In bookstores from May 23, 2025

In January 1520, following heavy rainfall, waste abandoned in the alleys of Venice was swept into the canals, threatening both public health and the city’s reputation. The Venetian authorities were forced to act and tasked the town crier, Pasqualin Durazin, with announcing official directives in no fewer than 80 different locations.

This narrative device sets the stage for the book, which follows in the crier’s footsteps to offer a vivid, real-time portrayal of Venice in that era—a densely populated, cosmopolitan city animated by a multitude of languages and customs. Seeking to understand how a community takes shape at the end of the Middle Ages, Claire Judde de Larivière brings its people to life: from the bankers of Rialto to German merchants, from sex workers to ruling nobles. And then nuns, innkeepers, boatmen, fishermen, pilgrims…

By exploring their ecological awareness, their trust in justice, and their sense of belonging, this books reveals the vitality of Venice’s inhabitants—an urban reality as unique as it is emblematic of medieval society.

Translated by Paolo Nelli
Original title: Vénitiens! Vénitiennes! La traversée d’une ville (Venise, 1520)
Year of publication: 2025