Piero Contarini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piero Contarini
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| Born | 12 November 1578 Venice |
| Died | 19 October 1632 (aged 53) Venice |
| Father | Marco di Paolo |
| Mother | Comelia di Giorgio Corner |
| Occupation | Venetian ambassador to Turin, Paris, London, Madrid and Rome |
Piero Contarini (1578–1632) was an important person from Venice. He came from a noble family called the Contarinis. Piero worked as an Ambassador for the Republic of Venice. This meant he was a special messenger or representative for Venice in other countries. He traveled to many major cities like Turin, Paris, London, Madrid, and Rome.
Life of Piero Contarini
Piero Contarini was born in Venice on November 12, 1578. He quickly became a diplomat, which means he was good at representing his country. He started his career working for the Republic of Venice.
From 1606 to 1608, he was sent to Turin. There, he represented Venice at the court of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy. Later, from 1613 to 1616, he worked in Paris. He was an ambassador at the court of Louis XIII, the King of France.
After returning to Venice, he had another important job. In 1617, he went to London on a special mission. Venice felt threatened by the Habsburg Empire. Piero's job was to ask England for their help and support.
After his time in London, Contarini became the ambassador to Spain. He arrived in Madrid in 1619 and stayed there for two years. When he came back to Venice, he was put in charge of the city of Brescia for a few months.
Piero was known for his strong religious beliefs. In 1623, he was chosen to be the Venetian ambassador in Rome. He returned to Venice and got married in 1627. Piero Contarini passed away in Venice on October 19, 1632.
His Trip to London
Piero Contarini arrived in London in November 1617. He met with King James VI and I and Prince Charles. A few days later, he also met Queen Anne of Denmark, who had been feeling unwell. She even made a joke about Spain's plans for Venice.
In December, Piero went with his helper, Orazio Busino, to see the Queen. They visited her at Somerset House, which was also called Denmark House. Busino wrote about the Queen's clothes. She wore pink and gold, and her dress was very wide at the hips. Her hair was styled to look like rays or petals, like a sunflower.
Busino also wrote about another meeting at Somerset House. Piero was led through secret passages to meet the Queen. A lady-in-waiting carried a candle to light the dark way. Busino was left behind during this adventure.
Orazio Busino also described other famous places he saw. These included Audley End, Theobalds, Greenwich Palace, and Wanstead House. He was very interested in English life. He wrote about sports and even about plays and theatre.
In September 1618, Contarini went to Oatlands to see Queen Anne again. It rained, so they could not go hunting. At dinner, Piero sat with Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel. She was a big fan of Italian culture.
After returning to Venice, Contarini wrote a special report called a relazione. In this report, he described what he learned about England in 1618. He noticed that England's trade with the East Indies was growing. They were getting spices like pepper and cloves, and also indigo and silk. These goods used to be supplied by Venetian merchants. Contarini also mentioned that Queen Anne of Denmark was not happy. This was because King James spent less time with her. He also noted that people often said she was Catholic, but he wasn't sure about her religion.
