Francesco Barbaro (politician)

Francesco Barbaro (1390–1454) was an Italian politician, diplomat, and humanist from Venice, a member of the patrician Barbaro family. He is interred in the Church of the Frari, Venice.

Francesco Barbaro was the son of Candiano Barbaro, uncle of Ermolao Barbaro, grandfather of the younger Ermolao Barbaro, and great-great grandfather of Marcantonio Barbaro and Daniele Barbaro. Francesco’s father died in 1391 and Francesco was raised by his older brother Zaccaria. In 1419, Franceso married Maria Loredan, daughter of Procurator Pietro Loredan. Francesco and Maria had five daughters and one son, Zaccaria, who was born in 1422.

Francesco Barbaro was a student at the University of Padua and studied under John of Ravenna, Gasparino Barzizza, Vittorino da Feltre, Guarino Veronese, and Giovanni Conversini.

In 1419, Barbaro was appointed senator of the Republic of Venice. He was elected governor of Como in 1421, though he declined the post. Later that year he accepted the governorship of Trivigi. He served as governor of Vicenza in 1423, of Bergamo in 1430, and of Verona in 1434.

In 1426 Barbaro was sent as a special envoy to the Papal Court, to try to persuade Pope Martin V to ally with Venice against Milan. In 1428, the Pope assembled a congress at Ferrara, which ended the war, with Francesco Barbaro being one of Venice’s representatives there. That year Barbaro also served as ambassador in Ferrara and Florence. In 1433, Barbaro represented Venice at the court Emperor Sigismund in Bohemia, where he and the other envoys were knighted by the Emperor. At Emperor Sigismund’s request, Francesco Barbaro attempted to soothe relations between the Emperor and the Hussites.Eugenius IV also employed Barbaro in his negotiations with the Emperor.

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