Morosini
Encyclopedia
The Morosini were a noble Venetian
family, probably of Romanian
extraction, that gave many doge
s, statesmen, generals and admirals to the Venetian Republic
, and cardinal
s to the Church
. The origin of the name seems to be connected with the toponym Urbs Morisena, i.e. The City on Moris (today river Mures
, in Romania), and the once famous Abbey of Morisena (Muresana, in Romanian). It first became prominent at the time of the emperor Otto II owing to its rivalry with the Caloprini family, which it subjugated by the end of the 10th century.
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
family, probably of Romanian
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
extraction, that gave many doge
Doge
Doge is a dialectal Italian word that descends from the Latin dux , meaning "leader", especially in a military context. The wife of a Doge is styled a Dogaressa....
s, statesmen, generals and admirals to the Venetian Republic
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...
, and cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
s to the Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. The origin of the name seems to be connected with the toponym Urbs Morisena, i.e. The City on Moris (today river Mures
Mures
The name Mureș may refer to:*Mureș County in Romania*Mureș River in Romania and Hungary *Mures , a puzzle gameAlso, the following localities contain the name Mureș and lie on the banks of the river above....
, in Romania), and the once famous Abbey of Morisena (Muresana, in Romanian). It first became prominent at the time of the emperor Otto II owing to its rivalry with the Caloprini family, which it subjugated by the end of the 10th century.
- Beato Giovanni Morosini ( -1012†), founder in 982 and first abbot of the BenedictineBenedictineBenedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Monastery San Giorgio MaggioreSan Giorgio MaggioreSan Giorgio Maggiore is one of the islands of Venice, northern Italy, lying east of the Giudecca and south of the main island group. The isle is surrounded by Canale della Grazia, Canale della Giudecca, Saint Mark Basin, Canale di San Marco and the southern lagoon...
in the Island of the same name in Venice, Italy. - Domenico MorosiniDomenico MorosiniDomenico Morosini was the thirty-seventh doge of the Republic of Venice, reigning from 1148 until his death in 1156.Descendant of a noble family , Morosini succeeded in reconciling the two factions that had divided Venetian patrician families for years, thus ending a political conflict that had...
(d.1156), elected doge of VeniceDoge of VeniceThe 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 1148, waged war with success against the DalmatiaDalmatiaDalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n corsairCorsairCorsairs were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French Crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds...
s, recapturing PolaPulaPula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
and other IstriaIstriaIstria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
n towns from them. - Tomasina MorosiniTomasina MorosiniTomasina Morosini Queen Mother of Hungary, mother of Andrew III the Venetian King of Hungary.-Life:She was the daughter of Michele Sbarra Morosini Patrician of Venice. In 1263 she married Stephen the Posthumous Prince of Hungary in Venice, who lived in exile in Venice...
(c1250-1300), mother of king Andrew III of Hungary. Her sister Constanza was married with king Stefan Vladislav II of SyrmiaStefan Vladislav II of SyrmiaStephen Vladislav II was a 14th-century Serb royalty, King of Syrmia and claimant to the whole Serbia.He was the son of Stefan Dragutin, who had ruled Serbia until 1282, when he became ill and abdicated, giving the superior rule to his younger brother Stefan Milutin...
. - Marino MorosiniMarino MorosiniMarino Morosini was the 44th doge of Venice. He governed from 1249 to 1253.- Family :Marino was one of four members of the Morosini family to be elected doge. The other three were Domenico Morosini , Michele Morosini and Francesco Morosini...
(1181-1252) was elected doge in 1249. - Michele MorosiniMichele MorosiniMichele Morosini was the Doge of Venice for a few months, from 10 June 1382 to his death in October the same year.Born in one of the most important Venetian families, Morosini was extremely wealthy...
