The Date of the Composition of Contarini's and Giannotti's Books on Venice

The two standard works on the government of Venice in the Renaissance were published nearly simultaneously close to the middle of the sixteenth century. And almost up to the present day they have been the classic works on this topic. In 1540 Donato Giannotti's Libro dela Republica de’ Vinitiani appeared, and in 1543, Gasparo Contarini's De magistratibus et republica Venetorum libri quinque. The manuscripts of these two works were completed some years before the books were printed. But in both cases the exact date when the manuscripts were composed and completed has not been settled. Because of the importance of the books and their authors, it seems worthwhile to take another look at this question of the date of the composition of these two treatises on the Venetian government and to see whether it can be settled.