decapitati pro criminibus Artwork

My work was inspired by Marino Faliero: He attempted a coup d'etat in 1355, at the time being Doge himself, but with the intention of declaring himself Prince. This failed action is mostly attributed to a combination of a strong hatred for nobility and his senility (he was in his seventies at the time). He pleaded guilty to all charges and was beheaded and his body mutilated. Ten additional ringleaders were hanged on display from the Doge's Palace on St Mark's Square. He was condemned to damnatio memoriae, and as such his portrait displayed in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio (Hall of the Great Council) in the Doge's Palace was removed and the space painted over with a black shroud, which can still be seen in the hall today. An inscription reads: Hic est locus Marini Faletro decapitati pro criminibus ("This is the location of Marino Faliero, beheaded for his crimes"). The story of Marino Faliero's uprising was made into a drama by Lord Byron in 1820 and an opera by Gaetano Donizetti in 1835. This work is a cry of protest against the Venetian political class of the moment: the inability to have a long-term vision to solve problems of a delicate city like Venice. Wave motion created by motorboats, large ships destroying the delicate eco system of the lagoon, residents forced to leave the city because houses are rented to tourist for high profit. These are some of the issues failed by the political class, and a the time of the Republic of Venice, they would have used a strong manner against political crimes.