The story of Bianca Cappello tells us something about the institutions of the Republic of Venice, the agility of its government, and of early modern diplomacy.
The Venetians fleeing the Lombards migrated into the lagoons along the Adriatic coast. Lagoons in the plural, as there were several, but what kind of environment was that, why was it there, and how did the Venetian settle in?
The invasion of the Lombards in 568 set in motion another migration. A part of the people of the Byzantine province of Venetia fled the Lombards, and headed for the areas which remained under the control of Constantinople.
The Lombard invasion of Byzantine Italy in 568 was a pivotal event in Venetian history, as it kicked off the movement towards a distinct Venetian society, culture and, ultimately, state.
Pigs and bulls lose in the alleyways, wooden castles smashed with maces, human towers and funambulists. The Venetian carnival was quite unlike the modern replica.
Venice produced and exported Theriac, an ancient wonder medicine for just about every ailment imaginable. It was a flourishing business for centuries, and an important part of the Venetian economy.
