Silvestro Valiero

Silvestro Valier (* March 28, 1630; † July 7, 1700 ) was the 109th Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1694 to 1700.

After his illustrious predecessor, the last of the great Venetian war hero Francesco Morosini, who united in himself all the qualities that had made ​​large Venice, followed by Silvestro Valier a doge, who loved the festivals, the theater and the luxury.

Life

Silvestro was the son of 102 Doge Bertuccio Valier. He was elected on February 25, 1694 Doge, after he had been defeated twice in previous elections.

The Dogenamt

The Coronation of the Doge and dogaressa Elisabetta Querini was held on March 4, 1694. The celebration, in which the Doge generously gave away silver coins, lasted several weeks.

The office of Captain General was transferred Antonio Zeno, whose actions were initially successful. He conquered the island of Chios, but failed, nachzusetzen the Turkish troops and saw Chios soon besieged by them. He was deposed for incompetence and died before the opening of his trial.

On the occasion of the state visit of Russian Tsar Peter the Great in 1698, the Republic last time the opportunity for the fairytale splendor, for which she was famous received. Venice ended with the Tsar a three-year contract for the following conflicts with the Ottoman Empire.

Valier was buried on 7 July 1700 in Zanipolo, as well as his wife, who survived him by seven years.

Tomb

The huge baroque tomb of Valier, which was built for the Doge Betuccio and Silvestro and his wife Elisabetta Querini, is located in a side aisle of Saints John and Paul, the preferred Sepulcher Venetian Doge. The tomb is framed on both sides by two colossal Corinthian columns of black marble. They stand on high pedestals, which are equipped with high relief with allegorical figures. On a sarcophagus are larger than life figures of the Doges, and the dogaressa. A bevy of putti holding the moving towels with which the grave is richly decorated.

Architect of the tomb are Paolo and Andrea Tirali under whose direction the monument was erected 1705-1708. Involved as sculptors Giovanni Bonazza, sculptor of the statue of dogaressa, Antonio Tarsia, of which the two Dogenstatuen come, Pietro Baratta and others. Marino Gruppello is the sculptor of the base reliefs.

The Valier tomb is the last of the great Dogengrabmäler Venice.