting in a reduction in national tax revenue. After the outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty carried out tax reforms, changing from rent and servants to the two-tax law.

The country has no money, and it wages frequent wars with foreign countries. Not to mention that military exploits are not rewarded, and the social status is still low. Soldiers feel dissatisfied and mutiny.

As an occupied country, Italians do not like Napoleon, but the feelings of the British towards Napoleon are the feelings of the public towards heroes. There is no contradiction between the enemy and admiration. The enemy is more and more respected because of its strength.

Napoleon said: "If a country's soldiers are not as respected as businessmen, then the country is not far from subjugation."

Stalin said: "A country that carefully calculates the treatment of soldiers is preparing for the next war reparation. The country pretends to care about the soldiers, and the soldiers also pretend to defend the country."

The reason why soldiers should be respected is not because of the word soldier, but because of their responsibilities. However, the Republic of Venice is a very special country. Its land is a city supported by wood and floating on the sea. It is not as powerful as France. firm soil.

The floating deck in international law is also part of the territory. After the July Revolution, France also started a republic system. During the reign of Charles X, he carried out a great purge of the soldiers who served Napoleon, restored the power of the land nobles, and compensated 650,000 francs were given to the old aristocracy who lost their property in the French Revolution. He raised the status of the bourgeoisie, but still relied on the power of the old aristocracy. is the complete opposite.

In the face of disaster and fear, kings and nobles will not run away, only commoners can.

A commoner wants to be respected by nobles, and extravagance arises in the process of satisfying his own comfort and respect.

The extravagant wealthy nobles were dreaming of luxury and luxury in Luoyang, Chang'an. They didn't wake up until the army of An Lushan came. When they panicked, they found that the emperor had left. What's worse, refugees broke into those heavily guarded mansions. Here, the rebels fell before breaking through the city of Chang'an.

In the choice between money or death, the sober choose death, but there are many people who are confused.

The wealth collected by the Knights Templar from the East brought them a catastrophe. The king of France needed military expenses, so he directly fabricated an excuse to do it.

Napoleon Panama also needs money to expand the army. Compared with those bourgeois and nobles, he seems to prefer ancient legends. He robbed artworks and a lot of books. Those stone sculptures are not real money.

To find evidence that the Venetians protected the Knights Templar requires "ledgers," or descendants of living Knights, and people who know that history.

I heard that there are Jews behind the Freemasons. If Venice once again becomes the pearl of the Adriatic Sea by establishing the "Swiss Bank", then the participation of Jews will be indispensable, and the profession of accounting will be very tight.

Why choose Venice instead of Milan, the capital of Lombardy? Venice is sinking. The whole world knows it. The rich save their money in the hope of putting it in a safe place. Milan has solid land. What will Venice use to defeat him?

Milan is also a veritable financial center, concentrating 90% of the country's financial transactions.

Venetians still believe in God, as evidenced by two churches.

Which is higher, art or trade or faith?

Pomona inexplicably has the feeling that she is the hostess of the salon, with smart people talking around her, and she only needs to be in charge of giggling, providing food and venues.

For modern people, Morocco is a good place to hide money. In ancient times, it was also a turbulent place. It is like a piggy bank. It only depends on whether there are people who are short of money and are willing to tear off the disguise of civilization and do it like Napoleon. robbed.

In the face of desire, all morality and law will be useless.

The power it generates keeps mankind moving forward, and imprisoning it will prevent progress. Who would have thought about the dark middle ages?

The destructive power it produces is also astonishing. How many ancient civilizations have been destroyed by it. They are not even like Torcello Island, leaving some ruins of churches and residential buildings, leaving only the most solid foundations.

Ordinary wood begins to rot when it is soaked in water. The foundation of Venice is made of countless tree stumps. The land opens and closes at times due to the ebb and flow of the tide. The house is like a water bird, sometimes floating on the water, and sometimes folding its wings and resting on the ground.

The reason why it sinks has nothing to do with the wood, but the water that once protected the people on the island from being harmed by the people on the shore.

The Adriatic plate is sinking, and the sea water is rising due to global warming. This pearl in the sea will eventually return to the sea.

That was another kind of helplessness, as if there was really nothing to do but sigh.