The military elite as factor of identity in the Ionian border between the Venetian and the Ottoman State: Lefkada, 1684-1797.

After the conquest of Lefkada, warriors who had fought at the side of Venice, in return for their services, were granted land concessions accompanied on certain cases with titles. Most of them were foreigners, although locals participated too. Through indicative case- examples, we have tried to examine the ways with which they handled land matters, which mentalities were reflected by their attitude, which possibilities they took advantage of and some of the obstacles they met with. A group of them (the De Zorzi family) showed a preference for feudal type revenues, such as livello and sign of livello, while another (the Sumilla) preferred charisma and interest-free loans, choices that indicate their effort to secure mainly interest-free capital. No matter how entrepreneurial the Cephalonian count Anastasis Metaxa proved himself to be, Venice finally decided to concede the lands initially bestowed on him in Meganisi -an islet close to Lefkada uninhabited- to Chiotes, a group of families from Chios, a decision quite unprofitable. Although the Athenian Peruli never stayed on the island, he managed his large property on it with delegates from Venice, while he took part in the lease of the saltpans' of the island land rents. Some of the Settini family members, of Venetian origin, adopted feudal type mentalities and some other entrepreneurial ones. In the case of locals, like the Marino family's case, but also regarding a group of The military elite as factor of identity in the Ionian border between the Venetian and the Ottoman State: Lefkada, 1684-1797. newcomer foreigners, like the Doxara family, it seems that it was their constant participation in the Venetian military and political state apparatus which ensured their participation in the authoritative constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]