Marino Sanuto the Younger
Marino Sanuto the Younger entered the world on the 22nd of May 1466. He was born into a patrician family of Venice with important wealth. His father was the senator Leonardo Sanuto. This lineage traced back to the Counts of Candiana originating from Pietro I Candiano. The boy lost his parents at the age of eight. Financial ruin followed quickly due to bad management by his elder brother. That sibling eventually left the family for Syria. Sanuto remained hampered by want of means for many years. He spent his childhood under the protection of his uncle Francesco Sanuto. This relative may have also supported him financially.
Sanuto began writing early in life. At fifteen he wrote Memorabilia Deorum Dearumque about antique gods and goddesses. In 1483 he accompanied his cousin Mario through Istria and mainland provinces. Mario served as one of three sindici inquisitori deputed to hear appeals from rettori decisions. Sanuto wrote a minute account of these experiences in his diary. Wherever he went he sought out learned men. He examined libraries and copied inscriptions. The result included publication of Itinerario per la terraferma veneziana. A collection of Latin inscriptions also emerged from this journey. These efforts established his reputation among scholars before adulthood.
The Maggior Consiglio elected Sanuto when only twenty years old. The legal age was actually twenty-five. He became a senator in 1498. He noted down everything said and done in those assemblies. Officials granted permission to examine secret archives of the state. He collected a fine library rich in manuscripts and chronicles. The collection included both Venetian and foreign works. It held the famous Altino Chronicle containing legends about early Venetian history. This text served as a foundation for Venetian historiography. He became friends with all the learned men of the day. Aldo Manuzio dedicated editions of Angelo Poliziano's works to him. Ovid's poems received similar dedication.
His most important work covers the period from the 1st of January 1496 to June 1533. These records fill fifty-eight volumes. The Diarii functioned as a universal chronicle due to relations between Venice and Europe and the East. It remains an invaluable source of information on that period. Sanuto intended to write up these notes into a formal history of Venice. He recorded daily events within the republic. The scope extended beyond local affairs to international diplomacy. Scholars rely on his detailed observations today. No other contemporary account matches its breadth or depth. The sheer volume of material required decades to publish.
Publication of these records began by Rinaldo Fulin in 1879. He collaborated with Federigo Stefani, Guglielmo Berchet, and Niccolò Barozzi. The last volume appeared in Venice in 1903. Decades passed before anyone attempted to print his manuscripts. The Senate granted him a pension of 150 gold ducats per annum in 1531. This recognition came after years of obscurity regarding his written legacy. Other works like I commentari delta guerra di Ferrara saw publication in 1829. M. Rawdon Brown published Itinerario per la terraferma veneziana in 1847. Le Vite dei Dogi appeared in Muratori's Rerum Italicarum Scriptores in 1733.
Sanuto died in 1536 without legitimate male heirs. He left only two illegitimate daughters behind. His wife Cecilia Priuli had been married briefly to him. The senate recognized the value of his work through that annual pension. Historians now treat his Diarii as essential reading for Renaissance studies. No other source provides such detailed daily accounts from this era. His status as primary source remains unchallenged among scholars. The manuscript tradition preserves his voice across centuries. Future generations continue to study his observations on politics and society. The Altino Chronicle he collected still influences modern understanding of early Venice.
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Common questions
When was Marino Sanuto the Younger born and what family background did he have?
Marino Sanuto the Younger entered the world on the 22nd of May 1466. He was born into a patrician family of Venice with important wealth.
What major historical work did Marino Sanuto the Younger write covering the period from 1496 to 1533?
His most important work covers the period from the 1st of January 1496 to June 1533. These records fill fifty-eight volumes known as the Diarii.
Who published the collected works of Marino Sanuto the Younger starting in 1879?
Publication of these records began by Rinaldo Fulin in 1879. He collaborated with Federigo Stefani, Guglielmo Berchet, and Niccolò Barozzi.
How much pension did the Senate grant Marino Sanuto the Younger in 1531?
The Senate granted him a pension of 150 gold ducats per annum in 1531. This recognition came after years of obscurity regarding his written legacy.
When did Marino Sanuto the Younger die and what heirs did he leave behind?
Sanuto died in 1536 without legitimate male heirs. He left only two illegitimate daughters behind.