Alvise Contarini

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alvise Contarini

Alvise Contarini (born April 23, 1597 ; † March 11, 1651 in Venice ) was a Venetian nobleman and diplomat. He came from the second marriage of Tommaso Contarini di Gasparo to Maria Pisani and was therefore a great-great-nephew of Cardinal Gasparo Contarini .

From 1618 Contarini took on various tasks in the administration of the Republic of Venice . Five years later, in 1623, he was able to take a place in the Grand Council of the Republic. He then became the Venetian ambassador to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands . From 1626 he was ambassador to England until he was appointed ambassador to France in 1629 . During this time he arranged for the then French King Louis XIII. to an alliance with Venice to prevent Austria from occupying the Valtellina . He also won Cardinal Richelieu to support Sweden .

In 1632 Contarini was appointed envoy to the Roman Curia . From 1636 to 1641 he was the Venetian bailò (envoy) in Constantinople . During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), Alvise Contarini was appointed mediator in Münster in 1643 for the peace negotiations that ultimately led to the Peace of Westphalia . Contarini had great confidence among all conference participants, and he was also an important intermediary for Fabio Chigi , who was not allowed to negotiate directly with the representatives of the Protestant parties.

literature

  • Bertram Haller (Ed.): Alvise Contarini and the Westphalian Peace Congress in Münster . Exhibition catalog University Library Münster 1982.
  • Gino Benzoni:  Contarini, Alvise. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 28:  Conforto-Cordero. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1983.
  • Nicola Papadopoli (ed.): Relazione del congresso di Münster del Cavaliere Alvise Contarini . Venice 1864.
  • Angelo Zanon dal Bo: Alvise Contarini mediatore per la repubblica di Venezia nel congresso di Vestfalia (1643-1648) . Lugano 1971.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Contarini, Alvise
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Contareno, Aloysius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Venetian nobleman and mediator for the Peace of Westphalia
DATE OF BIRTH April 23, 1597
DATE OF DEATH March 11, 1651
Place of death Venice