Procuratie

Magistrates (it. Procuratia di San Marco) is the name for the existing since the Middle Ages Venetian building authority.

The Office of the procurators of San Marco is very old. It was initially only responsible for the administration and maintenance of the Dogenkapelle. In the period from the 14th to the 16th century, however, always new tasks were added, so that eventually a large proportion of internal administration and the political executive was settled by the procurators.

Responsible concerned for the original area of San Marco and Piazza were the Procuratori di supra, for the affairs on both sides of the channel Procuratori di Citra and Procuratori di Ultra. The procurators had to manage the assets of San Marco, they acted as executor of foundations, since the 14th century they were responsible for urban planning and for the city council and they gave works contracts, for example, house for pilgrims and sailors. The procurators appointed each a chief architect, the proto for the construction projects.

Since the office was connected with great political influence and prestige, it was very popular. Many Dogen had held a power of attorney gates Office prior to their election.

In the buildings of both the offices of the Procurators and apartments were housed. The ground floor contained shops that earned the procurators rental income.

The old Magistrates

Seat of the procurators were to mid-16th century, the Old Magistrates ( Procuratie Vecchie ) on the north side of the Piazza San Marco. The building was begun under the Doge Sebastiano Ziani to 1172, rebuilt about 1204 for its function as an administrative building and remained in this form until the 15th century preserved. It was rebuilt from 1512 the architects Bartolomeo Buon and Guglielmo Grigi and Jacopo Sansovino, who was proto from 1529, is completed. The Old Magistrates were built three stories again after the fire of 1540. Despite the formal language of the Renaissance but reproduces the overall picture the appearance of the old building.

Sansovino completed the Magistrates with a west wing to the church of San Geminianus, for whom he designed the facade. This church has been demolished under Napoleon.

The building has three floors, most of which are divided by two lower pillared arcades and arcades. The individual floors are offset from each other by wide frieze.

The new Magistrates

The old Magistrates opposite new Magistrates ( Procuraties Nuove ) were started under the direction of Vincenzo Scamozzi and completed around 1640 Baldassare Longhena. Architectural model for the façade is built by Sansovino at the Piazzetta library Libreria Vecchia or Libreria di San Marco.

The new Magistrates were established after the conquest of Venice by Napoleon as his living quarters. 1810 tiewing was built by the architect Giuseppe Soli, the so-called Ala Ala Novissima or Napoleonic, as a replacement for the broken Sansovino building, and San Geminianus church.