(1308-1382) was doge from June 1382, until his death in October of the same year. - Morosina Morosini-GrimaniMorosina Morosini-GrimaniMorosina Morosini-Grimani , was a Venetian patrician. She was the Dogaressa of Venice from 1595 to 1606.Morosina Morosini-Grimani was the daughter of Andrea Morosini, a wealthy Venetian patrician. She was married in 1560 to Marino Grimani...
(1545-1614), wife of doge Marino GrimaniMarino Grimani (doge)Marino Grimani was the 89th Doge of Venice, reigning from April 26, 1595 until his death. Grimani's reign as doge was principally remembered for two reasons: the splendid celebrations for the coronation of his wife, Morosina Morosini; and the beginning of the quarrel with the papacy that... - Andrea Morosini (1558-1618) was a famous historian and was entrusted by the Venetian senate with the task of continuing Paolo ParutaPaolo Paruta-Biography:He was born at Venice of a Luccan family. After studying at Padua he served the Republic of Venice in various political capacities, including that of secretary to one of the Venetian delegates at the Council of Ten...
's Annali Veneti, in Latin. His history of Venice was published by his brother in 1623, and translated into ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
by Senator Girolamo Melin (Venice, 1782). Among his other works are: Le Imprese ed espeditioni di terra santa, &c. (Venice, 1627); Deus quae Veneta respublica ad Istriae oras gessit, &c. (in the Corner-Duodo collection of MSS.); De forma reipublicae Venetae in MS. in the Bibliothèque Nationale in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. His life has been written by Luigi Lollin (1623), by Niccolo Crasso (1621), and by Antonio Palazzoli (1620). - Francesco MorosiniFrancesco MorosiniFrancesco Morosini was the Doge of Venice from 1688 to 1694, at the height of the Great Turkish War...
(1618-1694) was a prominent Venetian sea captains of his time. As a young man he fought against the TurksOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and the pirates, and after signally distinguishing himself at the Battle of NaxosBattle of NaxosAt the Battle of Naxos the new Athenian fleet of Chabrias decisively defeated the Spartans. This was the beginning of Athens's recovery of its Aegean hegemony following its loss in the Peloponnesian War. The victory was decided by Phocion's courageous and skillful action on the left wing...
in 1650 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Venetian navy. He then conducted a series of successful campaigns against the Turks, but was recalled in consequence of the intrigues of his rival the provveditore Antonio BarbaroAntonio BarbaroAntonio Barbaro was a military leader and member of the patrician Barbaro family of Venice, Italy.- Life :Barbaro lived at a time when Venice had a maritime empire in the Mediterranean. He served in Candia , Crete during the long-lasting Siege of Candia...
(1661). But when CandiaHeraklionHeraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
was attacked by a large force, under the fierce grand vizierGrand VizierGrand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
Köprülü, Morosini was sent to relieve the fortress in 1667; the siege lasted eighteen months, but Morosini, in spite of his prodigies of valour, was forced to surrender to save the surviving inhabitants. He was tried, but acquitted of all blame, and on the renewal of the war with the Turkish Empire in 1684 he was again appointed commander-in-chief, and after several brilliant victories he reconquered the Peloponnesus and AthensAthensAthens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Unfortunately, during the siege of Athens, shells from Morosini's bombardment irreparably damaged the ParthenonParthenonThe Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
. Upon his return to Venice, he was loaded with honors and given the title of Peloponnesiaco. In 1688 he was elected doge, and in 1693 he took command of the Venetian forces against the Turks for the fourth time; the enemy which had been cruising in the archipelagoArchipelagoAn archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
withdrew at his approach, so great was the terror inspired by his name. While wintering at Napoli di Romania (Nauplia) he died on 6 January 1694. - Dana Morosini ReeveDana ReeveDana Reeve was an American actress, singer, and activist for disability causes. She was the widow of actor Christopher Reeve.-Early life and family:...
(1961-2006), Singer and actress, - Sergio Rossetti Morosini (1953- ), New York Author, Painter, Sculptor and Independent Filmmaker, has recently sculpted the bust of Michelangelo on the façade of the National Arts Club in New York.