ABSTRACT
The absence of revolt does not mean that people do not express their intentions, or that they are excluded from the process of constructing politics. Murano's example shows how many and how variegated are the modes of intervention in public space. The inhabitants participate in many fashions in configuring the social and political space of the island. Some Muranesi take on institutional functions that accompany Venice's power and help shape its manifestations. The social, political and juridical order is not a mere reflection of decisions made by Venetian institutions; it is in equal measure the result of successive accommodations between law and practices. The legal articulation of the social world – for instance, the definition of citizenship or of the status of foreigners – is also the result of actions by the ordinary people, who, on the basis of the distinctions they know – about wealth, power, honourability, or fame – build society.
