the doge grows ill and Mubarek falls into a coma, declared clinically dead, June 19, 1521, 2012

• For a couple days last week, Egypt's ex-president Hosni Mubarek overshadowed the news - even their very first presidential election after Mubarek - by suffering a couple strokes, disappearing as he was being moved to a safer location, and was declared clinically dead (June 19) before he was resuscitated into a coma (June 20). Where he remains. Like Ariel Sharon. 
• I'm as pleased as can be expected of course, about the results on Sunday (June 24) about their election. They did it!!! And both the military and the Muslim Brotherhood and everyone else will keep moving the project forward. It's inspirational on a huge scale. ( 22 minutes, Mona Eltahawy is brilliant.)  The military still remain completely in control and will only gradually give tokens of power over time. Like a constitution, like a new chance for parliament... but even this is progress.

We think our elections in the US are complicated - and getting moreso - but they are nothing compared to the strictures and convolutions experienced in Venice on the loss of and traditional manner of replacement for their highest public office. 

Sanudo Diaries: June 19, 1521: (30:370); "In the morning it became known that the doge's health had worsened so much that there is no longer any hope that he will live, and the doctors have said that there is no way to cure him.... Thus, early this morning he took Holy Communion. The doctors removed from his toe a gangrenous spot that yesterday was bleeding but by today had stopped. Yet he felt no pain, and nothing issued from the wound, so the doctors concluded that he could not last many more hours and that his vital spirits are ebbing. He had his eighty-fourth  birthday last November and is in a very weak state. Tonight ... the moon is full, and that bodes ill."

(30:380); "The news is that the Ducal Palace has begun to be vacated.... Today they openly had the firewood loaded on barges and transported to teh new house, and this went on all night.... It is believed that he will not live until morning."

June 22, 1521: (30:387-8); "This morning at eight hours past sunset I heard for certain that our Most Serene Prince had died but that it is being kept secret.... the Signoria, with the heads of the Quarantia and the councillors, remained alone to decide what should be done, although at first they had wanted to call the Senate and then toward evening have the death knell rung. Then they elected to ring the bells at sixteen hours [past sunset, about 9 PM] and to have the Signoria spend the night in the Ducal Palace, which was the subject of heated words among them. Finally, at fourteen hours [about7 PM] thy decided to ring the bell of San Marco nine times. And so the patriarch ordered that all the churches ring their bells when those of San Marco rang, and so it was."

Editor's footnote: "The patriarch of Venice was the chief ecclesiastical authority in the city. His church was San Pietro in Castello, on an island in the northeastern section of the city, at some distance from the center of government." p. 56

June 22, 1521: (30:388): "And the doge's gold signet ring, the one that has Voluntas Senatus ['by the will of the Senate'] written on it, was broken; the stamp for the leaden [ducal seals] was also broken. A new signet ring for marking wax was made, with [the lion image of] St Mark and the Erizzo arms of ser Batista, the eldest councillor."

Editor's footnote: "The destruction of the ducal ring signified that the dead doge's association with the ducal office was severed. ... The eldest councillor served as the vice-doge and would therefore serve as the chief government officer until a new doge was chosen. This ensured the transfer of ducal authority to an elected official of the patrician hierarchy." p. 56

June 22, 1521: (30:388): "Letters announcing the death were ordered sent to all of the towns of our dominion, as is the custom...They sent for the admiral and other sailors from the Arsenal to guard the Ducal Palace, as is customary, and the gates of the palace were locked.... They decided to dine and not quit the palace until the election of the new doge, which will take several days...."

nedits: they didn't move the body but had the Ducal Palace left open for viewing the dead doge at first, though he couldn't actually be seen "... the arrangements were handled badly." p. 57

And then, ser Lodovico Barbarigo, a young member of the zonta picked 22 young patricians and nobles to carry his bier. So they had to be sent for under penalty of a fine if they failed to show up. "Those who want to succeed the doge are caucusing with their supporters." p. 57

The next day was the start of the funeral which was to last three days. His name was Leonardo Loredan and he was 84 years old.

All quotes as Sanudo Diaries from Venice, Cita Excellentissima, Selection from the Renaissance Diaries of Marin Sanudo translated by Linda L Carroll,  editors: Patricia H LaBalme and Laura Sanguineti White, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008