If you went to attend a play or music in a theater in Venice, in those times, you wanted to make it back safetely home, even if you had drank a couple extra glasses, preferably safe and not being assaulted by thieves.
In Venice - until 1720 when they started to put street lights - night outside was for sure pitch black, and there could have been a thick fog during Carnival time.
Have you ever experienced fog in Venice? The time you will, you would love to have a "còdega" taking you home, trust me, even nowadays, just imagine back then.
The còdega was considered a very menial job, and usually it was done by the "Furlan": people from Friuli, low-class immigration at the time, quite despised.
"De notte ora ai teatri, ora al Redutto,
Son quel che col feral serve de lume;
E pur che i paga mi so andar per tutto."
"At night, being it a a theater or at the Ridotto,
I am the one that with the lantern serves as light,
And as long as they pay me,
I know how to go anywhere."
Some Còdega would also work during the day, waiting for the night to fall, especially thinking that Venice had become - already in the XVIII century - an important tourism destination.
Here is how the Còdega is quoted in Zompini's image:
" ... as long as they pay me,
I know how to go anywhere."
Giandomenico Tiepolo: "Incontro al molo" (Meeting at the wharf in Venice, a Còdega showing the way to a noble couple) - Pen and brown ink and brown and gray wash over traces of black chalk (1791)
The Còdega work was an extra occupation that the typical Furlan (low-level immigrant in those times) may have added to the other menial jobs he was doing during the day to get by.
"... how can you trust these crude people
that would do anything just to get some money,
coming from such an infertile land!."
This was Giovanni Grevembroch giving his personal opinion.
By the way ... the Friuli region is some 150km from Venice, quite a beautiful place, populated by tough, proud and hard-working people.
Giovanni Grevembroch: "Còdega"
pen, ink & watercolor (18th century)
Museo Correr, Venezia
