Functions of Expropriated Parcels by Receiving Institution

The histogram displays the absolute count of parcel functions for the ten most significant standardized owners in the Napoleonic cadaster. These are the institutions or entities that acquired the highest number of parcels following the expropriation of ecclesiastical and charitable property. Each bar is broken down by function (e.g., house, shop, garden, church, warehouse, etc.), revealing both the quantitative and functional composition of each entity’s newly acquired holdings.

Several key patterns emerge:

• The "Città di Venezia" received the greatest number and most functionally diverse set of parcels, with strong representation of house, shop, garden, and warehouse functions—suggesting an absorption of a wide swath of urban functions, possibly as municipal infrastructure or redistributed housing stock.
• The "Comune di Venezia" follows closely, but with a markedly higher proportion of “Scuole” functions.
• The "Congregazione di Carità", a secularized continuation of older charitable institutions, also presents a balanced mix, indicating its role in managing former ecclesiastical assets for social use.
• Ministries like the Ministero della Guerra and Ministero delle Finanze display functions consistent with institutional or military reuse, such as barracks or storehouses.
• Former private or ecclesiastical owners such as Chiesa di San Pantaleon or Mocenigo Alvise show residual ownership, sometimes including church, monastery, or courtyard functions—likely parcels that remained under their nominal control before full redistribution.

This visualization underscores the functional fragmentation and reallocation of the urban fabric triggered by Napoleonic reforms. It also illustrates the institutional transformation of property in post-republican Venice: from sacred to civic, from monastic to military, from religious to residential.

This histogram presents the total surface area (in square meters) attributed to different parcel functions for the ten most significant standardized property holders following the Napoleonic expropriations. Unlike the previous histogram based on parcel counts, this visualization measures land surface, thereby highlighting ownership of large estates, open areas, and non-residential parcels.

Key insights include:

• Città di Venezia again dominates in total surface, with its holdings covering a vast range of functions. The most extensive functions include house, courtyard, and warehouse, along with significant surface allocated to uncultivated land and gardens. This indicates a mixed portfolio of residential and infrastructural use, often across formerly ecclesiastical lands.
• The Ministero della Guerra appears as a key receiver of large properties, notably with barracks, arsenale, and open areas, suggesting conversion of expropriated land for military and logistical purposes.
• Comune di Venezia continues to reflect a strong civic use of acquired land, including “Scuole”, kitchen gardens, and spaces.
• Congregazione di Carità, in line with its mission, displays surface holdings devoted to household, garden, and hospital functions—highlighting its role in redistributing welfare functions previously held by religious orders.
• Smaller yet still notable landowners like Ministero delle Finanze or Regio Demanio manage diverse properties with moderate emphasis on warehouse, house, and space.

This histogram complements the absolute count analysis by showing how land function translates into spatial dominance. Some functions (e.g. yards, uncultivated gardens, courtyards) occupy large areas but are underrepresented in count, while others (e.g. shop, hallway) are numerous but occupy limited space. The histogram thus highlights the material footprint of institutional change.