Lodovico Gritti
Encyclopedia
Lodovico Gritti Aluise Aloysi Luigi Louis Gritti, Ludovico or, as the Venetians
called him, Alvise Gritti, and the Hungarians Lajos Gritti. He was influential in the Hungarian Kingdom under the reign of King John I of Hungary. He was also a minister of the Turkish sultan, and regent of Hungary from 1530 to 1534. He was the natural son of Andrea Gritti
, the Venetian Bailo
in Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II
, who later became the Doge of Venice
in 1523.
(Ibrahim Pasha), the Grand Vizier for Suleiman the Magnificent
(Soleyman I). Gritti won favor with Ibrahim, who entrusted him with great responsibilities, making him a business partner.
first as King John's advisor, and then between 1530 and 1534 as regent of Hungary.
. "I heard a few days ago that the Captain-General of Croatia apprehended and sent to (your brother's city of) Lubiana
two of Gritti's spies. They have confessed that Gritti, in the name of the Turkish Emperor, has made an alliance with the kings of England and France and also with several other princes against His Imperial and Royal Majesties (Charles and his brother Frederick, then King of Bohemia
and the rest of Christendom. In consequence of this the armies of the Turk, consisting of about 1,500 light horse and 22,000 hackbutiers—the whole force to be paid by the king of France—are about to invade Christendom. And it is the opinion of one of the spies that Gritti himself with his confederates will invade Croatia, Slavonia, and Hungary, and try if he can conquer those countries. Meanwhile the dukes of Bavaria and Wurtemberg and the count (landgrave) of Hesse
will create disturbances in Germany, and so distress Christendom that His Imperial Majesty will find himself in trouble.
1534 Gritti's attempt to take over Transylvania caused a general uprising but in the end he was killed along with his two sons at the siege of Medias.
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
called him, Alvise Gritti, and the Hungarians Lajos Gritti. He was influential in the Hungarian Kingdom under the reign of King John I of Hungary. He was also a minister of the Turkish sultan, and regent of Hungary from 1530 to 1534. He was the natural son of Andrea Gritti
Andrea Gritti
Andrea Gritti was the Doge of Venice from 1523 to 1538, following a distinguished diplomatic and military career.Gritti was born in Bardolino, near Verona. He spent much of his early life in Constantinople as a grain merchant, looking after Venetian interests...
, the Venetian Bailo
Bailo
Bailo is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 256 inhabitants.-Villages:*Bailo*Larués*Arrés*Alastuey*Arbués*Paternoy*Especiello*Gabás*Huértalo...
in Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II
Bayezid II
Bayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512...
, who later became the Doge of Venice
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
in 1523.
Youth
For some years Gritti's father served as the Venetian ambassador at the Ottoman court, so Gritti grew up in Istanbul. Talented, he received his higher education in Venice and Padua (1496-1507/8) and by 1527 was back in Istanbul where had his first interview with Pargalı İbrahim PashaPargali Ibrahim Pasha
Pargali Ibrahim Pasha , also known as Frenk Ibrahim Pasha , Makbul Ibrahim Pasha , and referred to him as Maktul Ibrahim Pasha after his murder in the Topkapı Palace, was the first Grand Vizier in the Ottoman Empire appointed by Suleiman the Magnificent...
(Ibrahim Pasha), the Grand Vizier for Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
(Soleyman I). Gritti won favor with Ibrahim, who entrusted him with great responsibilities, making him a business partner.
Early career
In 1527 Gritti supported King John I of Hungary against Ferdinand I of Habsburg, who wanted the crown for himself. He became soon one of the most important allies of King John and served as ambassador between the monarch and the Turkish sultan. In 1528 the grand vizier, according to reports, planned to take him on the projected campaign into Hungary where Gritti was to get "an important archbishopric plus a piece of the archduchy of Austria once the Turks had taken them." Lodovico stayed in the city of BudaBuda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
first as King John's advisor, and then between 1530 and 1534 as regent of Hungary.
Attempted Coup
1533 Nov 19 The governor of Marano to Charles V, Holy Roman EmperorCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
. "I heard a few days ago that the Captain-General of Croatia apprehended and sent to (your brother's city of) Lubiana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
two of Gritti's spies. They have confessed that Gritti, in the name of the Turkish Emperor, has made an alliance with the kings of England and France and also with several other princes against His Imperial and Royal Majesties (Charles and his brother Frederick, then King of Bohemia
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
and the rest of Christendom. In consequence of this the armies of the Turk, consisting of about 1,500 light horse and 22,000 hackbutiers—the whole force to be paid by the king of France—are about to invade Christendom. And it is the opinion of one of the spies that Gritti himself with his confederates will invade Croatia, Slavonia, and Hungary, and try if he can conquer those countries. Meanwhile the dukes of Bavaria and Wurtemberg and the count (landgrave) of Hesse
Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse
Philip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....
will create disturbances in Germany, and so distress Christendom that His Imperial Majesty will find himself in trouble.
1534 Gritti's attempt to take over Transylvania caused a general uprising but in the end he was killed along with his two sons at the siege of Medias.