Francesco Foscari is the 65e Doge de Venise. He was elected in 1423.

Having been preferably selected to Pietro Loredano, Francesco Foscari went up on the ducal throne of Venice on April 15th 1423.

Pietro Loredano adopted in its connection an attitude of systematic hostility so much so that Foscari one day declared, in front of the Senate, than he would not be truly doge as long as this systematic opponent would be in life.

Coincidentally, Pietro Loredano and its brother Marco died a few months later; one spoke about poisoning, which Jacopo Loredano made engrave on their tomb stones before registering on its accounts books that Foscari owed him two lives.

" two Foscari "

November 5th 1450, the Chief of the Décemvirs, Ermolao Donato was assassinated. The son of Francesco Foscari, Jacopo Foscari, was accused of this murder: some time before, Donato had made it condemn to the exile to have accepted subsidies of foreign Heads of State. Jacopo was tortured then exiled in Crete.

In 1455, Jacopo wrote with Francesco Sforza, duke of Milan, to require of him to intercede in its favor near the Venetian government. The letter fell between the hands from the Council from the Ten; brought back to Venice, Jacopo recognized in being the author but only because of his desire to re-examine its country.

He was condemned to the perpetual exile in Crête and to being locked up during the first year. Moreover, one threatened it of dead for the case where it would take imagination to him to write other letters of the same kind.

It is at this time that noble Venetian, Nicolo Erizzo, revealed on its bed of dead being the true murderer of Donato; several senators then decided to plead the grace of Jacopo Foscari but this one died at the same time in its prison of Crete.

Abdication and dead

Francesco Foscari ignored the businesses of the State gradually, refusing to attend the meetings of the Council.

Twice he wanted to abdicate but the Council of the Ten refused its abdication, making him even swear to remain in function until its death.

Raised with the dignity of Decemvir in 1457, Jacopo Loredano worked to oblige the doge to abdicate. Foscari turned over in its palate and refused even the pension which was offered to him, and which was to be taken on the Treasury.

October 31st, 1457, the sound of the bells of the Basilique Saint-Marc announcing the election of its successor, Pasqual Malipiero, affected it so much that he died about it. It was entitled to imposing funerals to which Malipiero appeared in a simple behavior of senator; at the evening of the funeral, Loredano registered in its book of accounts " Foscari paid me ".

Others

The history of Francesco Foscari inspired a drama of Lord Byron, The two Foscari , whose Verdi drew the action from its opera I due Foscari.