THE COUNCIL OF TEN: SECRECY, SURVEILLANCE, AND PUNISHMENT IN VENICE

Venice had a complicated system of government. Power was distributed among councils, committees and elected officials, all carefully arranged to prevent any one person from taking control.

Then, in 1310, a group of Venetian noblemen tried to overthrow it.

The conspiracy failed, but it frightened the ruling class badly enough that they created a special committee to investigate what had happened and make certain it did not happen again. It was called the Council of Ten because ten patricians were elected to serve on it. The name was slightly misleading. The doge and his six councillors also attended its meetings, making seventeen men in the room before any additional members were called in.