Marcantonio Giustinian

Marcantonio Giustinian (* March 2, 1619, † March 23, 1688 ) was the 107th Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1684 to 1688.

Family

Marcantonio was the fourth of six sons of Pietro and Marina Giustinian, who came from two different branches of the family. Head of the family was the spacious Palazzo Giustinian on the Grand Canal, in the composed music for his opera Tristan und Isolde and Parsifal in the 19th century, Richard Wagner.

Life

Giustinian was a pious and learned man who mastered Latin, Greek and Hebrew. After studying philosophy, theology and history at the University of Padua, Marcantonio held various public offices clothed. He was administrator ( Provveditore ) during the war in Crete and ambassador to the French king, who had knighted him. In Venice itself he was consigliere and a member of the Council of Ten. He was not married.

The Dogenamt

He was elected on January 26, 1684 on the first ballot with the required majority of votes, the election took but only reluctantly, and thanks to a lot of arm-twisting of electors, since he had allegedly preferred to withdraw to the monastery of San Giorgio.

His short reign was marked by a series of lush and lavish feasts. For Giustinian each occasion was good for a festival that began in the church with a Te Deum, and was continued with a banquet, which he also initiated with a Te Deum, which soon nicknamed il doge del Te Deum earned him. After his enthronement ceremony was celebrated the victories of Venice against the Turks by the Captain-General Francesco Morosini with thanksgiving worship, festivals, dances and municipal lighting, especially the Jewish organizers distinguished from the ghetto with their imaginative facilities. Another occasion for pomp, night lighting, Schiffskorsi and balls was the carnival, which at that time attracted volumes of tourists from Europe.

Giustinian died unexpectedly on March 23, 1688 and was buried according to his wishes in San Francesco della Vigna in the habit of a Franciscan.