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Francesco Morosini (26 February 1619 – 16 January 1694) was the
Doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ; vec, Doxe de Venexia ; it, Doge di Venezia ; all derived from Latin ', "military leader"), sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian '), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 ...
from 1688 to 1694, at the height of the
Great Turkish War The Great Turkish War (german: Großer Türkenkrieg), also called the Wars of the Holy League ( tr, Kutsal İttifak Savaşları), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Pola ...
. He was one of the many Doges and generals produced by the noble
Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
family of Morosini.Encyclopædia Britannica, ''Morosini Family'', 2008, O.Ed. He "dressed always in red from top to toe and never went into action without his cat beside him."


Early career

Morosini first rose to prominence as
Captain-General Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Command ...
of the Venetian forces on
Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...
during the siege of Candia by the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
. He was eventually forced to surrender the city, and was accused of cowardice and treason on his return to Venice; however, he was acquitted after a brief trial. In 1685, at the outbreak of the
Morean War The Morean War ( it, Guerra di Morea), also known as the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War, was fought between 1684–1699 as part of the wider conflict known as the " Great Turkish War", between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire. Militar ...
, Morosini took command of a fleet against the Ottomans. Over the next several years, he captured the Morea with the help of
Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck Count Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck (5 January 1639 – 5 September 1688) was a Swedish military officer from Minden. He attained the rank of field marshal in 1676, commanded the Battle of Stralsund (1678), and became Governor General for Swedish ...
, as well as Lefkada and parts of western Greece. He also briefly captured Athens but was unable to hold it, and attempted a failed
siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
of the former Venetian fortress of Negroponte. His fame reached such heights that he was given the
victory title A victory title is an honorific title adopted by a successful military commander to commemorate his defeat of an enemy nation. The practice is first known in Ancient Rome and is still most commonly associated with the Romans, but it was also adop ...
''Peloponnesiacus'', and was the first Venetian citizen to have a bronze bust placed during his own lifetime in the Great Hall, with the inscription ''Francisco Morosini Peloponnesiaco, adhuc viventi, Senatus''.


Destruction of the Parthenon and loot of sculptures from Athens

During the
Morean War The Morean War ( it, Guerra di Morea), also known as the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War, was fought between 1684–1699 as part of the wider conflict known as the " Great Turkish War", between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire. Militar ...
the Parthenon was used as a
gunpowder magazine A gunpowder magazine is a magazine (building) designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications ...
by the Ottoman Army. On September 26, 1687, Venetian mortars bombarding
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...
scored a direct hit on the edifice. An attaché of the Swedish field commander General Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck wrote later: "How it dismayed His Excellency to destroy the beautiful temple which had existed three thousand years!". By contrast Morosini, who was the commander in chief of the operation, described it in his report to the Venetian government as a "fortunate shot". When he conquered the Acropolis in early 1688, Morosini attempted to loot Athena's and Poseidon's horses and chariots from the western
pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...
of the Parthenon, but the sculptures fell on the ground and smashed. This was the first documented attempt to remove sculptures from the pediments. The
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
regained possession of the monument in the following year and, having noticed the damage, began to sell souvenirs to Westerners. Morosini also took the
Piraeus Lion The Piraeus Lion ( it, Leone del Pireo) is one of four lion statues on display at the Venetian Arsenal, Italy, where it was displayed as a symbol of Venice's patron saint, Saint Mark. History It was originally located in Piraeus, the harbour ...
as a
war trophy __NOTOC__ A war trophy is an item taken during warfare by an invading force. Common war trophies include flags, weapons, vehicles, and art. History In ancient Greece and ancient Rome, military victories were commemorated with a display of captu ...
to the Venetian Arsenal.


Doge

In the summer of 1688, Morosini, now having been proclaimed
Doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ; vec, Doxe de Venexia ; it, Doge di Venezia ; all derived from Latin ', "military leader"), sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian '), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 ...
, attacked Negropont but was unable to capture it and was forced to return to Venice when plague broke out among his troops. He embarked on a final campaign in 1693, but was again unsuccessful in taking Negropont, and returned to Venice after sacking some minor coastal towns. After his death in 1694, a large marble arch was placed in his honor at the
Doge's Palace The Doge's Palace ( it, Palazzo Ducale; vec, Pałaso Dogal) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme aut ...
. ''Nini'', the cat of which Morosini was notably fond of, was embalmed along with a mouse between her paws. ''Nini'' and the mouse are current exhibits at the Museo Correr in Venice.https://www.allafinedeiconti.it/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/nini-00-700x467.jpg


Commemoration

* The '' Scuola Navale Militare Francesco Morosini'' is named for him. * The , launched on 30 July 1885, completed in 1889, and stricken in 1909, was named for him. * The ''Francesco Morosini'', laid down in 1915 but scrapped in 1921 prior to launching, was named for him.


References


See also

* Parthenon * Elgin Marbles {{DEFAULTSORT:Morosini, Francesco Republic of Venice generals 1619 births 1694 deaths
Francesco Francesco, the Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis", is the most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Francesco * Francesco I (disambiguation), seve ...
People of the Great Turkish War People acquitted of treason Ottoman Athens Ottoman Peloponnese Republic of Venice people of the Ottoman–Venetian Wars Cretan War (1645–1669) 17th-century Italian nobility 17th-century Doges of Venice Dukes of Crete