Re: Off Beat Question? Venice, anyone?

["Paul Ferguson" <fergdawg () netzero net>]

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- -- "Paul Ferguson" <fergdawg () netzero net> wrote:

> This is completely off topic, but it's something that has really
> been bugging me, and I can't find the answer (or perhaps I'm not
> asking Google -- or other places -- the right question).
>
> If you've never been to Venice, you can hit 'delete' now.
>
> I'm looking for a name, and additional references, to these
> "objects" that I recall seeing and being told about when I was
> in Venice a few years ago.
>
> The one I saw was on a wall, either adjacent to the Doge's Palace
> (Palazzo Ducale) or on a wall at the palace structure(s) itself,
> or on a wall adjacent to St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco).
>
> It looked like either a Lion's face, with an open mouth, or perhaps
> a Sun (Sol) -likeness with an open mouth, in which citizen's could
> surreptitiously insert letters to the authorities (Maggior
> Consiglio? All of the building surrounding Piazza San Marco
> were government officals, including 'law enforcement' who ran
> the prison -- also close by) informing on the 'criminal'
> activities -- or treasonous acts or religious descrepancies --
> of other citizens or their neighbors.
>
> In the days in which religious persecution reigned (e.g. The
> Spanish Inquisition), this was very common.
>
> So what were this "secrets portals" called?
>
> Anyone? This has actually been keeping me awake at night. :-)
>
> I would really appreciate a pointer or two...

I did find one reference, as background, on Wikipedia:

[snip]

In 1454, the Supreme Tribunal of the three state inquisitors was
established to guard the security of the republic. By means of espionage,
counterespionage, internal surveillance and a network of informers, they
ensured that Venice did not come under the rule of a single "signore", as
many other Italian cities did at the time. One of the inquisitors -
popularly known as Il Rosso ("the red one") because of his scarlet robe -
was chosen from the Doge's councillors, two - popularly known as I negri
("the black ones") because of their black robes - were chosen from the
Council of Ten. The Supreme Tribunal gradually assumed some of the powers
of the Council of Ten.

[snip]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Venice#Government

But alas, I still don't know what these "snitch portals" were
actually called. :-)

- - ferg

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--
"Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson
 Engineering Architecture for the Internet
 fergdawg(at)netzero.net
 ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/


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