VIOLENCE AND SACRED SPACE IN EARLY MODERN VENICE.

The Republic of Venice had comparatively high rates of violence by early modern European standards. This article presents new archival evidence which details one facet of the problem - sacred space. Churches were not immune from violence because of their social and political functions. The research explores the multiple uses of sacred space - as places of asylum, theatres for the display of honour, pick-up joints and magnets for paid assassins - and points the way to further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]