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Marcantonio Giustinian | |
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| Doge of Venice | |
| In office 1684–1688 | |
| Preceded by | Alvise Contarini |
| Succeeded by | Francesco Morosini |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1619-03-02)2 March 1619 |
| Died | 23 March 1688(1688-03-23) (aged 69) Venice |
Marcantonio Giustinian (2 March 1619 – 23 March 1688) was the 107thDoge of Venice, reigning from his election on 26 January 1684 until his death.[1] Giustiniani was the quintessential Doge of theRepublic of Venice, taking little interest in affairs of state. He had a little role in the conduct of theMorean War (1684-1699), which was raging during his time as Doge, though a number of military victories were secured byprovveditoreFrancesco Morosini, who would later be Giustinian's successor as Doge.
Marcantonio Giustinian was born inVenice, the son of Pietro Giustinian and his wife Marina. From a rich family, in his youth he was given the nickname,Budella d'oro. A highly cultured man who spoke several languages, Giustinian served as the Most Serene Republic'sAmbassador to theKingdom of France. While in France, Giustinian used his greatoratorical skills to convince France to provide Venice with funds that enabled it to carry on theCretan War (1645–1669). Giustinian became a member of theCouncil of Ten, and held various offices, but never served in the most important positions. Giustinian never married, or even had sex with a woman, and he liked to boast that he had thereby avoidedsin. He died in Venice.
Following the death of DogeAlvise Contarini on January 15, 1684, Giustinian was elected as Doge on January 26, 1684. This move surprised some, who believed thatFrancesco Morosini was elected Doge, but the Council preferred a pliant doge whom they could control, while Morosini was able to lead its military campaigns. This strategy led to Giustinian's reign being a time of military victories for the Republic, which were exciting for Venetians who had spent decades watching their empire decline, suffering military defeats, engaging in prolonged sieges, and generally being forced to agree to onerous terms in peace treaties. In 1686 and 1687, Morosini secured several dramatic victories over theOttoman Empire, conqueringPreveza,Kalamata,Navarino and the island ofSanta Maura.
Giustinian was a modest man who could not hope to compete with the martial victories of Morosini. During his reign as Doge, he was content to host banquets and festivals, and he gained a reputation for going to church so often that he was given the nickname of "St. Zuanino" or "the Doge of theTe Deum". In his four-and-a-half-year reign, all major decisions were left to his advisers, a fact which led some Venetians to criticize him.
Giustinian died on March 23, 1688, following a failed surgery. Later, a humorous poem circulated about the two attending physicians, Ton and Dolfin (whose names translate astuna anddolphin), claiming that the doge had been killed by two fish.
This article was based onthis article onItalian Wikipedia.
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| Preceded by | Doge of Venice 1684–1688 | Succeeded by |
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