Giovanni I di Murta
Giovanni di Murta | |
|---|---|
| Born | early 1300s Murta, Genoa |
| Died | January 6, 1350 (aged 50) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, politician |
| Years active | 1345–1350 (as Doge of Genoa) |
| Known for | Second Doge of Genoa, restoring authority over Mediterranean territories, founding the Maona of Chios and Phocaea |
Giovanni di Murta (deceased 6 January 1350) held the position of the second Doge of Genoa beginning 25 December 1345, following the tenure of Simone Boccanegra. His administration concentrated on halting the political unrest that weakened Genoa and restoring authority over its Mediterranean territories.
Early life
Most likely born in the early 1300s in Murta, now part of modern Genoa, Giovanni originated from a prosperous commoner lineage with maternal connections to the prominent Usodimare noble family.
The Maona of Chios and Phocaea
Professionally a banker, Giovanni di Murta brought stability to Genoa’s internal disputes, notably thwarting the Grimaldi family’s attempt to gain control. He organized a fleet exceeding twenty armed galley vessels under the command of admiral Simone Vignoso. While the Grimaldis remained inactive at sea, this fleet aided the Genoese settlement on Chios during a siege led by Jani Beg, khan of the Golden Horde, and successfully reclaimed Phocaea along with its lucrative alum mines on 20 September 1346.
Because of delays in compensation for his efforts, Vignoso and his associates received governance and taxation rights over Chios for two decades, establishing the investor consortium known as the Maona of Chios and Phocaea.
Mounting tension in the region
At the outset of Giovanni di Murta’s dogate, only the fortress of Bonifacio remained under Genoese control on Corsica, while the remainder of the island operated independently with support from both the Kingdom of Aragon and the fleet of the Venetian Republic. He assigned his son, Tommaso, to reclaim Corsica, aiming to end feudal disorder and reinforce Genoese dominance. To fund this military effort, Genoa secured loans at a 20% interest rate from financiers identified as the Compera nuova acquisitionis Corsicæ on 27 December 1347.
On the diplomatic front, Giovanni di Murta endeavored to reduce hostilities with Venice after Genoa’s attack on Constantinople amid the Byzantine–Genoese War (1348–1349), which Venice perceived as a challenge to its influence in the Levant. He proposed a collaborative crusade against the rising Ottoman Empire, but Venice declined this initiative.
Plague and succession
During his rule, Genoa became one of Europe’s earliest urban centers affected by the Black Death, introduced through a Genoese vessel escaping from Kaffa in Crimea. Between 1347 and 1351, this epidemic claimed approximately 30 to 40 percent of Genoa’s inhabitants, including Giovanni di Murta himself, who passed away on 6 January 1350 and was interred at the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. His successor, Giovanni Valente, was chosen three days later amid conflicts between popolanis and aristocrats, highlighting ongoing divisions within Genoese society.
Giovanni I di Murta is commemorated as a peacemaker both within Genoa and abroad and has been described by scholars as a "devotee of the common good."