Leonardo Loredan (1436–1521)
Born 1436 CE, died 1521 CE.
Leonardo Loredan (Italian: [leoˈnardo loreˈdan]; Venetian: Lunardo Loredan [luˈnaɾdo loɾeˈdaŋ]; 16 November 1436 – 22 June 1521) was a Venetian nobleman and statesman who reigned as the 75th Doge of Venice from 1501 until his death in 1521. As a wartime ruler, he was one of the most important doges in the history of Venice. In the dramatic events of the early 16th century, Loredan's Machiavellian plots and cunning political manoeuvres against the League of Cambrai, the Ottomans, the Mamluks, the Pope, the Republic of Genoa, the Holy Roman Empire, the French, the Egyptians and the Portuguese saved Venice from downfall. Born into the noble Loredan family in 1436, Leonardo dedicated his youth to classical education, after which he focused on trade in Africa and the Levant, in line with family tradition. Legend has it that in Africa a fortune-teller predicted for him the future of a prince in his homeland.
Text from the Wikipedia article Leonardo_Loredan, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.