Francesco Loredan

Francesco Loredan (, ; 9 February 1685 – 19 May 1762) was a Venetian statesman and magnate who served as the 116th Doge of Venice from 18 March 1752 until his death in 1762. He was a member of the noble House of Loredan, head of its Santo Stefano branch, and the only Doge, as well as the last male, to be awarded the Golden Rose by the Papacy.

Biography

Childhood Francesco Loredan was born in Venice on 9 February 1687 to Andrea di Leonardo Loredan of the San Vidal branch and Caterina Grimani. He belonged to a rich, prestigious and large family: he had eight brothers and two sisters, a fact that almost certainly induced him not to marry. In 1741 he declared revenues of nearly 11,000 ducats; in 1758 alone he spent almost 43,000 for dogal endeavours and when he died, his income still exceeded 118,000 ducats. This was joined by the very extensive family landholdings. The costs of election feasts have often been incorrectly estimated, even by contemporaries (a 1772 writing in the Loredan files speaks of 90,000 ducats, while Samuele Romanin estimates them to be around 21,700). The surviving list of the individual items, however, allows us to estimate the cost at just over 38,600 ducats (of these, 2310 for the orchestra, 7635 for refreshments, 5800 donated to the people and 2140 to the arsenalotti). The figure for the celebrations seems incredibly high, with Romanin estimating it to be much higher than previous doges and unsurpassed by several successors.

Prodigal and generous, he was described "father of the poor" in two paintings by Pietro Longhi. The funeral cost an impressive sum of around 18,700 ducats, and was paid for by Francesco's brother Giovanni.

Ancestry

Note: The branch of Santo Stefano is also known as the branch of San Vidal (San Vitale).

Note: There are some generations missing between Girolamo Loredan (1468-1532) and Francesco Loredan (17th century).

Note: Giustina Giustiniani (d. 1500), the wife of Doge Leonardo Loredan (1436-1521), is also known as Morosina Giustiniani.

Note: Caterina Loredan, Dogaressa of Venice, is featured in the family tree as the daughter of Gerolamo Loredan (d. 1474) and Donata Donà because, in some sources, she is mentioned as the sister of Doge Leonardo Loredan (1436-1521), although she may have been a daughter of Domenico Loredan.

Interestingly, near the Palazzo Contarini-Sceriman and the nearby bridge, Leonardo Loredan (d. 1675) was found dead in a boat. The unexplained death was the source of many rumors, claiming accidental death, murder by relatives, or murder by the Inquisitors of the Republic.

Andrea Loredan (d. 1750) died young, thus ending the male (agnatic) line of the branch of Santo Stefano.

Awards

Golden Rose - 1759

In popular culture Francesco Loredan was portrayed by Tim McInnerny in the 2005 romance film Casanova, loosely based on the life of the famous adventurer and author Giacomo Casanova, who was imprisoned in the Piombi under Loredan's government in 1755 for affront to religion and common decency.