ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Because I have, in one form or another, been working on this book for more than two decades, I have accrued so many debts that to list them all would require almost another chapter. There are, nonetheless, a few whom I must not fail to thank.

First and foremost I am grateful to my friend and mentor, the late Professor Donald E. Queller. It was he who first introduced me to the rich history of Venice and, despite my occasional protests, persuaded me to devote my efforts to its study. Near the end of his life Don Queller had begun a new book on the history and culture of Venice. Unfortunately, he did not live to finish it. I have no idea what became of his notes, but I am certain that had he lived a few years longer, there would have been no need for this book. I am also grateful to Don’s old classmate, the late Professor Louise Buenger Robbert, who was always a source of guidance and support for my work in Venice. As with any scholar, I have benefited enormously from the suggestions, advice, and kindnesses of my colleagues in the field. I offer my special thanks to Alfred J. Andrea (University of Vermont), Andrea Berto (Western Michigan University), Patricia Fortini Brown (Princeton University), Michela Dal Borgo (Archivio di Stato di Venezia), Robert C. Davis (Ohio State University), Blake de Maria (Santa Clara University), Ronnie Ellenblum (Hebrew University), M. Cecilia Gaposchkin (Dartmouth College), Benjamin Z. Kedar (Hebrew University), Bianca Lanfranchi (Archivio di Stato di Venezia), Serban Marin (National Archives of Romania), Sally McKee (University of California, Davis), Christopher Pastore (University of Pennsylvania), Jonathan Riley-Smith (Cambridge University), Juergen Schulz (Brown University), Alan M. Stahl (Princeton University), Diana Gilliland Wright (Independent Scholar), and all of the staff at the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, the Museo Correr, and the Archivio di Stato di Venezia.

Because Venice is an expensive city, no foreign scholar could afford to live and work there without significant support. I am, therefore, grateful to all of my financial benefactors, especially the Mellon Faculty Development Fund and the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation. My editor, Kevin Doughton, deserves special thanks for the extraordinary care he took with this project. His expert eye and inspired suggestions helped to bring out more of the human story behind the leaves of history. As always, I am deeply grateful to my agent, John F. Thornton, for his enthusiastic and unfailing support. My warm thanks also to Michele and Carla Gradenigo and their daughters, Marta and Giulia, who have always welcomed me and my family to Venice with a kindness and generosity that is truly Venetian.

Last, I thank my family. My wife, Page, got more than she bargained for when she married a historian who later whisked her and her infant and toddler off to live in Venice. Far from the romantic gondola rides, she experienced the joys of hanging laundry in freezing weather, daily shopping with wriggling children, and persistent plumbing problems. She bore it with poise and good humor, and even came to love Venice despite it all. It has been among my greatest pleasures to watch my daughters, Helena and Melinda, grow up against the backdrop of our stays in Venice. My fondest memories there are not of historical discoveries in the archives, but of my children riding tricycles in the campo or playing joyfully in the Giardini. It is impossible for me to imagine the city without them. Words can never express my love, gratitude, and admiration for these three remarkable women.