The clatter of silverware on china was the perfect background noise for a lively conversation at Uncle Gio’s dinner table. Sofia quietly ate her meal while her Uncle continued talking about something that he called ‘no big deal.’
“Like I said, your Aunt Lisabetta isn’t a true Lombardo.”
“Wait,” interrupted Aunt Christa, “If Lisabetta isn’t a true Lombado, does that mean I am not a true Lombardo, either?”
“Well…no,” stammered Uncle Gio.
“No I’m not or No I am?”
‘You are a true Lombardo,” interrupted Frannie, “just like I am both a true Lombardo and a true Angelino and Aunt Lisabetta is a true Lombardo, too.”
“Am I a true Lombardo?” asked cousin Valentina.
“Of course you are.”
“What if I marry a boy who isn’t a true Lombardo?”
“We are all true Lombardos.”
“How can that be?”
Uncle Gio heaved a sigh as Signora Angelino placed her napkin upon her plate and moved her chair from the table. Aunt Frannie was ready to be heard once again.
“The Lombardos began in the days when Venice was just being built and the Roman Empire had just crumbled. Rome was no longer the capital. The Empire had been torn into two and moved East. The Western half dissolved and the Eastern half had officially moved out of Italy and into Byzantium. Italy was left in the hands of the Ostrogoths.
Justinian the Great, who ruled the Byzantine Empire, had been born in Constantinople. However, he wasn’t the son of a king or even a nobleman. He was a nephew of Emperor Justin, his nipote.”
“Just like me, said cousin Valentina.
“And me too,” said Sofia as she pointed to her Aunt and Uncle.
“Even Emperor Justin, who was the grandson of Emperor Anastasius, wasn’t a true Emperor. Anastasius was once a court official who simply married the widowed Empress Ariadne.”
“I wish I could marry a King,” said Valentina dreamily.
“There are no kings in Italy now,” said Aunt Frannie.
“Yes, but there are Kings in other places.”
“For now, you’ll just have to be my nipote,” said Aunt Frannie, “Italy is no longer decided by who are related to, but who will vote for you. The president runs the Republic just like the days of Julius Caesar, when a group of elected officials, like the Senate, who oversee the day-to-day operations.”
“Maybe I could marry a Senator…”
“Val, let your auntie get back to her story,” said Aunt Christa.
“Justinian was looking for assistance from anywhere he could find it,. At the same time, the last of the infamous Germanic tribes crossed the Danube. They were the Longobardi.”
“The Longobardi? Is that us?” asked cousin Valentina.
Aunt Frannie nodded.
“It was the end of the migration period, when barbarians moved throughout Europe. It was also the beginning of the Gothic Wars. Justinian hired the Longobardi to help defeat invading tribes.
After the Longobardi defeated the enemies of Justinian, they traveled west and south, ransacking the Ostrogoth capital in Ravenna. After they defeated the Goths, they moved back to their homeland, but found another Germanic people in their territory. The Longobardi defeated them, too. In the meantime, Ravenna was reclaimed by the Byzantine Empire. Justinian hoped he could reclaim the Roman Empire’s ancient glory.”
“I bet he was successful.”
“I’m sorry, Val, but he wasn’t successful.”
“Then how did we become Italian?”
“Italy isn’t just about the Empire. There is much more to it than that.”
“Like?”
“Like the Dark Ages. As the Longobardi entered the Italian countryside, it was being devastated by famine and plague. People lived wretchedly, watching friends and family fall ill. One out of three Italians died during this time. It was called ‘The Plague of Justinian.’ Those who survived had to face the Longobardi, who weren’t only armed for war, but in near-perfect health. The Longobardi quickly overran Italy, too.
King Alboin and the Longobardi, however, did not control all of Italy. Popes and Bishops ruled loosely over a narrow strip in central Italy, including the strongholds of Rome and Ravenna. With the Longobardi Empire cut into two halves, King Alboin appointed his best officers as Dukes in the southern half of the boot.”
“Dukes ruled over smaller plots of land, called Duchys,” added Uncle Gio, “Venice was a Duchy. The Doges Palace is where our Duke lived in those days.”
“That’s not entirely true, brother,” said Aunt Frannie, “Dukes were given their title by Kings of Popes and were often nobieman. The Doge of Venice was selected by the people..”
Signora Angelino continued, “Even Rome had become a small duchy kingdom. Without a true Italian king, many people turned to religion and the Roman Catholic Church.”
“What could the Church do?”
“In those days, the church offered sanctuary. Through donations made by churchgoers, churches and monasteries were well fortified against Barbarian attacks.
In fact, Pope Gregory even sold off papal lands to help feed the people of his church. For this, he was called a true pastoral pope – and was later declared a Saint by the Catholic Church.
As the Middle Ages passed, people relied more and more on the church. When the Papacy couldn’t get help from the Byzantines, they looked to the Frankish Kingdom in France. Pepin the Short, who was their king, defeated the Longobardi in northern Italy. He also made the “Donation of Pepin”, handing the conquered parts of northern Italy to the church.”
“Why did he do that?”
“After Constantine’s rule, kings and emperors relied on their Christian faith to acquire great armies of followers. Throughout the Middle Ages, churches and kingdoms had a strange but workable co-existence. In fact, when King Charles of France helped remove the last of the Longobaardi from power in Italy, Pope Leo III crowned him King of the Roman Empire.”
“However,” added Uncle Gio, “historians called the reign of Charles, ‘The Holy Roman Empire’ to distinguish it from the old Roman Empire. King Charles later became known as Charlemagne the Great. After he created the Holy Roman Empire, he united central Europe and brought it out of the Dark Ages.”
“Not only that, but while he ruled over the Northern part of Italy, he left Rome and the Papal States intact. This formed the foundation for the Italian Renaissance. This was also the time when Venice became a center of Mediterranean commerce and cities like Rome and Milan found a period of renewal, too.”
Signora Angelino and Aunt Christa cleared the table as soon as everyone finished eating.
“Let’s go outside and take a short rest.”
Uncle Gio had lined up a row of chairs along the sidewalk just outside the front door. Sofia joined her relatives there. Unlike the dinner table, it was relatively quiet. Squawking seagulls and the low hum of motorboat engines provided the new set of background sounds. Uncle Gio inhaled and exhaled deeply. Sofia mimicked him. The air was fresh and clean. The sky, clear and blue. A small square island sat just on the other side of the harbor.
“What is that?” asked Sofia.
“It’s San Michele,” said Uncle Gio, “it’s our Cemetery.”
Sofia tapped a finger gently on her lip as she pondered it. It was weird to think of a special cemetery island.
“Sometimes, it is difficult living on an island,” said Aunt Christa, “everything is compacted into this tiny space, but we’ve come to manage everything.”
Sofia nodded affirmatively.
“Still, we don’t mind traveling off the island for the finer things in life.”
“I think all the finest things are right here,” said Uncle Gio.
Sofia reclined in her chair, placing her head on the wall behind her. It was warm and comforting.
It seemed just perfect.
“What more could anyone want?” she asked herself.
The answer to that question would come as soon as they returned to the Grand Canal. For now, however, Sofia simply soaked up the sun and dreamt of Royal Venice.
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