Francesco da Mosto

Francesco da Mosto
Born	June 6, 1961 Venice, Italy
Occupation	Author, historian, architect
Nationality	Italian
Genre	History, culture, food, architecture

Francesco da Mosto (born 1961) is an Italian architect, author, historian, film maker and television presenter. He presented the three BBC 2 series Francesco's Venice (2004) and Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe (2006) where he explored the country in his Alfa Romeo Spider and Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage (Filmed 2007, broadcast 2008) which sees him traveling from his home in Venice to Istanbul, visiting cities including Split, Mostar, Dubrovnik and many more. He presented the two part BBC 2 series: Shakespeare in Italy, (2012).

Da Mosto was born in Venice and his family has been part of the city's history since possibly as early as the fifth century. Originally, they were wine makers - the name da Mosto coming from the word "mosto" meaning grape must (juice from crushed grapes). Later, the family became traders, explorers and politicians.

The family's previous Venice residence, the Ca' da Mosto which can be seen from the Rialto market by the Grand Canal was lost through marriage in the 17th century, when Chiara da Mosto, a female member of the family married four times, with each husband dying of natural causes – thus enabling her to become one of the wealthiest people in Venice. Unfortunately for the da Mosto family, the childless widow had a falling out with them and on her death in 1603 she left everything to Leonardo Donà dalle Rose, a nephew of her second husband, who went on to become Doge.

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