Database: Secret denunciations

The Lion's mouths, or Bocche di Leone in Italian, because most of them featured Saint Mark's winged lion, were complaint boxes scattered all over the city where citizens could complain about specific issues such as government, taxation, market affairs, or public cleanliness. It was also a discreet way to report cases of fraud, corruption, and conspiracies, until repeated cases of false allegations led to eliminating the anonymity of the complaints. In any case, the authorities took every complaint seriously and led careful investigations. Convictions could result in incarceration, exile, or even death! Though debatable ethically, this was a very efficient way to rule the city.