Venetian Most Serene Government

History

In the early 1980s Luigi Faccia and Flavio Contin left Liga Veneta, the mainstream regionalist party in Veneto, because they considered it too moderate. On 25 January 1987 Faccia and Contin launched the VSG. In 1992 the group was joined by Fausto Faccia, brother of Luigi, and, later, by Bepin Segato, who was appointed "ambassador" of the VSG. Since 1996 the group has repeatedly hijacked the frequencies of RAI, the Italian state-owned public service broadcaster, in Veneto with separatist proclamations in the Venetian language.

During the night between 8 and 9 May 1997 the Serenissimi, occupied Piazza San Marco and the St Mark's Campanile in Venice in order to proclaim the "independence of Veneto". After eight hours, the Carabinieri entered the Campanille and arrested the group. The members of the group, including Faccia and Segato, neither of whom directly participated in the action, were all arrested. The symbolic effort was criticized by Umberto Bossi and Roberto Maroni, leaders of Lega Nord, at that time proponents for the independence of Padania, while it was praised by Gianfranco Miglio, a former senator of the League who was then elected as an independent for the center-right Pole of Freedoms.

The Serenissimi attained a measure of popularity with the Venetian public and the tanko is a common exhibit at the yearly Festa dei Veneti and at other rallies, even outside of Veneto.

Segato was a candidate of Liga Veneta Repubblica in the 2001 general election and came short of election to the Italian Senate, having received 9.8% of the vote in the constituency of Schio. Representatives from most political parties in Veneto, including center-left figures, defended the Serenissimi: Claudio Rizzato of the Democrats of the Left even praised the "noble ideals" of the group, while Massimo Cacciari and Green Gianfranco Bettin campaigned for the pardon of those in jail, along with the Liga Veneta and the regional section of Forza Italia. Some of them are not embarrassed in taking part in the rally, the Festa dei Veneti, in which the tanko is displayed. More recently, leading members of the League, including Bossi and Roberto Calderoli, praised them and another leghista. Roberto Castelli, Minister of Justice in 2003, proposed a pardon for Faccia, who was still in prison, which was unsuccessful as Faccia himself refused it.

The group is still active, under the leadership of Luca Peroni, and currently campaigns for a referendum on self-determination of Veneto.

In April 2014 L. Faccia and Contin were arrested, along with several other Venetian separatists (including Franco Rocchetta and LIFE's president Lucio Chiavegato), for suspected crimes including criminal association with terrorism and subversion of the democratic order. In jail, Faccia proclaimed himself as a "war prisoner" and refused to answer questions (as Contin was in house arrest). By the end of April, most detained Venetists were released, as the tribunal of Brescia did not uphold the accusations, with the notable exceptions of Faccia and Contin, who refused to be released.

References

Sources

• Francesco Jori, Dalla Łiga alla Lega. Storia, movimenti, protagonisti, Marsilio, Venice 2009
• Ezio Toffano, Short History of the Venetian Autonomism

Official website

• Official website

References

1. [[Francesco Jori]], ''Dalla Łiga alla Lega. Storia, movimenti, protagonisti'', Marsilio, [[Venice]] 2009, pp. 54, 105–108
2. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1997/maggio/10/Commando_assalta_Venezia_torna_paura_co_0_9705105066.shtml Commando assalta Venezia, torna la paura]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
3. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1997/maggio/10/Abbiamo_occupato_piazza_San_Marco_co_0_9705105074.shtml " Abbiamo occupato piazza San Marco "]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
4. Alvise Fontanella, ''1997: Il ritorno della Serenissima'', Editoria Universitaria, [[Venice]] 1997.
5. [[Francesco Jori]], ''Dalla Łiga alla Lega. Storia, movimenti, protagonisti'', Marsilio, [[Venice]] 2009, pp. 54, 108–111

6. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1997/maggio/10/Maroni_altro_che_opera_nostra_co_0_9705105011.shtml Maroni: altro che opera nostra, qui bisogna riaprire i manicomi]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.

7. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1997/maggio/10/Miglio_applaudo_quei_ragazzi_sono_co_0_9705104847.shtml Miglio: applaudo quei ragazzi, sono miei buoni allievi]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
8. "I Serenissimi ricomprano il Tanko". la Repubblica.it.
9. (1 April 2007). "IL TANKO TORNA AI VENETI".
10. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2006/agosto/29/Festa_dei_Veneti_con_Tanko_co_9_060829062.shtml "Festa dei Veneti" con il Tanko dell' assalto al campanile. Patrocinio della Regione, è scontro]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
11. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2008/maggio/26/Esposto_tanko_dei_Serenissimi_co_7_080526023.shtml Esposto il "tanko" dei Serenissimi]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
12. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2001/aprile/15/Segato_Senato_prova_evasione_elettorale_co_0_0104153830.shtml Segato al Senato, prova di evasione elettorale]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
13. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2001/maggio/15/ideologo_dei_Serenissimi_resta_carcere_co_0_0105158542.shtml E l' ideologo dei Serenissimi resta in carcere per un pugno di voti]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
14. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2003/ottobre/08/Pronti_correre_con_Liga_Serenissimi_co_0_031008058.shtml "Pronti a correre con la Liga. I Serenissimi? Nobili ideali"]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
15. link. (25 November 2010 . Lamescolanza.com (28 October 2008). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.)
16. link. (1 October 2011 . Iveneti.org. Retrieved on 21 October 2011.)
17. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2000/novembre/06/Liberta_per_capo_dei_Serenissimi_co_0_0011067431.shtml "Libertà per il capo dei Serenissimi"]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
18. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2005/marzo/07/Bossi_anno_dopo_padani_sono_co_9_050307016.shtml Bossi un anno dopo: padani, sono tornato]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
19. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2007/gennaio/29/Vicenza_decide_sulla_secessione__co_9_070129180.shtml "A Vicenza si decide sulla secessione"]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
20. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2002/febbraio/11/Castelli_fare_per_grazia_serenissimo_co_8_020211205.shtml Castelli: mi do da fare per la grazia al "serenissimo"]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
21. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2002/febbraio/13/Serenissimi_Castelli_esaminera_domanda_grazia_co_0_0202137136.shtml Serenissimi, Castelli esaminerà la domanda di grazia per Faccia]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
22. [http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2003/luglio/19/Serenissimo_dell_assalto_Venezia_Non_co_0_030719011.shtml Il Serenissimo dell' assalto a Venezia: "Non ci provino con me, io rifiuterei"]. Archiviostorico.corriere.it (24 December 2009). Retrieved on 21 October 2011.
23. "Veneto Serenissimo Governo".
24. (2 April 2014). "Indipendentisti, blitz all'alba: 24 arresti Sequestrato 'tanko', in manette Rocchetta".
25. (4 April 2014). "Faccia: "Sono un prigioniero di guerra" e Chiavegato inizia lo sciopero della fame".
26. (4 April 2014). "Faccia: "Sono prigioniero di guerra" Contin e Lovato non parlano Chiavegato fa sciopero della fame".
27. (18 April 2014). "Scarcerati Rocchetta e Chiavegato Il riesame: Cade l'accusa di terrorismo".
28. "La Nuova di Venezia".
29. "Bresciaoggi.it - Home - Cronaca".