Alvise Mocenigo II.

Alvise Mocenigo II (born January 3, 1628 in Venice ; † May 6, 1709 there ) was the 110th Doge of Venice . He ruled from 1700 to 1709. During the War of the Spanish Succession , which broke out in the first year of his reign and which involved almost all of Europe, Venice maintained strict neutrality .

family

Alvise Mocenigo II came from the branched Mocenigo family , which had a total of seven doges : Tommaso Mocenigo (1414–1423), Pietro Mocenigo (1574–1576), Giovanni Mocenigo (1478–1485), Alvise Mocenigo I , Alvise Mocenigo II. , Alvise Mocenigo III. (1722-1732) and Alvise Mocenigo IV. (1763-1778).

Life

He was born into one of the richest families in Venice, his mother Adriana came from the Grimani family , one of the so-called new families . He was also the great-nephew of Antonio Priuli . He had been able to increase his considerable inherited fortune through successful trade with Constantinople . After entering politics, he quickly became senator , Savio of the Little Council, and consigliere of the Doge. Other offices were that of an administrator of Morea , today's Peloponnese and a Podestà of Padua .

Mocenigo, whom his biographers call bigotto , a bigot , stayed away from women, did not speak to them, remained a bachelor for a lifetime and left no children behind. In his will he decreed that 4,000 masses should be read for his soul's salvation and he left a corresponding donation to the church.

The Doge's Office

Osella of Doge Alvise Mocenigo II from 1704 with the rose, the coat of arms of Mocenigo.

Mocenigo was elected Doge on July 17, 1700 in the first ballot with 40 votes and no significant opposing candidates. In this office he never succeeded in winning the sympathy of the Venetians, although he celebrated his enthronement for days with feasts and fireworks and generously distributed golden and silver ossels among the people .

The Republic pursued during the War of the Spanish Succession , which determined the fate of Europe during his reign, their policy of neutrality, even if one ravages of Terraferma had willy-nilly to accept French and Spanish troops during the passage. Mocenigo itself had little influence on politics, as the Doge's office in the 18th century was only associated with representative functions.

During the severe winter of 1709, when even the lagoon was frozen over, Mocenigo fell seriously ill. He could never recover from the illness and died in May 1709. He was buried in the church of San Stae (San Eustachius).

literature

• Andrea da Mosto: I Dogi di Venezia. Florence 1983, ISBN 88-09-02881-3
• Claudio Rendina: I dogi. Storia e segreti. Roma 2003, ISBN 88-8289-656-0

predecessor	Office	successor
Silvestro Valier	Doge of Venice 1700 - 1709	Giovanni II. Cornaro