Giovanni I. Cornaro

Giovanni Cornaro I also called Giovanni I. Corner (* 1556, † December 23, 1629 in Venice) was the 96th Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1625 to 1629.

Family

The Corner were among the, oldest, richest and most influential families of the city. They had gained their wealth primarily through money lending. From the family four doges had emerged, except Giovanni I.Corner the Doge Marco Corner, Francesco and Giovanni Corner II Corner. A famous member of the family was Caterina Cornaro, adopted by the Serenissima as daughter and 1474-1489 Queen of Cyprus.

In the 17th century the family fell on mainly because of their ruthlessness and their shameless favoritism.

Life

Giovanni Corner was married to Chiara Dolfin, the ( Giovanni Dolfin was the 57th Doge ) also came from a Dogenfamilie. They had six sons and six daughters.

The Dogenamt

Corner was, but then elected after fierce clashes between the old and the new families (case vecchie and case nove ) until the 42nd ballot unanimously elected Doge.

His sons he supplied with influential and lucrative position. After his election retained Alvise and Francesco, who was married to the daughter of former Doge Antonio Priuli, their positions as senators, which was not permitted under the laws of Venice. Son Federico was after the intervention of the Father at the Vatican, to the Corner traditionally maintained good relations, Bishop of Vicenza and cardinal. The fourth son, Marc Antonio, was a priest at San Marco. The youngest son Giorgio fell through his criminal energy in circumventing Venetian trade laws. One of his cousins ​​was finally Consigliere of the Doge.

The accumulation of offices in the family, was publicly criticized by a member of the Council of Ten, Renier Zen. Zen, who had already exposed the illegal practices of the Doge Priuli, threatened to bring the Doge in court. On December 30, 1627 Zen was assaulted when leaving the Doge's Palace and seriously injured one of the attackers said to have been Giorgio Corner. This fled from the city. He was banished to the Terraferma, his real estate was confiscated. The Corner brought in return for Zens attacks against the family itself a majority in the Grand Council of the city together, which banished the relentless " Inquisitor " from Venice. In the result, there were riots in the city, and the risk of civil war became apparent. Then occurred on September 17, 1629 along the Court Quarantina General, which annulled the sentence of Zen. The Dogenpartei had thus suffered a bitter defeat, and the Doge offered his resignation, which was not, however, allowed him.

Corner died a few months later and was buried in the family chapel of San Nicola da Tolentino Church.