Enclosed within is the histories and journals of the patrician di Popa family of Venice
Codrinaru I di Popa, First Doge of Venezia
Codrinaru I di Popa
1066:
Here I start this journal. I am a fortune builder, having just raised my family to it's place as patricians in the Serene Republic of Venezia. I may have a reputation as a lustful hedonist whose cynicism will have him sell his mother in order to prepare for the future. But that is nonsense, my mother would not gain a good enough price from the mainlanders to make worthy such a transaction.
I have recently bribed my way up the social ladder of the Venetian political scene to become it's first doge. However the other four families: Dandolo, Morosini, Ziani and Faliero do not like or trust me or my family in the slightest due to my rapid rise in both stature and power. I feel this will be a problem soon enough.
Be it what it may, all I need to write down about my home life is that my wife is a young and complacent hunchback, and my baby son Amadeo will take my place as Doge of Venezia once I pass.
Now, more importantly, I need to gain greater personal control over not only Venetian trade, but Mediterranean trade. As of now, only the port of Venice is in di Popa hand's. The valuable ports and trade posts of Reggio, Spalato, Cephalonia and Lecce are in the hands of the other families. However, I have a plan, the Shiek of Malta is quite weak and politically isolated, and will make the perfect location for a Venetian, for a di Popa port.
1067
I have sent the orders to rally my men and the men of Venice, for we march to war! The city of Mdina is deserving of true Venetian control. I wait here in my personal galley as the battle of Malta rages. I suspect that our great numbers and commanders will result in victory. I will post a map of the current battle situation, to the best of my knowledge.
...
Venetian glory over the Muhammadians of Malta is assured. My man has brought me the latest report from the battle of Mdina, we have had ... victory.
However even in our greatest hour, my damnable wife will not desist from bothering me about her gutter trash of poetry. I may not be the most pious man in Venice, but even I know that this obsession borders on the odd. I tell her it is none of my concern and go back to planning the expansion of the Mdina port to a proper size. Apparently my priest approves me of keeping away from such "devilish writing". He is a fool too.
The Dandolo family, under the guide of their patriarch Bono, is hosting a ball, but they did not invite me? The Doge! Such disrespect to me is quite fine, but they also refuse to invite any member of the di Popa. Such arrogance shall not go unnoticed, I will go anyway and view how good Patrician Bono Dandolo's ball could possibly be. I leave my man Chancellor Andrea in charge of the siege as I go back to Venice.
((This shall be a short update, I need to play forward a bit for now. But dinna worry, I have an idea of what I might do))
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