Carlo Ruzzini (11 November 1653 – 5 January 1735) was a Venetian
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
,
statesman
A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level.
Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to:
Newspapers United States
* ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...
, and
Doge
A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics".
Etymology
The ...
.
Biography
Ruzzini was born in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, the eldest child of wealthy parents, Marco Ruzzini and Caterina Zeno.
By the end of the 17th century the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
was losing ground in its
constant diplomatic and military struggle with the
Turkish Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, so there was great need for diplomats such as Carlo Ruzzini who had both the education and the requisite personal fortune to qualify for the diplomatic service.
Starting his career of public service at 26 running the
Venetian Arsenal
The Venetian Arsenal ( it, Arsenale di Venezia) is a complex of former shipyards and armories clustered together in the city of Venice in northern Italy. Owned by the state, the Arsenal was responsible for the bulk of the Venetian republic's ...
and dockyard, Carlo Ruzzini became a diplomat and was sent as
Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
in 1691. As the ambassador to
Vienna
en, Viennese
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, registration_plate = W
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, in July 1698 he was organizing the visit of the Russian
Tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
to Venice, but that tour was failed because of the
Streltsy revolt in Moscow. Later Ruzzini represented Venice during the negotiations at
Carlowitz (1698-1699), managing to obtain some advantages for his country. His indecision and fear of making the wrong decision - partly due to his brief and the need to constantly consult the Venetian Council - caused much irritation with the other participants who, therefore, contrived to exclude Venice and him from the more important decisions. This episode however did not stunt his career, as is demonstrated later by his appointment first as Venetian Ambassador in
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
(1706), to the
Turkish Court (1707) and in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. He was Venice's Ambassador Extraordinary at other important international negotiations such as at
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
in 1712. However, Venice's decline and the fact that its power was now largely restricted to within the Italian border meant that his part was a minor one.
At the conclusion of the
last of the wars between Venice and Turkey (1714–1718), Ruzzini represented the Republic during the peace negotiations at
Passarowitz in July 1718. The inherent weakness in Venice's strategic position meant that little was gained and much lost in the negotiations.
After the Treaty of Passarowitz Ruzzini continued his diplomatic career with a second posting to Constantinople before ill health forced him home. However, his wide experience meant he continued to play an important part in the political life of the Republic.
He was a candidate for Doge in 1722 but was beaten by
Alvise III Sebastiano Mocenigo. Ten years later, on 6 June 1732,
[From “A New Chronology of Venetian Opera and Related Genres, 1660-1760,” pg. 431, by Eleanor Selfridge-Field, published by Stanford University Press, 2007.] on Mocenigo's death, Ruzzini was easily elected with 40 votes out of 41.
During his brief reign he achieved little of note but kept Venice neutral and out of further conflicts.
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruzzini, Carlo
1653 births
1735 deaths
Ambassadors of the Republic of Venice to Spain
Ambassadors of the Republic of Venice to Austria
Baili of Constantinople
17th-century Venetian people
18th-century diplomats
18th-century Doges of Venice
Republic of Venice people of the Ottoman–Venetian Wars