A
Venetian term used to determine or explain the
unorthodox love lifes of the people of
Venice. The pattern went as such; a young coupld were
married and
outfitted with a
homestead by their
parents in which to raise a family and
prosper. (Homestead. Ha! like you can have some kind of
ranch built up next to or on the water.) Once the newest extension of the family was
established, that's when the craziness broke loose. Because the couple probably suffered from an
arranged marriage, there were most likely things missing from their relationship. So began the hopping around. The couple would find their more earthly needs in the arms and beds of their
peers and friends, thus jumping from household to household. Society turned a blind eye to these needs almost to the point of just being accepted in plain sight. It was more likely for the husbands to visit the wives of their friends or
prostitutes, as they had cooked up another way to please their wives.
See also Venetian Wife.
It was the game of houses, because it was as if the Venetians were playing musical chairs with their lovers.