Agostino Barbarigo
Agostino Barbarigo (1420 - 20 September 1501) was the Doge of Venice from 1486 until his death.[1][2]
Biography
Early life
Agostino was born in Venice in 1420, the younger brother of Marco Barbarigo. Whereas Marco was extremely spoiled from birth, Agostino had to work his way up the social ladder.[1]
The Doge's brother
Marco had joined the Templar Order by 1480. The Templars were plotting to take over Venice and to do so, they schemed to have Doge Mocenigo killed. Fellow Templar Carlo Grimaldi poisoned the Doge and soon after, Marco was elected Doge in 1486. As the Templars' sworn enemies, the Assassins, where trying to break their grip on Venice, Marco never left the Palazzo Ducale in fear of being assassinated.[1]
Marco had to come out of his Palazzo for Carnevale, however. The Assassins used this to their advantage, as the Assassin Ezio Auditore had won a golden mask which allowed entry to Marco's private party. Agostino was also present at the party and witnessed Marco being assassinated by Ezio when he showed himself.[1]
As the Doge
Agostino succeeded his brother after his death and allied himself with Assassins. He helped them device a plan to assassinate his Templar cousin Silvio Barbarigo. After he said he wouldn't ally himself with the Borgia like his brother did, the Assassins left Venice in his hands.[1]
Agostino helped to create a coalition against Charles VIII of France, after which he managed to gain territory on the mainland of Italy. He also entered a war with Turkey in 1499, which caused the loss of the Venetian navy and thus many of Venice's stronholds along the Orient.[1]
Death
Agostino didn't keep his promise to the Assassins, however. He was corrupted by the Borgia just like his brother, though the Assassins quickly found out about this. They had sent Agostino three threatful letters, each of them poisoned with small doses. Soon afterwards, Agostino fell ill and died.[2]
After his death, he was charged with receiving bottles of wine as gifts and then reselling them tax free beneath the staircase of the prisons, by the Inquisitors of the Great Council.[1]
References