Giosofat Barbaro

Giosafat Barbaro was a Venetian merchant, explorer and diplomat from the notable Barbaro family who served as Venetian ambassador to Persia (1473-78). Barbaro started his career as a merchant and diplomat in the Genoese colony Tana, on the delta of Don River, where he lived between 1436 and 1452. At that time, the Venetian Republic struggled against the Ottomans, a new political power in the rise which endangered Venetian commercial interests on the East. Thus, in 1472 Barbaro was sent to Persia to ensure the political and military alliance of the Persian king against the Ottomans. However, due to his late arrival and dynastic struggles in the country he was unable to achieve the goal. Although he was reproached at home for this failure, Barbaro continued to perform the duty and in following years he held several important offices including Captain of Rovigo, Provveditore of all Polesine, and one of the councilors of Doge Agostino Barbarigo, chief magistrate of Venice. He wrote an account of his travels called “Viaggi fatti da Venetia”, which was published in 1543.