Social relations, marriage and godparenthood: Belonging to the mercers’ guild elite in 16th-century Venice

This study investigates two key economic structures of pre-modern societies, family and the guilds, in 16th-century Venice. More specifically, I explore the origin and consolidation of the mercers’ guild elite through various forms of kinship, focusing on the case of two parishes in the centre of Venice: San Zulian and San Salvador. In order to do this, I will reconstruct matrimonial ties and other forms of spiritual parenthood – such as the choice of godparents and wedding witnesses – while assessing their influence on the governance of the guild. Two other fundamental aspects will also be highlighted, namely the role of charitable institutions in both the process of integration into the guild and the evolution of family structure.