How they died in Venice, Part Two

Detail from icon of church of S. Giorgio dei Greci.

Georgios Klontzas, 16th C. Complete icon, 47 x 71.5 m.
Museum of the Isituto Ellenico, Venice.

The necrology for the Greek community in the parish of S. Antonin lists 1766 names. I worked with the first 500 of them, from 1569 through 1655. One of the things you see is an increase in the annual listings, so that by the end of the 500, it appears that the Greek community of the parish has doubled in size.  Events in Cyprus and the current war in Crete would have been major contributions to that growth.

One of the things I noticed, in trying to relate names and identify families,  is that in the very few instances where the register records the deaths of husband and wife, there is a 17-20 year difference in ages. Of course, this does not allow for second or third marriages, but the register would not have information from which you could identify second marriages.

Another gender discrepancy is in the diagnosis of vechiezza (old age) – as the cause of death. Nearly 4 times as many women as men die of old age. Vechiezza appears at age 70 – appropriately. What I find particularly interesting here is that a number of these elderly women are identified as calogerà (nun). Of the 13 nuns in the necrology, 8 are aged 80 and over.   Forty-nine women die after the age of 70, while only 32 men do. Three people live to be more than 100: I suspect that means "very very old and no one really knows how old," but someone might have had a record. 

* 1570, 4 March. Dona Marula, a Greek from Corfu, about 70, sick 10 days with fever, no doctor. * 1579, 2 April. Madona Anna, Greek, aged 80, ill since August from vechiezza; treated by the excellent Mr. Fabritio Rizi.

* 1630, 12 October.  The widow of Todero Profetti (see below), age 85, from vechiezza after 3 days.

There is a large gender discrepancy in deaths at younger ages. In their 20s and 30s, 65 men died compared with 36 women.  In their 40s, a few more women than men died, and then in their 70s and 80s, 25 men died compared with 33 women.  A great deal could be done with statistics from these 1766 entries by someone who actually knows how to work with statistics.

* 1594, 12 July.  Matteo, son of Agapito, carpenter, age 16, fell from a balcony in the night.

* 1649, 8 May. Gerolemo Karamani from Kefalonia, passenger on the ship Isabetta for Zakynthos. Went on the boat to Malamocco yesterday, found drowned today, about 30.
* 1651, 19 September.  Sacari da Schiera of Thessalonike, about 32, from a compound fracture, had fever for 6 days.  Doctor, the excellent Cortacci; surgeons, Sr.i Orfeo and Zuane Bongioti. 

The leading diagnoses for the first 500 reported deaths are: fever (110); consumption/etico (37); Catarrh/cataro (31); ponta (22); typhoid/febre maligna (17). I have put below a list of all the diagnoses I found.  Here are a few more of the dead.  I keep thinking of what Makryannis said: "He was only a Greek: there was no one to ask where he had gone."

* 1621, 3 January.  Zorzi from Cania, about 40, brought into the church of the Greeks murdered.

* 1621, 12 March. Sr. Todaro Profetti, age 75, bed-ridden for several years with gout. 

* 1630, 29 September.  Sr. Calogera, age 25, ill 5 days with malign fever and upset stomach.  Doctors were Agapito and Morattini. 

* 1640,  27 May.  Yanni, son of the late Piero from Cyprus, shoemaker, about 34, killed on the bridge of the Madonna on the way to S. Antonin. 

* 1643, 13 November.  Dona Marietta, Greek slave, age 70, sick for a month, died from catarrh.

Elizabeth was severely depressed:
* 1613, 12 May.  The magnificent Sr.a Elisabetta Cubli, wife of the magnificent Sr. Lorenzo, age 56, ill for 8 months with a melancholic humor; was seen by the most excellent Galdino and Savoian.

I have wondered if Yanni was a suicide:

*1613, 30 May.  Yanni from Nauplion, age 65, went swimming yesterday evening and drowned.

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Diagnoses in death reports, 1569-1655.

amalata anegato apostemo asmo bruta cancaro cascata poplectica cascato cataro cataro & vechiezza cattaroi di gambe dolor dolor colici & febre dolor de cuore per pauro dolor di vita ettico ettico & anco ettuci & sciatica febre febre & fredo frebre maligna febre maligna & ponto feruti ferito, amazzato ferito, archibusada ferito – molte ferito – taglio & febre ferito di testa

fersa flusso flusso di sangue fersa flusso flusso di sangue gotte hidropisia hipopletica incurabile lepre & febre mal della lova mal di marea mal di pietra mal d'orina mal in gamba humor malinconici malaria malaria – febre quotidiana malaria – febre terzana malatia longa malcaduco male interno matezza mazuco & petechie morbo Gallico & febre morte subitanea natta sulla testa

parotide parto percosia petecchi piaghe piaghe & cancrene alli piedi ponta porzano in stomaco postema resipilla nella facia rottura schena & febre scontraura siro & malcaduco smilza & febre spasmo stomego strettura de peto strigada subitanea tossicato & febre tumor & febre variole variole & stariole variole & febre vechiezza venen vermi

Οι Αποβιωτηριες Πραξεις Ελληνων στο Αρχειο του Ναου του Αγιου Αντωνινου Βενετιας (1569-1810) /
Gli atti di morte dei Greci nell'archivio della chiesa di Sant'Antonin di Venezia (1569-1810). 2001.