Pietro Loredan (doge)


 * For the 15th-century Venetian admiral, see Pietro Loredan.

Pietro Loredan (born Venice, Italy 1482 – died Venice, 3 May 1570) was the 84th Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1567 to 1570.

Family
Pietro Loredan came from an important family of Venice, the House of Loredan, from a branch with Leonardo Loredan, the 75th Doge. His mother, Isabella Barozzi came from one of the oldest Venetian families.

He was married to Maria Pasqualigo and then to Maria Lucrezia Cappello, with whom he had a son, Alvise Loredan. He dealt in particular with its trading activities. Although he was Podestà by Verona, but otherwise hardly acted in important offices of the Republic. His election as Doge was a surprise for him.

Career as Doge
Loredan was at the age of 85 years when elected to the office after having been in a long conclave of two weeks and 76 ballots. His choice was obvious in this bind a stopgap solution, since Loredan had a strong following in the Senate nor had he brought special qualities for the office. In 1569, a fire broke out in the Arsenal. The fire encroached on the adjacent buildings and cost the lives of 2000 people. In the same year five private banks bankrupted. Because of the shortage cereals, bread had to be rationed.

The Republic came under massive pressure from the Ottoman Sultans, who invaded Cyprus. By frantic diplomatic activity Venice was able to bring together a coalition against the Turks. However, despite the alliance of the Holy League and their victory over the Turks in the Battle of Lepanto, the loss of Cyprus could not be averted.

Tomb
His tomb in the cloister of San Giobbe was a simple ground tomb, covered with a stone slab. It is no longer maintained.

Death
Loredan died a peaceful death in his villa in east Italy. There he was being fed grapes by his servants while eating, his mistress tried to start conversation with him, leading Loredan to choke and suffocate on his grape, they tried to get the grape dislodged from his throat but to no avail.

Literature

 * Andrea da Mosto.I Dogi di Venezia, Florence 1983
 * Helmut Dumler:Venedig und die Dogen Düsseldorf 2001