Salve Venetia, gleanings from Venetian history; vol. IICrawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
History
Salve Venetia, gleanings from Venetian history; vol. II
Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
Venice (Italy) -- History
The Inquisitors now sent Sbirri in all directions throughout the
Venetian territory. They could not catch Alemanno, but he wearied of
eluding them, and judged that he could get better terms by submitting to
the Inquisitors. He did so, using the offices of his aunt, Countess
Giulia Gambara, who was married to a gentleman of Vicenza. The Podestà
of the latter city sent an officer and six soldiers to the place
designated by Alemanno, and he surrendered, and was taken first to
Padua, and then to Venice. As soon as he landed at the Piazzetta he was
put in charge of Cristofoli and the Sbirri, who took him before the
Inquisitors.
They exiled him to Zara, and wrote to the Governor of Dalmatia: ‘We
desire him to have a good lodging.... See that he frequents persons of
good habits, thanks to whom he may not wander from the right path on
which he has entered, and in which we wish him to continue.’
The Inquisitors, good souls, so mildly concerned for the wild boy’s
moral welfare, were soon to learn what Alemanno considered the ‘right
path,’ for the Governor of Dalmatia kept them well informed. Before long
they learned that a certain fisherman, who had refused to let the
Count’s butler, Antonio Barach, have a fine fish which was already sold
to another client, had been seized, taken into the Count’s house, and
severely beaten.
But the Inquisitors were inclined to be clement and paid no attention
to the accounts of his doings. In 1756 he was authorised to return to
his domains of
[Illustration: VIA GARIBALDI]
Pralboino and Corvione, and his real career began. His first care was to
engage as many desperate Bravi as he could find. One of these having had
a little difficulty with the police, and having been killed during the
argument, Alemanno captured a Sbirro, and so handled him that he sent
him back to his post a cripple for life.
Scarcely a year after his return from Zara, he rode through the town of
Calvisano, and without answering the Customs officer, whose duty it was
to ascertain if he were carrying anything dutiable, he galloped on and
escaped recognition. His servant, who followed him at a little distance,
was stopped, and as he answered the Customs men very rudely he was
locked up in jail. But when the officer in charge learned who the man
was, his fright was such that he not only set him at liberty at once,
but conversed with him and treated him in the most friendly manner.
The young Count was of course delighted to learn that his name spread
terror amongst government officials, and by way of showing what he could
do, he sent fifteen of his Bravi to Calvisano with orders to besiege the
Customs men. In the fighting that followed, one of the latter was killed
and their officer narrowly escaped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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