Morosini
MOROSINI
Noble Venetian family, probably of Hungarian extraction, whose members were often statesmen, generals, admirals, doges of Venice, and cardinals of the Church. Among the doges were Domenico (1148–56), who waged successful wars against the Dalmatian pirates; Marino (1249–53); Michele, descendant of Marino, who was doge from June 1382 until his death in October of the same year; and Francesco (1688–94), who was one of the most successful of the Venetian leaders in the fight against the ottoman turks. Included in the list of prominent ecclesiastics would be Giovanni (10th century), and especially Tomaso. When members of the Fourth crusade (1202–04) captured constantinople, the Venetians claimed three-eighths of the city, including Hagia Sophia, where Tomaso was installed as the first Latin patriarch (1205–11). Pietro, a law teacher at the University of Padua, was created cardinal in 1408; Gianfrancesco, a friend of Philip neri, and a diplomat in the papal service, was made cardinal in 1588 (d. 1596). Still another member of the family, Andrea (d. 1618), was entrusted by the Venetian Senate with the task of continuing Paolo Paruta's Annali Veneti, a history of Venice.
Bibliography: p. bosmin and p. c. b. ottaviani, Enciclopedia storico-nobiliare italiana, ed. v. spreti, 8 v. (Milan 1928–35) 4:713–716.
[v. l. bullough]