page_title: Avvisi
section_title: Importance
hierarchical_section_title: Avvisi / Importance
caption_attribution_description: English: Periodical hand-writing newssheet with news from Rome of 4 Dec 1700
context_page_description: Avvisi were hand-written newsletters used to convey political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently throughout Europe, and more specifically Italy, during the early modern era. In the beginning avvisi were very similar to letters written from one dignitary to another, but diverged from such letters in the sixteenth century with more standardized practices. Avvisi can be divided into two categories: 'public' avvisi and 'secret' avvisi, though each copy was often written by the same person.
  In Italian, the word avviso translates to notice, warning, advice, or announcement.
context_section_description: Avvisi influenced many aspects of the early modern world including public opinion, political battles, the nature of propaganda, careers, and historical records.
  Public Opinion
  
  Avvisi helped to develop public opinion by informing, organizing, and providing a voice for the public.  They allowed the general public to learn of the secret dealings of the nation's leaders, form a response, and then have that response actually be heard by their fellow citizens - essentially making them new players in the game of politics.
  Politics and War
  
  Though officially renounced by many leaders at the time, avvisi were then used by those very same leaders to wage their political campaigns against one another.  Destruction and censorship of avvisi was selective, demonstrating that the authorities recognized the importance of spreading news but would have preferred to spread only news that was of benefit to themselves.  Competition quickly led to avvisi being used as propaganda devices both as a machine of war and in attempts to turn the mob on their own country.  Conflict as a result of avvisi being used as propaganda is certainly not out of the question, either with the public or between nations.  Further the avvisi provided the public with political power rarely seen before in the form of 'secret' information that could have allowed them to have influence upon the courts, and government decisions.  A minority of people, such as Paolo Sarpi, believed that government institutions should rescind their censorship of avvisi and make full use of publication to combat enemy publication.  An example of this includes several pamphlets written by Sarpi in defense of Venice's rights over the Adriatic.
  Finances and Wealth
  
  Creation and distribution of avvisi required writers, those who can deliver the news, and those who can grant the information that makes the news and this provided many people with jobs, earning them money through standard means.  In addition, invaluable secrets provided by the avvisi could be used in extortion or allowing individuals to influence prices at market.  Those who used the avvisi in this way held the opinion that the information provided by avvisi could not be stopped and it was thus better to capitalize on it.
  History
  
  Avvisi led to a realization of the importance of the after-effects of historical records, whether they be true or not.  Paolo Sarpi's work is an excellent example of this, as he states that he may cause more damage dead (through his writing) than he ever had alive.
caption: Avviso from Rome dated 4 Dec 1700
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