What happened on April 17 in Venice

According to the Venetian Liturgical Calendar, the Saint of the Day is St. Anicetus.

- April 17, 887: after being invalided Doge Giovanni abdicates and his brother Orso renounces the throne, thus the Arengo proclaims Doge Pietro Candiano I. The deacon Giovanni describes him as about 45 years old, of medium height and extraordinary moral qualities, very pious, wise and generous in character. Former Doge Giovanni welcomes him to the palace and kindly hands him the scepter, the sword and the seat; unfortunately, he held the position for just five months, because on 18 September, during an expedition against Narentan pirates, this energetic Doge lost his life in battle near a mountain on the Dalmatian coast.

- April 17, 1355: execution of Doge Marin Falier, sentenced by the Republic for high treason in the palace court.

- April 17, 1797: Veronese Easter breaks out. On the night of April 16, a poster appears on the streets of Verona with the false signature of the former Provveditore Francesco Battagia, which serves to stir up the anti-French revolt: Napoleon needs a pretext to declare war on the Republic, so the French occupy all the castles of Verona and open fire on the population in the evening. After a week of urban warfare, which cost the lives of dozens of invaders, the French reprisal is atrocious, with summary trials entrusted to the court-martial of General Beaupoil: General Kilmaine confiscates the public fund, imposes the payment of 1,800,000 lire tornesi, robs masterpieces of art, the Jacobin council orders that silverware of the churches be handed in and requests that Monte di Pietà be sacked, intends to change the name of the city to 'Legalitopoli', has the Bishop of Verona Giovanni Andrea Avogadro arrested and with drum beating all personae non gratae. The martial court sentences the two Venetian governors to death in absentia, while the Count of Emilei and Count Augusto Verità were executed along with many others, such as the Capuchin friar Domenico Frangini. Another fifty Veronese are also executed, sent to the penal colony in French Guiana.

Taken from 'Almanacco di Venezia -1600 anni ab Urbe còndita' by Andrea Gersich and Edoardo Rubini

Venice, 17th April 2021