Fondaco del Megio

The Fondaco del Megio, rarely Fondaco del Miglio, was a memory for millet in Venice, which was built in the 14th or early 15th century on the Grand Canal. The building is located in the Santa Croce district, just east of the Fondaco dei Turchi near the church of San Stae. The façade, which was left as a single from the building consists of brick and look north of the Grand Canal and the west side facade of the Rio Fontego dei Turchi. Only a few decorative elements, such as an emblem with the Lion of St. Mark (130 x 335 cm) and a battlement, can be found on the building. Today is behind the facade a primary school.

Millet and sorghum storage

The name derives from the Venetian expressions for Warehouse ( Fontego ) and millet ( Megio, lat mileum ). 1275 and 1346 Mileum played an important role in limiting a famine in the city, because there was not enough wheat ( frumentum ) available. These cereal demanded the population, since only white bread was acceptable in their eyes. Only the poor and new immigrants from rural backgrounds accepted dark breads. During the famine of 1346 was already a millet memory, but it is not clear whether this memory stood in the same place as the current building.

Not later than the 16th century it was considered a sign of complete inability of a Doge, if he had to sell millet to the baker who had it and grind as bread sold on to the public. As in 1570, the Doge Pietro Loredan died, it was announced: " El dose mejotto, che fa vender el pan de mejo ai Pistori, xe morto " (! The Hirsedoge, who had to sell millet bread to the baker, is dead ) He had 1559 can sell the unpopular cereal.

From the millet Reserve hung in emergency supplies to the population so much from that in 1423 the decision was taken, a lot of 120,000 star or staia millet store permanently. When star is a measure of capacity, so that the exact weight can only be approximated. 120,000 star is equivalent to around 8,000 tonnes. Already in 1275 he had stored 4,500 tons of whether, however, is not known in Fontego del Megio. But the unpopularity of millet hanging might not only with the demand for white wheat flour together, but also so that it has sometimes been stored badly or for too long. So it was not possible in 1554, more than 74,000 retrieve from the 80 000 star fixed millet reserve, of which a considerable part was already 8 to 12 years old.

In addition to the open sale millet also existed a hidden. Again and again saw himself for the purpose of price regulation forced to mix the wheat a little millet flour, bean flour in the worst case. But the wheat quality was highly variable, which in the late Middle Ages to a common classification into four grades of well led to poor.

Transitions when millet memory

Some of the courses in the area of the building have yet to go to the millet memory. Thus, there are a Sotoportego del Megio on the way to Campo San Giacomo dall'Orio, the largest square in the Santa Croce district, as well as a Calle del Megio, a millet alley and a Calle larga Fondaco del Megio. About this narrow aisles near the resident population could be supplied. Otherwise millet was shipped by boat directly to the approximately 70 wage bakers of the city, or to the homes that were eligible to purchase this grain directly and process them. These included about monasteries.

Repurposing to primary school

Today is located in the building an elementary school, the Scuola primaria " Alessandro Manzoni " with 13 rooms and a large garden to the rear of the adjacent Palazzo Priuli. In order to build this school, acquired the municipality in 1922 and left the empty memory, tear up the facade, the entire structure. The boys' school was in charge of the parish of San Cassiano (San Cassan ), girls were only added in the 70s.