Pietro Mocenigo

Who was Pietro Mocenigo?

Pietro Mocenigo was doge of Venice from 1474 to 1476.

He was one of the greatest Venetian admirals and revived the fortunes of his country's navy, which had fallen very low after the defeat at Negropont in 1470. In 1472, he captured and destroyed Smyrna; the following year he placed Catherine Cornaro, queen of Cyprus, under Venetian protection, and, by that means, the republic obtained possession of the island in 1475. He then defeated the Turks who were besieging Scutari, but he there contracted an illness of which he died. He was interred in the Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo, a traditional burial place of the doges, with an elaborate tomb by Pietro Lombardo.

The history of the campaign by Pietro Mocenigo was written by Coriolano Cippico, one of his galley commanders who first arrived in Cyprus to confront the Turks. He was married to Laura Zorzi.