Cristoforo Moro
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Christoforo Moro (Born 1390; died November 10, 1471) was the 67th Doge of Venice. He reigned from 1462 to 1471.
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[edit] Family
The Moro family settled in Venice in the mid-12th century. Cristofor was the eleventh person from the family to be elected doge.
[edit] Life
After graduating from university, Moro held various public offices. He was the Venetian ambassador to the Popes Eugene IV and Nicholas V. Saint Bernardino of Siena was said to have prophesized that Moro would one day become doge, and as the fulfillment of a solemn vow Moro had the Church of Saint Giobbe built and dedicated to Bernardino's memory. Moro died childless. He bequeathed his fortune to various charitable organizations and foundations, including the Church of Saint Giobbe.
[edit] Doge
Moro's reign was marked by wars between Venice and the Turks. In 1463 Pope Pius II sent Moro a consecrated sword with the intention of convincing Venice to join the anti-Turk alliance. The reaction in Venice was initially hesitant as the Republic's main priority was their economic interests.
In April 1463, 10 years after the conquest of Constantinople, Turkish troops occupied the Venetian fortress of Argos in Greece. The Latin Patriarch Cardinal Johannes Bessarion traveled to Venice to call on the Republic to join the "defense of the faith"; ie join the war against the Turks. That same year a coalition was formed between Venice, Hungary and Albany with the blessing of the Pope to counter the threat of Sultan Mohammed II's aggressive policy of conquest. The coalition succeeded in temporarily halting Turkish expansion, however the new territorial limits acquired by the Turks in their conquests had by and large accepted.
In 1469 the Venetian fleet commander Niccolò Canal retook the island of Enos in the Dardanelles, but he was not able to defend the island of Evia, a major granary of Venice, from Turkish attack. Evia was conquered by the Sultan while inflicting enormous losses on the Venetian forces.
The Republic faced further threats from the northern Italian cities who coveted Venetian land, as well as from the French king Louis XI who was seeking to expand Lombardy at the expense of Venice.
[edit] Tomb
Moro's tomb is located in the sanctuary of the Church of Saint Giobbe. The tomb is above ground, covered with a marble tombstone.
[edit] References
- Andrea da Mosto: I Dogi di Venezia. Florenz 1983.
- Helmut Dumler: Venedig und die Dogen.. Düsseldorf 2001.
| Preceded by Pasqual Malipiero |
Doge of Venice 1462-1471 |
Succeeded by Nicolo Tron |
