Loredan

The family of Loredan were a noble family of the Republic of Venice. The family contributed three Doges: Leonardo Loredan (1501–1521), Pietro Loredan (1567–1570), and Francesco Loredan (1752–1762), of whom only the first truly set his mark on the history of Venice; the "Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan" by Giovanni Bellini (1501) makes his face familiar still.

The Venetian admiral Pietro Loredan (died 1439) achieved two great victories, against the two rivals for power in the Mediterranean: over the Ottoman Turks near Gallipoli in June 1416. and over the Republic of Genoa near Rapallo in 1431. His try at being elected Doge was unsuccessful in 1433: he was defeated by his lifelong rival Francesco Foscari. Loredan was named general of the republic in 1436 during a war with Mantua and was elected generalissimo in 1438, and was assassinated the following year.

The great collector in the family was Andrea Loredan who constructed the Palazzo on the Cannaregio to designs by Mauro Codussi; it was paid for by Doge Leonardo Loredan; it was bought in the eighteenth century by the Vendramin and as the Palazzo Loredan Vendramin Calergi is notable today for its association with Richard Wagner.

The Palazzo Loredan dell'Ambasciatore on the Grand Canal derived its popular name as the residence of the ambassador of the Holy Roman Empire. Among literary figures, Giovan Francesco Loredan is remembered for the "Accademia degli Incogniti" that he founded in 1630 at the age of twenty-seven.

In the terraferma there are numerous Villas Loredan — at Strà on the Brenta Canal; at Paese, near Treviso, the villa painted by Francesco Guardi; at Asolo; at Sant'Urbano, near Padua. The domain of the Villa Loredan at Paese was planted with grapevines in the 1950s by Conte Pietro Loredan; the wine continues to be made under the label Conte Loredan Gasparini. [ [http://www.diwinetaste.com/dwt/it2005104.php Conte Loredan Gasparini] ]

Notes