Andrea Gritti Defender of freedom of thought

It is less well known that Andrea Gritti, after the disaster of the Sack of Rome in 1527, welcomed many intellectuals who had been forced to flee the city to Venice.

Among them was the famous Aretino, Pietro Aretino.

Andrea Gritti welcomed him to Venice, became his protector and also intervened successfully with Pope Clement VII (son of Guiliano de Medici, brother of Lorenzo de Medici), who had taken a dislike to Aretino...

Andrea Gritti's dogate was therefore also a period during which Venice could boast of being the city of freedom for many European intellectuals.

A very religious womaniser

Although he was an insatiable lover of women until his death, Andrea Gritti was also always very religious.

Thus, when Saint Ignatius of Loyola came to Venice, he was received by Andrea Gritti, who authorised him to travel to Palestine on board a ship of the Republic, the Negrona, accompanied by the Provveditore Niccolo Dolfin.

Having left Venice on the Negrona, Ignatius of Loyola arrived in Jaffa on 25 July 1525. He then left Palestine on 3 October 1525 to return to Venice, this time on foot.

He arrived in Venice in mid-January 1526.

As mentioned above, Andrea Gritti was also responsible for the construction of the church of San Francesco de la Vigna in the Castello District, a church built to a design by Jacopo Sansovino.

Andrea Gritti wanted to show how deep his faith was through the construction of this church, but also to incorporate his own architectural ideas.

The first stone of San Francesco della Vigna was laid by Andrea Gritti on 15 August 1534, and right next to the church, Andrea Gritti had a family palace built, relatively sober on the outside and therefore quite different in design from the usual ostentatious palaces of some Venetian nobles of the time.

In 1537, he attempted to abdicate

It was in this palace that Andrea Gritti wished to end his days, next to the church he had built.

He had in fact wished to abdicate his title of Doge in 1537 to live a life more in keeping with his religious convictions, far from the pressures of politics and power.

Andrea Gritti had even officially announced his wish to abdicate.

But fate decided otherwise.

At that time, the majority of Venetian nobles were in favour of Venice going to war against the Sultan of Turkey, while Andrea Gritti was firmly opposed.

Then aged 83 and despite his age, he fought in the Senate for three days straight to prevent this war, which was nevertheless voted in against his will, by a majority of just one vote.

Following this decision to go to war and its consequences, Andrea Gritti renounced his abdication, preferring to serve the Republic in these difficult times.

A year later, it was not the Turks but Andrea Gritti's gluttony that ended his career and his life due to simple indigestion caused by the Doge's excessive appetite for eels during the Christmas Eve dinner of 1538.

Andrea Gritti is buried in the church he had built, the Church of San Francesco della Vigna, where his tomb can still be seen.

Opening hours of the Church of San Francesco della Vigna (free admission):
Daily from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Andrea Gritti The man | Wars | Diplomat | Freedom
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