The suburb was known, with the humility typical of the Golden Lion, as the Comunità Magnifica. Ludovici had built his own residence in the quarter. It had a marble terrace that faced onto the water and from there he could watch his own ships sail past Seraglio Point into the Marmara Deniz, loaded down with Turkish grain, Nubian slaves, Arab horses and Oriental spices. He had done well by himself coming here. Being a bastardo the Venetian court was closed to him, so while his peers had donned the black robes of togato, he took himself to Pera, the foreign colony at Stamboul, and established himself as a merchant. Feeling no special allegiance to either his hosts or his former countrymen he had quickly learned to manipulate both to his advantage. His father had assisted him, of course. Senator Gambetto appreciated Ludovici's decision not to remain in Venice where his presence among the merchant community might have caused him embarrassment. It was Gambetto's zecchini that founded the business; but it was Ludovici's acumen that expanded it.
