Marino Sanuto the Younger was born into a patrician family of Venice, yet by the age of eight, he was an orphan who had lost his fortune to the mismanagement of his elder brother. This financial ruin forced him to spend his childhood under the protection of his uncle, Francesco Sanuto, who provided the only support he would know for many years. Despite these early hardships, Sanuto displayed a precocious intellect, writing a treatise on antique gods and goddesses at the tender age of fifteen. His life was defined by a relentless pursuit of knowledge that began in 1483, when he accompanied his cousin Mario on a tour through Istria and the mainland provinces. During this journey, he did not merely observe but actively sought out learned men, examined libraries, and copied inscriptions, eventually publishing an account of his travels and a collection of Latin inscriptions that would establish his reputation as a scholar.
The Secretive Senate
In 1486, at the age of twenty, Sanuto was elected a member of the Maggior Consiglio, bypassing the legal age requirement of twenty-five to enter the highest governing body of Venice. By 1498, he had become a senator, and he immediately began to record every word spoken and every action taken within those assemblies. His ambition extended beyond mere observation; he obtained special permission to examine the secret archives of the state, granting him access to information that was hidden from the public eye. This access allowed him to construct a library that was exceptionally rich in manuscripts and chronicles, both Venetian and foreign. Among his most prized acquisitions was the Altino Chronicle, a collection of legends about early Venetian history that served as the foundation of Venetian historiography. His dedication to preserving history made him a friend to all the learned men of the day, including Aldo Manuzio, who dedicated his editions of Angelo Poliziano and Ovid to Sanuto.The Historian's Rivalry
The path to becoming the official historian of the republic was fraught with personal disappointment for Sanuto, who viewed the appointment of others as a direct affront to his own life's work. It was a great grief to him when Andrea Navagero was appointed to continue the history of the republic from the point where Marco Antonio Sabellico left off. The situation became a source of even greater mortification when Navagero died in 1529 without executing his task, leading to the appointment of Pietro Bembo as his successor. For decades, Sanuto watched as the state chose other men to write the history he believed he was destined to compose. It was not until 1531, five years before his death, that the value of his work was finally recognized by the senate, which granted him a pension of 150 gold ducats per annum. This financial recognition came too late to alter the course of his career, but it served as a final validation of his decades of labor.