Little Worlds in Motion: Mobility and Space in the Osterie of Early Modern Venice

Abstract

Abstract The inns, or osterie, of early modern Venice were located at the heart of the city, which was one the most important hubs of mobility and travel between Europe and the Mediterranean. Close study of the locations, structures, and interiors of the inns shows how they featured centrally in both the long-range itineraries of travelers and migrants as well as smaller-scale circulations of local residents around the city. The intersection of these various trajectories in the space of the inn led to a rich array of social, economic, and cultural exchanges, but also to moments of tension and conflict. As such, a focus on the osterie illuminates the experience of being on the move in this period as well as demonstrating how mobility fundamentally shaped, and was shaped by, the early modern city and its spaces.