Marin Sanudo, Venetian chronicler, recounts the time when the city fathers learned of the capture of French King Francis I by the forces of Emperor Carlos V.
Next day, Sunday, more letters arrived in Venice, the Collegio convened and Imperial ambassadors came and addressed the Venetians with some crowing and some complaints. One Marino Caracciolo, imperial ambassador, praising their victory in capturing the French King Francis I on the day before, said there would be much rejoicing 'in Spain and his dominions' over this. It was King Carlos' birthday and so, 'Eternal God gave him a great victory on that day.' In addition,
Sanudo Diaries: February 26, 1525: (37:656); "He said that they would have so liked for the forces of this most excellent state to be united with the imperial forces. And he said other judicious things."
Doge Andrea Gritti had to explain why they had kept their forces back from this fray. He reminded the ambassador, and all those present, he had sent word to the various ambassadors when the news arrived and the city had rejoiced with them. There had likely been counterattacks by the French and the imperial forces had left the 'defenses of our conjoined territories' to fight the French, thus imperilling Venetian holdings that the imperial forces were there to protect. After all, Venice felt vulnerable to French attacks as well, and if she had only herself to depend on defense and thereby looked weak, France may have attacked her holdings instead. Venice had to protect her own state. But "... let us thank God that there was a good conclusion, which certainly will bring peace to Italy."
Editor's note: "This masterful speech of Gritti's and its careful use of dissembling language is an example of what Felix Gilbert has called the "finesse and subtlety" of Venetian patricians, trained in the debates of the Senate." [p. 528]
Editor's note: "As proof that Venice continued to honor its alliance [with Imperial forces], the Imperial and English ambassadors were granted permission to take gunpowder and pitch from the Arsenale for their victory celebrations."
But the city, and much of the surrounding region, were distressed by the news. Earlier that day the Collegio had listened to the ambassador from Ferrara who had loudly complained of the disaster that losing the French king would mean. In the city, Carnival festas were few and muted.
Sanudo Diaries: February 26, 1525: (37:660); "There has been little masking, so that it seems as if the city is mourning the capture of the Most Christian King [Francis], because in fact almost everyone laments it."
More letters from the region in Italy came in, as well as more from Innsbruck, Spain, and Hungary, our editors tell us. Here too, amid all this huge news, our editors reveal that Sanudo also took the time to describe a great many other things as well. The procurator at San Marco could show their treasures to 'the delegation from Teodoro Trivulzi', then governor of Milan. There were reports of caravels from the New World arriving in Spain carrying gold, pearls, spices. The charge of heresy against Martin Luther's protector, the Duke of Saxony made news. The prices of state bonds of the Monte Nove and Monte Novissima were noteworthy as well as the need to raise the too low subsidy for the expensive Damascus trade. Even the women's shelter at Scuola di la Chiesia di Sant' Angnese was placed back under its own governance. [p. 529]
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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
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