Page "Doge's Palace, Venice" Paragraph 40

* The " Scrigno " Room: the Venetian nobility as a caste came into existence because of the “ closure ” of admissions to the Great Council in 1297 ; however, it was only in the 16th century that formal measures were taken to introduce restrictions that protected the status of that aristocracy: marriages between nobles and commoners were forbidden and greater controls were set up to check the validity of aristocratic titles.

There was also a Silver Book, which registered all those families that not only had the requisites of “ civilization ” and “ honor ”, but could also show that they were of ancient Venetian origin ; such families furnished the manpower for the State bureaucracy-and particularly, the chancellery within the Doge ’ s Palace itself.

Both books were kept in a chest in this room, inside a cupboard that also contained all the documents proving the legitimacy of claims to be inscribed therein.