Antonio Grimani

Antonio Grimani
Posthumous portrait of Grimani

Lifetime Doge of the Most Serene Republic of Venice
In office 1521–1523
Preceded by	Leonardo Loredan
Succeeded by	Andrea Gritti

Personal details
Born	28 December 1434 Venice
Died	7 May 1523(1523-05-07) (aged 88) Venice
Spouse	Caterina Loredan
Children	Domenico Grimani

Antonio Grimani (28 December 1434 – 7 May 1523) was the Doge of Venice from 1521 to 1523. He had previously served as commander of the Venetian navy.

Biography

He was born in Venice into a relatively poor, but noble Grimani family and in his early years he worked as a tradesman, soon becoming one of the most important ones in the city. In 1494 he was created capitano generale da mar (sea commander-in-chief), a relatively easy task as he had to lead the Venetian operations along the Adriatic coast in a peaceful period. But when in 1499 a new war between Venice and the Ottoman Empire broke out, his lack of experience led to two crushing defeats (Sapienza, 19 August, and Zonchio, six days later).

Grimani was threatened with the death penalty, but this was turned into a mild exile on the island of Cherso.^[1] Soon, however, he fled taking refuge in Rome in 1509.

Thanks to the intercession of his sons, he could return in Venice in 1509. His political ties soon gained him important administrative charges and created the basis for his future election as doge (6 July 1521).

Aged by the time he assumed the throne, he led the Republic into the Italian War of 1521, the only ally of Francis I of France that did not abandon him. Following the French defeat at the Battle of Bicocca, however, he grew concerned about the course of the war; but he died in 1523, and it was left to his successor, Andrea Gritti, to achieve a settlement with Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

He was married to Caterina Loredan.^[2] The doge's son, Domenico Grimani, who'd become a cardinal in 1493, survived him by just three months.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Antonio Grimani.

Norwich, John Julius (1989). A History of Venice. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-72197-5..

^ Thubron, Colin. Venice (Time-Life series) (1980)
^ Staley, Edgcumbe: The dogaressas of Venice : The wives of the doges. London : T. W. Laurie

Political offices
Preceded by Leonardo Loredan	Doge of Venice 1521–1523	Succeeded by Andrea Gritti

Doges of Venice

Byzantine period (697–737)
Paolo Lucio Anafesto Marcello Tegalliano Orso Ipato

Regime of the magistri militum (738–742)
Domenico Leoni Felice Cornicola Teodato Ipato Jovian Ceparius John Fabriacus

Ducal period (742–1148)
8th century	Teodato Ipato* Galla Lupanio* Domenico Monegario* Maurizio Galbaio Giovanni Galbaio*
9th century	Obelerio degli Antenori† Agnello Participazio Giustiniano Participazio Giovanni I Participazio Pietro Tradonico† Orso I Participazio Giovanni II Participazio♦ Pietro I Candiano‡ Pietro Tribuno
10th century	Orso II Participazio Pietro II Candiano Pietro Participazio Pietro III Candiano Pietro IV Candiano† Pietro I Orseolo♦ Vitale Candiano♦ Tribuno Memmo Pietro II Orseolo
11th century	Otto Orseolo* Pietro Centranico* Domenico Flabanico Domenico I Contarini Domenico Selvo* Vitale Faliero Vitale I Michiel
12th century	Ordelafo Faliero Domenico Michiel Pietro Polani
* deposed † executed or assassinated ‡ killed in battle ♦ abdicated

Republican period (1148–1797)
12th century	Domenico Morosini Vitale II Michiel Sebastiano Ziani Orio Mastropiero Enrico Dandolo
13th century	Pietro Ziani Jacopo Tiepolo Marino Morosini Reniero Zeno Lorenzo Tiepolo Jacopo Contarini Giovanni Dandolo Pietro Gradenigo
14th century	Marino Zorzi Giovanni Soranzo Francesco Dandolo Bartolomeo Gradenigo Andrea Dandolo Marino Faliero† Giovanni Gradenigo Giovanni Dolfin Lorenzo Celsi Marco Cornaro Andrea Contarini Michele Morosini Antonio Venier
15th century	Michele Steno Tommaso Mocenigo Francesco Foscari* Pasquale Malipiero Cristoforo Moro Nicolò Tron Nicolò Marcello Pietro Mocenigo Andrea Vendramin Giovanni Mocenigo Marco Barbarigo Agostino Barbarigo
16th century	Leonardo Loredan Antonio Grimani Andrea Gritti Pietro Lando Francesco Donato Marcantonio Trivisan Francesco Venier Lorenzo Priuli Girolamo Priuli Pietro Loredan Alvise I Mocenigo Sebastiano Venier Nicolò da Ponte Pasquale Cicogna Marino Grimani
17th century	Leonardo Donato Marcantonio Memmo Giovanni Bembo Nicolò Donato Antonio Priuli Francesco Contarini Giovanni I Cornaro Nicolò Contarini Francesco Erizzo Francesco Molin Carlo Contarini Francesco Cornaro Bertuccio Valiero Giovanni Pesaro Domenico II Contarini Nicolò Sagredo Alvise Contarini Marcantonio Giustinian Francesco Morosini Silvestro Valiero Alvise II Mocenigo
18th century	Giovanni II Cornaro Alvise III Mocenigo Carlo Ruzzini Alvise Pisani Pietro Grimani Francesco Loredan Marco Foscarini Alvise IV Mocenigo Paolo Renier Ludovico Manin*
† Marino Faliero (1354–55) was convicted of treason, executed and condemned to damnatio memoriae * Francesco Foscari (1423–57) was forced to abdicate by the Council of Ten * Ludovico Manin (1789–97) was forced to abdicate by Napoleon leading to the Fall of the Republic of Venice