ISTRIA
HISTORICAL-GEOGRAPHICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION
After being under Byzantine, Lombard and Frankish rule, medieval Istria experienced government by bishops, secular signorie, attempts to establish imperial feudal domains, the rule of the Patriarchate of Aquileia, and the development of town communities. During the 10th century occasionally turbulent relations started between Venice and Istrian towns, which resulted in agreements being drawn up and allegiances sworn. During the second half of 12th century, as in the rest of Northern Italy, communal rules were finally drawn up; quite a few Venetian podestà also played a role.
At the beginning of 13th century the peninsula was divided into two parts: the patriarchal Marquisate of Istria, formed by towns with communal rules on the coast or in nearby inland areas, and a large feudal internal signoria, the County of Istria, formed by the grouping of many secular or ecclesiastical feudal domains. At the end of 14th century this County was finally conquered by the Habsburgs and became archducal Istria (Trieste too was conquered by Habsburgs), whereas the rest of the peninsula was included in the Venetian state, mainly through dedizioni, in three different periods.
The first period started with the dedizione of Parenzo in the second half of the 13th century, which allowed Venice to control the entire west coast of Istria – with the farthest points, Trieste and Pola, excluded.
The second occurred in the first half of 14th century and saw the dedizione of Pola and the near lands, followed by the brief occupation of Trieste.
The last period began around 1420, at the end of the Patriarchate, when Venice completed its possessions in Istria.
In the early 16th century several political changes took place. The war with the Empire broke out in March 1508, and during the month of May Venice occupied Duino, Gorizia, Postumia, Trieste, Pisino, Fiume, besides some lands in Cadore, thus achieving the political unity of the peninsula. After the defeat by the league of Cambrai at Agnadello (May, 1509), the conquered lands had to be abandoned. Only in 1513 did a lasting peace come.
The peace of Worms in 1521 defined the borders between Venice and the Empire, favoring the first in Istria and the second in Carsia; details were later refined through the arbitration of Trent in 1535. From that moment on Venice experienced no more territorial changes in Istria, not even between 1615 and 1617 when Venice and the Habsburgs fought the Uskok War, which included battles in Istria and later in Gradisca, that did not produce meaningful territorial changes.
From the administrative point of view, the Venetian territory was organized in reggimenti that had a direct link to Venice. Venetian authority was represented by the Rettore, who lived on site, who here and almost everywhere alse assumed the title of podestà (and therefore podesterie for the regiments). A minor part of the territory was divided also into various feudal jurisdictions.
Different magistratures were also established, and had a provincial authority. They were permanent or temporary (the latter might be periodic) and had specific military or civilian tasks.
PROVINCIAL OR TEMPORARY VENETIAN MAGISTRATURES
Venice considered Istria as a group of separate entities over which it maintained direct administrative connections through Rettori and without provincial magistratures.
The first entity – the Capitano of Paisanatico – was established in the early 14th century and was exclusively military, a role that later was transferred to the Capitano of Raspo. The latter had an administrative role in the reggimenti and a military role in over-reggimental magistratures.
From the 15th century on, other temporary magistrature started to be established, in Istria or having authority on Istria, with provincial authority and specific military or civilian tasks. Magistratures with an inquisitorial and control task were periodically nominated; others were established to face emergencies and were abolished when the emergency ceased.
Later, the civilian and military tasks of Podestà e capitano of Capodistria also grew by including provincial authority.
For our purposes, the Venetian magistratures of Capodistria and Raspo, which had both reggimental and over-reggimental authority, are listed under the reggimenti.
REGIMENTS
From the political-institutional and administrative point of view, the first phase of the Venetian presence saw a direct relationship between Venice and the single towns or villages that had been acquired; Venetian authority was exercised through the different podesterie, which were governed by rettori, who were Venetian nobles.
Podesterie were divided between «towns»: Capodistria, Cittanova, Parenzo, Pola, and «lands»: Albona, Buie, Dignano, Fianona, Grisignana, Isola, San Lorenzo, Montona, Muggia, Pinguente, Pirano, Portole, Rovigno, Umago, Valle; the difference was only honorary.
The various offices of rettore had different terms that were regulated beginning in 1306: 16 months for sea towns and 32 for land towns.
Starting from the end of the 16th century, the authority of Podestà and capitano of Capodistria became wider, so that Capodistria actually acquired a leading role in the province of Istria and the other reggimenti almost became vicariates, i.e. with a subordinate position.
FEUDAL ESTATES
A smaller part of the Venetian Istrian territory was enfeoffed in 13 jurisdictions.
Because of the adverse situation experienced at the end of the 16th century, Venice chose to reinforce the State, and also tried to regulate the feudal system by creating, in 1586, the Provveditori sopra feudi.
Most jurisdictions were subject on appeal to the podesteria of Capodistria, that also deliberated on corporal punishments. In matter of criminal law, they were subject to the capitanato of Raspo.
Besides these signorie, some local noble families, the episcopates of Cittanova and Capodistria and the communes of Pirano and Umago, enjoyed certain feudal rights, such as tithes and other earnings from different villages and places with only a few hundred inhabitants.